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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/SAS Bloemfontein

The dive site SAS Bloemfontein is a deep recent wreck in the central part of False Bay, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand

The wreck is in quite good condition for its age due to the depth.

Type: Algerine-class minesweeper
 * Displacement: 965 t (standard)
 * Length over all: 68.6 m
 * Beam: 10.8 m
 * Draught: 3.7 m
 * Installed power: 2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers
 * Propulsion: 2 shafts, 2 vertical triple-expansion steam engines, 1,800 kW
 * Speed:	16.5 knots (30.6 km/h)
 * Range:	5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h)
 * Complement: 85
 * Armament:
 * 1 × QF 4 in (102 mm) Mk V dual purpose gun
 * 2 × twin and 2 × single Oerlikon 20 mm AA guns

HMSAS Bloemfontein was an Algerine-class minesweeper built for the Royal Navy in Canada during World War II. The ship was originally named HMS Rosamund (pennant number: J439) and spent several years clearing minefields in Europe after she was completed in 1945 before she was placed in reserve. Rosamund was purchased by South Africa in 1947 and renamed.

The ship spent most of its early career in the South African Navy training or making good-will visits to foreign countries. She was laid up in the late 1950s and was recommissioned in 1961 to serve as an interim training ship until the shore-based training establishment then under construction was completed. This occurred in 1963 and Bloemfontein briefly returned to reserve before she was deemed surplus to requirements. The ship was sunk as a target in 1967.

Position
This is right in the middle of False Bay.
 * S34°14.668’ E018°39.974’ (approximately amidships)

This site is NOT in a Marine Protected Area. A permit is not required.

Name
The "SAS Bloemfontein" M439 was a sister ship to the SAS Pietermaritzburg and has similar dimensions and layout. This Algerine–class Minesweeper was built as HMS Rosamund, and was scuttled on 5th June 1967.

Depth
Maximum depth is about 55 m in the scour depressions in the sand at the bow and stern. The upper deck is at about 47 m.

Visibility
Visibility is not easily predictable. Surface conditions do not necessarily indicate visibility at depth. The surface may be cloudy from plankton, and it may improve below the plankton layer, but can also get much worse near the bottom, where there may be a layer of very poor visibility for the last few metres. This may be a characteristic of deeper False Bay waters in winter, but there is not enough data available to analyse.

Topography
The ship lies upright on a flat sand bottom with the bow to the northwest, and is substantially intact. The stern area is in relatively good condition, the rudder and shaft brackets are intact and there are a number of interesting details visible on deck and inside the hull. In several places plating has wasted through and the interior is visible. Scour pits at bow and stern are seasonal.

Geology: Flat shelly sand bottom.

Conditions
The site is in the middle of False Bay, and is affected by wind and waves from all directions, so can be dived only on the rare occasions when there is very little swell or wind, as the bottom time will be short and this is almost always a decompression dive. Due to the depth the surge is greatly affected by wave period, with short period swells having little effect at the bottom, while longer periods will reach all the way down. Wind chop will have little effect at the bottom, but may make the surface conditions unpleasant or hazardous, and the trip to the site and back is long and will be uncomfortable in steep waves or strong wind.

This is an area which often has a significant variation in temperature between the surface and bottom waters, and sometimes a distinct thermocline, particularly in summer. In winter it is more likely to be only a few degrees difference top to bottom, with no sharp thermocline.

Keep a lookout for times when the sea is flat, the visibility is good and the wind is light. If the wind comes up during a dive, you just have to live with it, so check the forecast on the day.

Get in
Only accessible by boat. This site is a similar distance from Simon's Town jetty (22 km), Gordon's Bay Old Harbour (20 km), Kalk Bay (24 km) or Miller's Point slipway (18 km), and it is a matter of convenience which is used. The wreck is not easy to find and the boat should have at least a serviceable echo-sounder and GPS.

Marine life
The structure is not heavily encrusted, bur has a lot of short brown growth, probably mostly small colonial hydroids, and a scattering of sea fans, oysters, strawberry anemones, encrusting sponges, and rock lobster.

Features
Steel shipwreck of World War 2 vintage.

Photography
The marine life is not very diverse, so not much of a site for macro. If you are lucky and have a day with good visibility and natural lighting, a fisheye lens for close up wide angle views of the structure is likely to give the most satisfactory results.

Suggested Routes
No particular routes recommended. It is possible to swim around the perimeter of the wreck in 15 minutes.

Hazards
Cold water possible. Strong winds may develop over a short time. Nitrogen narcosis is likely on air or Nitrox.

Skills
Only suitable for divers who have the training, skills and equipment to dive deeper than 50 m. Penetrations should only be planned by suitably competent divers who have dived the site recently and assessed the condition of the structure, as it is deteriorating and the stability is questionable.

Equipment
The dive has been done on air in the past, but appropriate gas mixes are strongly recommended to improve safety and reduce decompression time. Lights are strongly recommended as it is usually fairly dark at these depths. DSMB and spool should be carried by each diver in case of ascent off the shotline. You do not want to get lost on this site, and if the wind comes up the SMB will help the skipper keep track of you.

Nearby
Other offshore dive sites of False Bay:

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of wreck dive sites in the False Bay offshore area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches,
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula east coast

 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/SAS Fleur

The dive site SAS Fleur is a deep recent wreck in the central part of False Bay, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Position
This site is not in a Marine Protected Area. A permit is not required.
 * S34°10.832’ E018°33.895’
 * S34°10.846’ E018°33.903’
 * S34°10.820’ E018°33.887’

Name
The "SAS Fleur" was a ‘Bar’ class boom defence vessel, formerly HMS Barbrake, The SAS Somerset is a sister vessel to the Fleur and is moored at the V&A waterfront in Cape Town as a museum vessel. As of 2017, it was closed to the public. The Fleur was scuttled on 5th April 1966, south of Seal Island, and north of Whittle Rock.

Depth
Maximum depth on the sand is 41 m, The main deck was at about 35 m and the top of the superstructure at about 33 m, but the superstucture is completely gone and the main deck has largely collapsed as of July 2021. The boiler protrudes through the deck and has become the highest point of the wreck. The debris field has become wider with wreckage falling off the sides.

Visibility
Visibility is variable and unpredictable. This is a site where visibility can be very poor in a layer a few metres above the bottom, while quite a bit better a bit shallower. The top of the cloud has been estimated at between 35 and 30 m on different occasions. The cloudy water can have visibility in the order of 1 to 2 m, while a metre above it (an extreme case), visibility may be 5 to 10 m. The cloudy water is very easily disturbed by divers, even passing a couple of metres above it can cause it to billow up into the clearer water. The transition between good and bad visibility can be surprisingly abrupt before it is disturbed. On a well illuminated day the cloud appears pale, but if the top water is dark due to heavy plankton near the surface, the cloud appears dark. The reason for this is not known, but the stratification is very flat, so it is probably related to a density variation, possibly a thermocline, though no-one has reported a noticeable temperature difference between the clear and cloudy layers.

Topography
Flat sand bottom with shell fragments and small detritus concentrated near the wreckage. The wreck lies almost level, imbedded in the bottom as if floating in sand, with the bow to the south and the centreline on estimated 178° magnetic with the bow to the south. Hull structure is badly rusted and plating has gone from large sections of deck and sides of the hull. Most of the superstructure is gone and there has been noticeable deterioration over the last few years. Much of the hull collapsed in 2009. The bow gantry and a few metres of the bow have broken off and subsided, but are still there and easily recognisable.

A considerable part of the interior is accessible through holes in the side and deck plating and through hatchways, but the structure is probably unstable and cannot be considered safe to penetrate. The stern is relatively intact and holds its original shape. There is a large rectangular opening in the deck aft of the superstructure, which may have been over the engine room. Piping and valves inside the vessel are visible through the wasted structure in places.

Starting from the stern, the rudder and propeller brackets are mostly intact and easily identifiable, and there are large bollards on both sides of the quarterdeck, The hull plating around the stern is in relatively good condition, as is the quarterdeck plating. There are a few patches where the plating has wasted to leave only frames. There is a large rectangular opening in the quarterdeck just abaft the remaining superstructure, which is probably over the engine room, and this provides access to some of the aft structure. Further forward is the after section of the superstructure, which still holds its basic shape, but has lost side plating.

On the port side the deck plating has collapsed outboard of the superstructure, and to some extent on the foredeck. The forward part of the superstructure has collapsed and it is now open. The foredeck is a bit of a mess: the bow has subsided to lower the gantry arm tips to the sand, and the plating of the deck and topsides is buckled and in some places missing. The starboard side is similar but differs in detail. The bulwarks have wasted away leaving only the frames.

Geology: Flat sand bottom

Conditions
The area is exposed to wind and swell from all directions, and there is no specific season when conditions will be consistently better than others. Dive trips to this site must be planned using short term forecasts for swell and wind.

Best in conditions of limited surge, particularly if penetration is intended. Generally this means a short period swell. Wind chop does not usually reach to the depth of the wreck, but may make the ride unpleasant.

Get in
The site can only be accessed by boat. It is 9.5 km from Miller's Point slipway, or 12.7 km from Simon's Town jetty, and can also be reached from Gordon's Bay or Kalk Bay

Marine life
The wreck is heavily encrusted on the deck by mussels and all over by an astonishing number of strawberry anemones in pink, orange and nearly white. There are also fairly large numbers of Cape urchins, Sinuous and Multicoloured sea fans, some small barnacles, bushy hydroids, and occasional bryozoans. The interior is home to large numbers of White Seacatfish. Kingklip may also be seen. If you are visited by seals at the safety stop it is considered lucky, as it is then presumed less likely for sharks to be nearby.

Features
Steel wreck of World War II vintage ship in partially collapsed condition.

Photography
Good site for photography if visibility is good. There are opportunities for some interesting wide angle shots showing the collapsing structure, but only if the light is sufficient. The subjects for close-up and macro work are limited.

Routes
For your first dive on the wreck, explore the exterior. The wreck is small enough to visit the whole site in one dive. Swim around the hull and over the deck, noting the general layout, and looking into the various holes and breaks.

The exact route will depend on where the shot lands, and the following assumes that it lands near the stern on the starboard side.

Start by identifying where you are on the wreck, so you can find your way back to the shotline, then swim to the stern, and take a look at the rudder and propeller brackets. These are in a scour pit in the sand and this will probably be the deepest point of the dive. Return to deck level and swim along the sheer line (where the deck edge meets the hull side: on this ship it is rounded near the stern).

Swim forward to the superstructure. You can make a detour into the opening in the quarterdeck if conditions are suitable, then forward along the side, past the superstructure to the foredeck. Continue forward to the bows, which are one of the more interesting features of the vessel, as they have a large gantry for handling moorings and other heavy equipment which must be lifted and lowered in the sea.

After examining the gantry return along the fordeck to the superstructure, and take a look around it. By this time your no stop time will probably be running out, so return to the shotline in good time to make your ascent.

It is recommended to ascend at the shotline, but if you can't find it or can't get back in time, it is usually quite acceptable to deploy a DSMB and ascend on your reel line. There are usually no significant currents at this site, so as long as your marker is visible to the boat, they are unlikely to lose you.

On subsequent dives if you intend penetration, assess the condition of the structure first, as the wreck is structurally unsound.

Hazards
Cold water is possible,. Strong winds may develop over a short time. Great white sharks have been seen in this area. Nitrogen narcosis may be expected on air and Nitrox dives. If there is a current there is a risk of being carried away if you do not descend and ascend on the shotline or anchor cable.

Skills
Competence and certification to dive to 40 m is expected. The ability to deploy a DSMB is strongly recommended. Training and competence in the use of other equipment that may be used is necessary. The charter skippers will generally only take divers that they know are capable or are under direct supervision of an instructor.

Equipment
A DSMB and reel are highly recommended in case of being separated and off the wreck. There is seldom much current, so an upline is not required. A light is also strongly recommended as it is frequently quite dark due to overcast conditions and poor visibility above the thermocline.

Nitrox can increase no-stop time, and Trimix will reduce the severity of nitrogen narcosis. A dry suit will be warmer both during the dive and while travelling there and back, specially in winter. A fairly large cylinder will be required, and either a pony cylinder or isolation manifolded twins will give the peace of mind of an independent backup gas supply.

Nearby
Other offshore dive sites of False Bay:

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of wreck dive sites in the False Bay offshore area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches,
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula east coast

 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/SAS Gelderland

The dive site SAS Gelderland is a 1988 wreck in the Karbonkelberg headland area on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Position
About halfway between the rock known as "Die Middelmas", off the Oude Schip point to the north, and the offshore rock at Duiker point to the south.
 * S34°02.070’ E018°18.180’

There are two main sections of wreckage known. The central section of the hull with the engine room is at the position given, and the bow is some distance away to the south at 30 m on the reef, a short distance north of the Plan B pinnacles.

This site is in the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area since 2004. A permit is required. The site is within the Karbonkelberg restricted zone.

Name

The "SAS Gelderland" was a Ford class Seaward Defense Boat, formerly the HMS Brayford, renamed on 30th August 1954. The ship was named after the Dutch battleship that transported Paul Kruger to Europe in 1900. The SAS Gelderland, was scuttled at 10:00 on 21st December 1988, North West of Duiker Point, by demolition trials.

The "Plan B pinnacles" were the alternative option for a dive site on the first recorded occasion that anyone dived there. The name stuck. They are a pleasant dive and a bit more sheltered than many of the better known sites of the area.

"Plan C pinnacles" were picked up on echo sounder during a survey dive at "Plan B pinnacles" and surveyed a few weeks later. They are a smaller group of two pinnacles, reaching up to a minimum depth of about 20 m, on a local bottom of a bit deeper than 27 m.

Depth
Maximum depth on the sand is 35 m, top of wreckage and nearby reef generally below 30 m

Topography
The vessel was about 40 m long but the main section of wreckage is now only about 20 m as the bow and stern sections were blown right off when scuttling it. The midships section lies moderately intact and upright on a narrow strip of sand at 35 m. There is a reef of huge boulders with some great reef life to the north and a pinnacle which rises to 13 m is fairly close by to the south. Unfortunately the superstructure and funnels are gone and much of the hull has filled with sand. The nearby reef to the south is low profile, not much more than a metre or so above the sand. The bow section is said to lie about 60 m to the southwest of the main wreckage, northwest of the Plan B pinnacles, at about 30 m depth. There is a stockless anchor near to the midships section on the reef, to the south, but the exact position is not known. The wreckage of the bow structure is scattered around the reef, with no large pieces.

Geology: Sand bottom in a narrow strip with outcrops of granite reef of the late Pre-Cambrian Peninsula pluton to the north and south.

Conditions
The site is exposed to south west and north west swell end winds, but is reasonably sheltered from south easterly winds. The site is diveable in low to moderate swell height as long as the wave period is short. The site is usually at it's best in summer but there may also be occasional opportunities in autumn and early winter.

This is an area which sometimes has upwellings, caused by the south easterly wind, resulting in cold clean water, and which may be followed by plankton blooms, which will reduce visibility again.

If the south-easter blows strongly, the trip back will be wet and uncomfortable.

Get in
The site can only be reached by boat. It is about 7.5 km from the slipway at Hout Bay harbour.

Do
Dive at one of the listed sites, and explore the vicinity, follow one of the routes, or explore an uncharted area and let us know what you find.

 * S34°02.070’ E018°18.180’. The midsection of the hull. It will not take very long to explore this piece of wreckage, on a clear day you can see it all at once. Take your time inspecting the visible machinery, then you can either explore the reef to the north, which is shallower, search for the missing stern, or swim along the sand edge and see where it leads you. The Pan B and Plan C pinnacles are roughly to the south, and can be reached quite easily, but you may use up your gas or time getting there.

 * S34°02.125’ E018°18.190’. A pretty reef, compact and high profile, but not very big. Swim around it either way, and gradually rise up the walls, and ascend from the top for maximum dive time. You can also explore a bit away from the reef. there is scattered wreckage to the north, mostly bits of structural plate, thought to be from the bow section.

 * S34°02.090’ E018°18.099’. Much the same dive plan applies as for Plan B, though the high reef is smaller, and there may not be wreckage. Or you may find the missing stern section. Let us know.

Marine life
The high profile reefs to the north and south of the wreck are fairly colourful compared to the shoreline reefs of Leeugat bay, but not quite to the standard of the more exposed Star Wall reef complex to the south. As is usually the case in this region, the steeper and overhanging faces often support more diversity of invertebrates than the lower surrounding reef.

Features
Fairly recent wreckage of a small steel naval vessel.

Photography
(recommendations)

Routes
No particular routes recommended. The site is small.

Hazards
Cold water. Nitrogen narcosis.

Skills
Ability to deploy a DSMB is recommended. Training/certification to dive below 30m is required.

Equipment
Reel with DSMB, Light, Nitrox and Dry suit recommended.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Oude Schip and Leeugat area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches

 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula east coast
 * Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches
 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/SAS Good Hope

The dive site SAS Good Hope is a recent wreck in the Smitswinkel Bay area on the Cape Peninsula side of False Bay, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Position
The SAS Good Hope is the second from southernmost of the 5 wrecks in Smitswinkel bay.
 * S34°16.105’ E018°28.851’
 * S34°16.80’ E018°28.851’
 * S34°16.054’ E018°28.850’

This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is required.

Name
"HMSAS Good Hope" was one of three Loch class frigates transferred to South African naval forces while under construction. The ship was laid down in November 1943 as HMS Loch Boisdale, and was launched at Blyth on 5th July 1944 as HMSAS Good Hope and went into service on 9th November 1944. The vessel saw service as a convoy escort during the closing stages of World War II and was for many years the flagship of the S A Navy. The ship was sold for scrap and scuttled by explosive charges in Smitswinkel Bay to form an artificial reef at 3.45 pm on June 18th 1978 and sank in 5 minutes.

Depth
Maximum depth is about 36 m on the sand, main deck was about 25 m, but structural collapse has reduced the height of the wreck and the high points are now (July 2011) at about 27 m.

Visibility
Visibility is somewhat unpredictable, and can vary from around 1m up to over 20 m on an exceptionally good day. More often it is in the 6 to 10 m range, which is quite divable, and better than average for False Bay. This is due to the depth, and possibly because it is quite near to the mouth of the bay and is more likely to get clearer oceanic water. There are frequently occasions when the surface visibility is relatively poor, less than 5m, but the water is clearer below about 10 to 15 m, and visibility can be quite good, though dark, on the wreck. On days with exceptional visibility the water is blue, but it is usually green, due to organic particulate matter in the water column. There may be a small degree of silting on the exterior, and considerably more inside in sheltered areas, but this is not a problem unless you intend to penetrate.

Topography
The wreck lies upright on a flat sand bottom with bows to the south. The wreck of trawler Princess Elizabeth about 10m off to starboard about 20m forward of the transom. Most of the hull plating has rusted away on the quarter deck leaving mainly frames. The wreck has deteriorated markedly since 2004. The mast has fallen and is lying over the starboard side. The main deck has partly collapsed and has caved into the wreck, still attached along the sheer line.

The interior of the hull is now accessible from many places where the plating has wasted away, and also through a number of openings on the deck. The structure must be considered unstable, and you enter at your own risk. A large rectangular opening roughly amidships opens into what was probably a boiler room, which is still quite crowded with equipment. (mostly unrecognisable) Other compartments in what was probably living space are more open, but there are old cables and other snags all over the place. Much of the interior does not seem to be heavily silted, as there is often surge which will disturb and carry away silt in open areas.

Geology: Flat fine white sand near the hull, though there is a small granite reef some 50m to the east of the stern.

Conditions
The site is exposed to swell from the south east, and to a certain extent, from the south west. Longer period swell will make conditions on the wrecks uncomfortable or hazardous due to strong surge, but short period waves will just make it uncomfortable on the boat. Visibility is less predictable, and at this time is largely a matter of luck and reports from divers who were in the area recently.

The site is usually at its best in winter but there are also occasional opportunities at other times of the year, though least often in summer, when the south east wind tends to blow much of the time.

Get in
This site is only accessible by boat. It is about 5.3 km from Miller's Point slipway and 12.6 km from Simon's Town jetty.

Marine life
The wreck is too deep and dark for much seaweed, but it is heavily encrusted with invertebrates, some of which are seldom seen anywhere else but on the Smits wrecks. Reef fish are regularly seen, and some pelagic fish have been seen passing by, including Oceanic sunfish and Yellowtail.

Features
Recent wreck of World War II vintage warship.

Routes
Use a shot line or anchor line if possible to control ascent rate and the place where you will surface. For your first dive on this wreck there is enough to see just swimming around the perimeter and over the deck.

Penetrations should be planned taking into account the structural state of the vessel. Significant structural collapse has recently (2008) occurred without any obvious warning signs, and further collapse may occur at any time. Enter at your own risk.

Hazards
The structure has become unstable due to corrosion, and there is a risk of collapse if there is a strong surge. Penetrations should be planned with this risk in mind.

Scorpion fish have been seen on the wrecks, and are well camouflaged. Their spines carry a dangerous venom.

Skills
Certification appropriate to the depth is expected. Some level of training or experience in wreck diving is recommended, and penetration should only be attempted by suitably competent divers after reconnaissance and appropriate planning.

Equipment
Equipment appropriate for the depth should be used. Nitrox is recommended for those competent to use it. A light is strongly recommended, and penetration should not be attempted without the appropriate equipment and planning. If you are not entirely certain what this would be, you are not competent to do the penetration. A DSMB is recommended in case you have to ascend away from the shotline.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Smitswinkel Bay area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches,
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast

 * Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches
 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/SAS Pietermaritzburg

The SAS Pietermaritzburg dive site is a recent wreck in the Miller's Point area on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand

This is an easily accessible wreck in fair condition, but deteriorating rapidly, at a moderate depth. It is a popular site for introductory wreck dives and night dives, mainly due to the moderate depth and short distance from the launch site.

The wreck is of some historical interest, but is not protected by legislstion as it is not of archeological importance, and it is less than 60 years since it was scuttled (in 1994).

There is a movement to have the wreck protected due to its historical interest and popularity as a dive site, as commercial salvors have been removing parts of the wreck (July 2012).

Position
This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is required.
 * S34°13.303’ E018° 28.465’ (PS)
 * S34°13.300’ E018° 28.452’ (Alternative mark - GW)

Name
The keel of this Algerine class ocean minesweeper was laid down on 8th October 1942 at Lobnitz and Co. Renfrewshire, the ship was launched on 18th June 1943 and completed on 7th October 1943. The ship was first commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Pelorus and took part in the D-day invasion of Normandy in the Second World War as the lead ship sweeping mines to make way for the invasion fleet.

Sold in 1947 to the South African Navy the renamed "HMSAS Pietermaritzburg" was used as a training vessel and minesweeper. It was last decommissioned in July 1964, served as accommodations for the Mine Countermeasures squadron from 1968 to 1991 and was scuttled by explosive charges on 12 November 1994 to form an artificial reef.

Depth
Maximum depth is 22 m on the sand to the stern. The sand at the bow is about a metre shallower, except in the scour pit, which is about 2 m deep at the forefoot. The deck at the bow is at about 17 m, and it slopes down gradually to the region of the wheelhouse, where the hull has fractured across the width of the vessel. The forward section is canted to port, and the midship section remains fairly level. The hull is also fractured at the break of the quarterdeck which is now almost as high as the midship section. The quarterdeck slopes down from 17 m at the high point to starboard at the break, down to about 19 m on the port side of the transom. The high point is at 16.5 m depth at the aft end of the superstructure.

Visibility
Visibility is not often as much as 10 m, and frequently less than 8 m, but occasionally it can exceed 15 m, and there have been reports of divers spotting the wreck from the boat, which implies flat water and visibility of at least 18 m. Visibility at the surface is not always the same as at the bottom, and it is quite common to have a murky surface layer several metres deep, with better visibility below. This may result in good visibility but poor lighting on the wreck.

Topography
The wreck used to be upright on the flat shell-sand bottom. The ship lay almost level, imbedded in the bottom as if floating in sand. Bow is to the south, Longitudinal axis close to north/south True. The deep scouring at sides where holes let water surge through has largely filled in since the structural collapse of the hull, and is now mostly around the bow. Water movement still prevents heavy silting and washes disturbed sediment clear fairly quickly. The hull structure has weakened and collapsed along the lower sides, and the whole wreck forward of the quarterdeck has slumped by a couple of metres, and on the port side even more, and the gunwales which were originally several metres above the sand are now only about 3 m from the sand to starboard and a bit over a metre for much of the port side of the foredeck. This has done a lot of interior damage. and previously open access is now compromised. The forward part of the superstructure has completely collapsed, and is now a low profile heap of rusted plate fragments lying just above the level of the sand. The after part of the superstructure just forward of the break of the quarterdeck still stands, but most of the side plating has gone and you can swim straight through under the deck in most places. The quarterdeck has been least affected by these collapses, but the plating has corroded to the extent that a shot weight can fall through the deck plating.

The forward part of the hull has consequently tilted to port with the remains of the foredeck at a fairly steep angle, and parts of the deck have fallen away altogether, particularly in the area of the bridge deck. A strong storm could easily cause further collapse, and penetration of the hull should be considered fairly high risk, even in mild surge, and dangerous in a strong surge.

Penetrations of the quarterdeck section are relatively straightforward. there is good access from the fracture on both sides of the hull and from the opening in the deck plating in the aftermost compartment. The interleading doors are fairly large and clear, but there is a certain amount of snaggy stuff in the form of racks and wiring hanging around. The hatchway from the middle compartment is not very big, but should be big enough for most divers if you don't mind getting reef organisms all over your suit, so best not used unless really necessary.

The main part of the hull is partly accessible. There is an entrance aft from the fracture area on the starboard side of the transverse bulkhead which is quite low due to the subsidence, and partly obstructed by the quarterdeck structure. This opens into an alleyway leading forward with small compartments on both sides. The forward end of the alleyway opens into a machinery space and you have to go to starboard to get around the central mass of equipment (there are lots of loose and dangling bits of debris in this area), and can then exit at the midships fracture area to starboard of the machinery. The small compartments are on the whole very dark, fairly silty, and don't have much of interest in them, and their doors are quite narrow.

The aft superstructure is easily accessible, as most of the side plating has rusted away, leaving a mainly open sided structure with a deck above and below. This has a few snags, but is relatively clear, and would not normally be considered a penetration, as you can swim straight through most places without touching sides or changing direction.

The wheelhouse and bridge deck have completely collapsed. All that remains of the forward superstructure is a lot of thin rusty plate in a low heap in the collapsed area of the hull.

The forecastle section, from the forward gun position to the bow, is canted to port by about 30°, and access may be possible from the fracture area, but does not look safe, with loose plates and lots of dangling cable and other snags obscuring narrow tilted doorways and sharp changes of direction. The stability of the structure is doubtful, and there are no alternative exits.

Geology: Flat sand bottom surrounds the wreck. The nearest known reef is about 100 m to the east, and is granite.

Conditions
The site is exposed to wind from all directions and waves from the south east and southwest. The site will usually be at it's best in conditions of limited surge, particularly if penetration is intended, as the wreck is fairly shallow. Generally this means a low south-westerly component. If the south-easter is blowing there may be a slight current setting northwards, and the chop may make it difficult to see a diver on the surface.

Wind chop from the north does not usually reach to the depth of the wreck. The site is usually dived in the winter, as a south-easterly swell will often reduce visibility and make the surge unpleasant.

Get in
The site can only safely be accessed by boat, usually from Miller's Point slipway, which is about 1 km away or Simon's Town jetty. It would be possible to swim out from the shore, but this is an area of heavy boat traffic at times, and the risk is a bit high, as many of the skippers are not as diligent as they should be.

Marine life
The wreckage is heavily encrusted with invertebrates, and home to several species of fish. In September 2010 the dominant invertebrate species was clearly the Mauve sea cucumber, which is actually more a light grey in colour. The external surface of the wreck was covered almost everywhere with a carpet of these echinoderms. As of July 2011, there are far fewer cucumbers present, and many areas of the wreck are nearly bare. This may be a consequence of bad weather and structural collapse.

Features
Steel wreck of some historical interest, in rapidly deteriorating condition.

Photography
This can be a good site for photography if the surge is moderate. Wide angle and fisheye lenses will capture more of the mood of the wreck if the visibility is poor, which is often the case. There will also always be subjects for macro photography, but then you might as well dive on a reef.

Routes
No particular routes recommended. Start at wherever the shotline falls, and swim round the hull, then work your way up to the superstructure. Those who are more interested in the marine life will find the heaviest encrustations along the gunwales and on projections above the deck. There are still a few non-trivial penetrations possible, but they are getting more risky as the structure deteriorates, and should probably not be attempted in a surge, as this may precipitate further collapse, and you would really not want to be inside if that happens. Noise of structural movement should be a strong indicator to stay out. The visibility inside is also likely to be poor if there is much water movement.

Hazards
The wreck is breaking up and is structurally unstable. There are the usual wreck diving hazards of entanglement and fouling on structure, and if the surge is strong also a risk of injury on sharp edges of plates and other parts. It is possible that the wreckage may collapse further without notice, particularly in a heavy surge, and there may be surge induced flow into openings in the structure which could drag a diver into the wreckage, causing injury on sharp edged plating and frames, or entrapment in debris.

The visibility inside the wreckage may be poor due to disturbed silting, particularly during surgey conditions or after unskilled penetrations, and the interior is full of major snags and several rather narrow access points.

Skills
No special skills required for non-penetration dives. Certification for the depth range is expected.

This wreck was suitable for penetration dives by suitably competent and equipped divers, however this now less so. Careful planning and reconnaissance is recommended before attempting penetrations, and there is not much inside worth looking at. The site is also suitable for night dives.

Equipment
A light is highly recommended as it is often fairly dark and there are many openings to look into. Nitrox can significantly extend your no-stop time at this site.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Miller's Point area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches,
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast

 * Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches
 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/SAS Transvaal

The dive site SAS Transvaal is a recent wreck in the Smitswinkel Bay area on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Position

 * S34°15.956’ E018°28.778’
 * S33°16.005’ E018°28.761’

The SAS Transvaal is the northernmost of the 5 wrecks in Smitswinkel bay.

This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is required.

Name
HMSAS Transvaal F602 was one of three Loch class frigates transferred to South African naval forces while under construction. The ship was laid down at the yard of Harland and Wolff as HMS Loch Ard, and was launched at Belfast on 2nd August 1944 as HMSAS Transvaal. The ship was sold for scrap and scuttled by explosive charges in Smitswinkel Bay to form an artificial reef on August 3rd 1978. The sinking of these ships to form artificial reefs was opposed by the Department of Sea Fisheries (now Marine and Coastal Management), which at the time threatened legal action, however the vessels were sunk according to plan and have caused no recorded ecological or navigational hazard.

Depth
Maximum depth is about 34 m on the sand, main deck about 29 m

Visibility
The visibility on the wrecks in Smitswinkel Bay is often better than at sites closer inshore and shallower. This may be due to less water movement at depth. Visibility on a good day may be more than 10 m, and on exceptional occasions has been more than 20 m, but do not be too disappointed if it is no more than 6 to 8 m.

Topography
The wreck lies more or less upright on a flat sand bottom with bows to north east. The wreck retains its shape to some extent, though rust is taking its toll and the mast has fallen to the port side. The hull structure is collapsing and may be unstable.

The Bows have broken from the rest of the hull just aft of the foredeck winch and have fallen over to starboard. Aft of this the foredeck has sheared off the topsides along the starboard gunwale and subsided into the wreckage. The upper deck aft of the forward gun mount has collapsed, taking with it the remains of the forward superstructure. Aft of this the upper deck is open above a machinery compartment, where some heavy equipment is still moderately intact.

The quarterdeck is in relatively good condition. The deck plating has wasted away between the frames in many places, but the hull plating is mostly intact and the rudder and shaft brackets are still intact.

The wreck of the trawler Orotava lies a few metres off to starboard about 20 m forward of the transom.

Geology: The bottom of the bay is flat fine white sand. There are no rocks in the immediate vicinity.

Conditions
The site is exposed to swell from the south east, and to a certain extent, from the south west. Longer period swell will make conditions on the wrecks uncomfortable or hazardous due to strong surge, but short period waves will just make it uncomfortable on the boat. Visibility is less predictable, and at this time is largely a matter of luck and reports from divers who were in the area recently.

The site is usually at its best in winter but there are also occasional opportunities at other times of the year, though least often in summer, when the south east wind tends to blow much of the time.

Get in
This site is only accessible by boat. It is about 5.1 km from the slipway at Miller's Point and 12.4 km from Simon's Town jetty.

Marine life
The wreck is too deep for much seaweed, but it is heavily encrusted with invertebrates, some of which are seldom reported from anywhere in this region except the Smits wrecks.

Features
Recent wreck of World war II vintage warship in rather collapsed condition. Some of the structure is identifiable, and there is a large amount of machinery inside the wreck.

Photography
The water is usually quite green, and carries a lot of suspended matter, so macro photography with flash is the easiest option. Skilled photographers with fast lenses may manage good scenic photos with artificial illumination filling in the foreground, but most point and shoot cameras will not manage this, and you may be better off just trying for natural light shots with a wide angle or fisheye lens.

Routes
No particular route recommended. The wreck is fairly interesting from end to end. Challenging penetrations were possible, but the structure is collapsing and may be unstable. If you are interested in old, encrusted and difficult to identify machinery and equipment, the central part of the vessel provides vertical access to machinery compartments filled with this sort of stuff, which can be seen to a reasonable extent without actually penetrating the wreck.

Hazards
The structure has become unstable due to corrosion, and there is a risk of collapse if there is a strong surge. Penetrations should be planned with this risk in mind. There is fine silt deposited inside the wreck, and if this is disturbed the visibility will rapidly deteriorate. This could disorientate a diver and make it difficult to find the way out. Scorpion fish have been seen on the wrecks, and are well camouflaged. Their spines carry a dangerous venom.

Skills
Certification appropriate to the depth is expected. Some level of training or experience in wreck diving is recommended, and penetration should only be attempted by suitably competent divers after reconnaissance and appropriate planning.

Equipment
Equipment appropriate for the depth should be used. Nitrox is recommended for those competent to use it. A light is strongly recommended, and penetration should not be attempted without the appropriate equipment and planning. If you are not entirely certain what this would be, you are not competent to do the penetration.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Smitswinkel Bay area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches,
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast

 * Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches
 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/SATS General Botha

The Dive site "SATS General Botha" also known as just the "G.B." is a deep historical wreck site in the central offshore area of False Bay, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand
This site is considered one of the more interesting wreck dives of False Bay, and the depth appeals to the more adventurous divers.

Position
Approximately 15.2 km from Millers Point slipway bearing 113° magnetic. 19.8 km from False Bay Yacht Club and 21.6 km from Gordon’s Bay harbour.
 * S34°13.679’ E018°38.290’ (Estimated midships)

This is not in a Marine Protected Area. A permit is not required.

Name
The HMS Thames, an 1886 built River-Class cruiser (sister ship to the “Forth”, “Mersey” and “Severn”), was purchased from the Royal Navy by the philanthropist T.B. Davies in 1920 and donated to the South African Government as a training ship for seafarers. The vessel was renamed the South African Training Ship (SATS) General Botha, in memory of the first premier of the Union of South Africa, General Louis Botha, who had died in 1919.

The General Botha was scuttled by gunfire from the Scala Battery in Simon’s Town on 13th May 1947

Depth
Maximum depth is 54 m on the sand, the top of the hull is at about 47 m.

Topography and structure
The wreck lies on a sand bottom listing about 15° to port. The bow of the wreck faces approximately south west, with the centreline on an axis of approximately 236° magnetic. The hull is substantially intact from the ram bow to some metres abaft amidships, approximately level with the aft gun sponsons. Behind this the upper part of the structure is broken up and it is hard to see what is under the jumble of wreckage. The davits on the port side are still intact, and the tubular steel fore-mast lies on the sand to the port side at right angles to the hull just aft of the forward davits There is some sort of crosstree arrangement part way along the mast. The plating of the upper deck and upper topsides has wasted aft of the mast but the frames retain the shape of the vessel in this area (about a third of the length of the ship). There are small projections from the topside plating where the wing turrets were originally mounted. The bows are fairly intact and an impressive sight, with the stem sweeping down and forward towards the ram tip, which is at or below the level of the sand. The starboard side of the wreck forward of the collapsed area is in reasonable condition. The sponsons are clearly distinguishable and largely intact. Forward of the sponsons the upper deck is collapsed for an unreported distance, possibly all the way to the bow. There is a vertical cylindrical structure about central on the foredeck which may be supporting structure from the original forward gun mount. The hull plating on the side is partially wasted and there are large areas with lots of holes, and other areas where the plating is still closed. Near the sand there are areas of buckled plating which indicate that the wreck has probably subsided under its own weight as the structure was weakened by rusting. The conning tower (bridge superstructure) is missing altogether, as is the upper deck in this area, but there is a large roughly rectangular hole in the deck where it probably used to be. There are a number of built openings in the decks leading into the hull, and other openings resulting from corrosion of the plating.

Geology: The bottom of the bay is flat sand in this area

Conditions
Low and short period swell is recommended, as the bottom time will be short and this is almost always a decompression dive. The trip to the site and back is also long and will be uncomfortable in steep waves or strong wind.

This is an area which often has a significant variation in temperature between the surface and bottom waters, and sometimes a distinct thermocline

Keep a lookout for times when the sea is flat, the visibility is good and the wind is light. If the wind comes up during a dive, you just have to live with it, so check the forecast on the day.

Get in
Only accessible as a boat dive. This site is a similar distance from Simon's Town jetty, Gordon's Bay Old Harbour, Kalk Bay or Miller's Point slipway, and it is a matter of convenience which is used.

Features
A steel wreck of historical interest. The marine life is not particularly abundant on the wreck, but this allows a better view of the structure, which is quite spectacular if conditions are good.

Photography
This is a spectacular site in good visibility, which is not frequent. Wide angle for scenic shots, and powerful external lighting or strobes, as it is almost always quite dark. If you prefer macro photography, you will probably be better off at a shallower site. Check that your camera gear is rated for the depth, many housings are only rated to 40 m.

Routes
No particular routes are recommended. The bow area is less broken up and better known. Much will depend on where the shot line is placed, as the wreck is large and your time will be limited.

Hazards
Entrapment in wreckage, disorientation inside wreckage, Nitrogen narcosis, decompression sickness, surfacing out of sight of the boat, deteriorating weather and sea conditions.

Skills
Skills and competence appropriate to the depth and dive plan are recommended. Several divers have died at this site as a result of poor planning and inadequate equipment.

Equipment
The depth of the site makes Trimix a preferable option. Nitrox and Oxygen decompression gases can significantly reduce decompression times. DSMBs or a Jersey upline are also strongly recommended in case the shot line can not be reached for ascent, and a light is also strongly recommended as it may be quite dark due to the depth. A dry suit is also recommended, particularly if much decompression is planned. It is considered prudent to use two boats for dives at this site, in case one has to leave early due to a problem, and to pick up divers surfacing away from the shotline. Penetration is not recommended, as the wreckage may be unstable.

Nearby
Other offshore dive sites of False Bay:

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of wreck dive sites in the False Bay offshore area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches,
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula east coast

 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Seal Island

The dive site Seal Island is an offshore site in the northern False Bay, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand
This is a place you go to see Great White sharks.

Position

 * S34°08.25’ E018°34.95’

This site is not in a Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is not required.

Name
The island where the seals breed has been known as Seal Island for a long time, and is identified by that name on the official maps

Depth
Shallow - less than 2 m in the cage.

Topography
The island and offshore reefs are granite of the Peninsula pluton, and have the familiar rounded look of other similar outcrops.

Geology: Late Pre-Cambrian granite of the Peninsula pluton.

Get in
Boat dive with licensed Shark Cage Diving charter.

The site is about 12 km from Kalk Bay harbour, ?? km from Simon's Town Jetty, 14 km from Miller's Point, or 25 km from Harbour Island, Gordon's Bay

Marine life
These dives are for one purpose only: to see sharks. Other fish may be attracted to the bait, but this is not what you do this dive to see.

Suggested Routes
Get in the cage, watch for sharks, get out again. Repeat if you have the time.

Hazards
No significant hazards as you dive in the cage.

Skills
No special skills required. Cage dives are usually done on snorkel.

Equipment
All you need is wet suit, weights, mask, snorkel and camera

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of reef dive sites in the northern False Bay offshore area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches,
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula east coast

 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Sea Point Ridge Pinnacles

The dive site Sea Point Ridge Pinnacles is an offshore rocky reef in the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand

The site is conveniently close to the slipway at Oceana Power Boat Club in Granger Bay, and is shallow enough for advanced recreational divers. It may be the closest granite offshore pinnacle to the slipway. The area is fairly well protected from south easterly winds.

Position

 * S33°54.905' E018°21.421' — (top of the larger pinnacle)

This site is in the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area since 2004. A permit is required.

Name
The name "Sea Point Ridge Pinnacles" is a simple geographic description. The nearest landmark on the shore is Sea Point (after which the suburb on the mountainside is also named), and a low ridge extends out along the seabed in a north westerly direction. There is one high spot marked on the chart at the pinnacles.

Depth
Maximum depth is about 27 m, and the top of the outer pinnacle is about 17 m. (Average depth is likely to be about 24 m.

Visibility
Visibility will vary depending on the season and recent weather conditions. In summer after a strong south easterly wind and upwelling, it may be as good as 20 m. Visibility may also vary significantly with depth. After an upwelling and algal bloom, surface visibility may be as low as 2 to 3 m, while below the thermocline it may open up to more than 15 m, though it may be fairly dark.

Topography
The bottom in this area is low flat rock reef. The pinnacles are the only interruption of note in a large area, and they rise up from the bedrock at about 25 m almost vertically to about 18 m, and are fairly flat topped.

Geology: Pre-cambrian granite of the Peninsula pluton. The pinnacles may be quite near to the contact zone between the Peninsula pluton and the older Tygerberg formation, which is exposed at the shoreline just north of Sea Point.

Conditions
The site is exposed to wind and waves from the north west to the south west, so should be dived when the westerly swells are low, and is often good after strong south easterly winds, which reduce the swell and may bring clear, cold, nutrient rich water to the surface. The site is reasonably protected from south easterly winds, and very well protected from south easterly swell, but if a cold front moves in then conditions will deteriorate rapidly.

The site is usually at it's best in summer but there are also occasional opportunities at other times of the year.

This is an area which sometimes has upwellings, caused by the south-easterly winds, resulting in clear cold water, which will usually develop a plankton bloom over the next few days which will reduce surface visibility significantly. This site is deep enough that visibility at depth may differ significantly from at the surface.

Get in
This site is only accessible by boat, as it is nearly 2 km offshore. It is about 6.6 km from the Oceana Power Boat Club slipway at Granger Bay.

Marine life
The tops of the pinnacles have sparse Laminaria kelp forests, and the upper parts of the sides were heavily encrusted with small black mussel in November 2011. Lower down there are sea urchins, strawberry anemones and scattered sponges and colonial ascidians.

Features
The main feature of the site is the pair of pinnacles on a relatively level base.

Photography
If the water is clear all the way down, wide angle natural light photos should turn out well, but you are more likely to be successful with macro equipment.

Suggested Routes
The site is small, and can be visited on a single dive. Start at the main pinnacle, which is where the shot should be, and swim around it. Make an excursion across the bottom to see if you can find anything interesting, and return to the shotline for ascent, or use a DSMB to mark your position.

Hazards
There are no known site-specific hazards. The shipping lanes are to seaward of the site, and only small craft are likely to pass nearby.

Skills
No special skills required, the site is too deep for open water divers, and buoyancy control should be good enough to surface without a visible reference

Equipment
The water is usually cold. A thick wet suit or a dry suit is recommended. Nitrox can significantly extend no-stop dive time if you are warm enough, and a DSMB is useful if you have to surface away from the shotline.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Sea Point area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula east coast
 * Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches
 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Sentinel

The dive site Sentinel is a shoreline rocky reef in the Hout Bay area on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand
This is the place on the Atlantic seaboard where the 30 m contour is closest to the shore

Position
This site is in the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area since 2004. A permit is required.
 * S34°03.54' E18°20.82' — approximate position south and east of the Sentinel (mountain peak)

Name
The name "Sentinel" is the name of the steep rocky peak on the mountainside above the site.

Depth
The maximum depth of 30 m requires a 500 m swim out and is over sand. Most of the site is shallower than 10 m.

Topography
Gradually sloping fine sand bottom at 30 m, with occasional rock outcrops as it gets shallower, sloping up to shoreline reef and boulders at about 15 m. Coarser sand in shallower parts. Reef is mostly moderately low profile, but with the occasional big rock. Surf zone is rounded boulders of about 1m size range. There are a number of sub-sites in this area. The Sentinel is considered by some to be in front of the vertical cliffs, and is an area of flat reef with lots of kelp and often box jellyfish, and some big boulders. The Pinnacles are a group of rocks just past the end of Hout Bay harbour, near the sewage works. (the outfall pipe opens much further to the south)

Geology: Late Pre-Cambrian granite corestones of the Peninsula pluton. with occasional shoreline boulders of the overlying Table Mountain sandstones.

Conditions
Best after south easterly winds (summer). Exposed to south westerly swells and to wind chop from south easterly winds.

Facilities
Adequate parking at the end of the gravel road. See Hazards.

Get in
This site can be dived from a boat or from the shore.

The site is about 2.5 km from Hout Bay harbour slipway.

Shore dive: There is a parking area at S34°03.553’ E018°20.690’ just beyond Hout Bay Sewage Works building. This is reported to be a high crime area and may not be safe for either your person, your equipment or your vehicle. It is probably not worth the risk, as the site has little to offer except the possibility of a 30 m shore dive on sand at the end of a long swim.

Marine life
Box jellyfish are common near the bottom over sand. The deep rock outcrops are covered with common feather stars. There is fairly thick kelp forest inshore. Hottentot, occasional anemones, small swimming shrimps over the rocks, West Coast rock lobster, small red and brown algae, small sponges, sea fans, starfish, hydroids, and black mussels have been seen.

Routes
30m shore dive: Entry about 50 m beyond parking place, surface swim to where the depth should be sufficient. This will be easiest if you have a submersible echo sounder, or a GPS on the surface marker, otherwise use compass bearings from the chart. Dive and swim out until depth is 30 m. To return swim a compass course of north magnetic, ascending gradually until about 6 m. and swimming in mid water to the surge zone near the shore. Entry and exit may be a bit rough in the surf and boulders. If the return is done along the bottom and the dive is on air, decompression will be required.

Hazards
This area is reported to be a high risk for assault and theft from vehicles. There is also some risk from boats as there is considerable traffic in the area of fishing boats, tourist charter boats and dive charter boats. Cold water. Strong onshore winds may develop over a short period, making exit shore tricky. Access to entry/exit points is over a boulder beach.

Skills
No special skills required. The site is suitable for snorkeling. Some fitness and agility is needed for shore access, and there is a long swim to do a 30 m dive.

Equipment
A large surface marker or an escort boat with Flag Alpha is recommended if you plan to go far from the shore, as this area is frequented by tour charter boats and fishing boats. If you plan to do a shore dive to 30 m, a compass is essential and Nitrox will allow a no-decompression dive.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Hout Bay area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches

 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula east coast
 * Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches
 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Sherwood Forest

The dive site Sherwood Forest is an offshore rocky reef in the Partridge Point area on the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand

The site has exceptional sea fans.

Position
Sherwood Forest lies between Atlantis Reef and Seal Rock at Partridge Point. This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is required. A short distance to the west there is the small cluster pinnacle known as Fish Tank.
 * S34°15.186' E18°29.014' (Highest pinnacle)
 * S34°15.182' E18°29.050' (Highest pinnacle)

Name
The name "Sherwood Forest" was chosen by the divers on the first recorded dive at this site on 3rd May 2012. They reported large numbers of large sea fans.

Depth
Maximum depth is about 30 m, to the far east of the reef, and the top of the pinnacles is about 16 m. A large part is above 21 m. Average depth is likely to be about 22 m.

Visibility
Visibility can vary like any other dive site in the area, but in diveable conditions is likely to be between 5 and 10 m, and on a very good day, up to 20 m.

Topography
This deep reef is made up mostly of jumbled granite boulders, clumped together in patches and dispersed between sandy areas in others. The highest known pinnacle is at about 16 m depth on top, and is in a compact cluster of slightly lower pinnacles in the middle of the north side of the reef. There is an extensive area above 21 m to the west, some high boulders on the edge of the reef to the south-west, and a group of lower pinnacles reaching up to just below 18 m a bit east of the high point. The sand is at about 23 m depth to the west, going down to at least 27 m further east.

Just east of the main cluster of high pinnacles the reef as nearly split from north to south by a large gully with a sandy bottom in many places, but with occasional areas of boulders connecting the east and west portions. On a very good day the groups of pinnacles can be seen from each other across the gully

Geology: Granite corestone boulders and outcrops of the Peninsula pluton.

Conditions
The site is often at its best during or after a westerly wind, but may be good even during an easterly if it is not too strong and the swell has not built up yet. Surge may be considerable in the shallower areas in a long period swell even if it is low.

The site is exposed to south east wind and waves, and is moderately exposed to south westerly swell, particularly long period swell, which bends round Cape Point, though Sherwood Forest is not far to the north of the reefs at Partridge Point, and they provide some protection from south-westerly swell. The site is usually at its best in winter but there are also occasional opportunities in autumn and spring, and sometimes even in summer a good day may occur.

Look for days when the forecast is for swell from the west, or low swell from the south-west, and either light winds or south-westerly wind. This can occur just before a cold front gets to the peninsula, and in these cases the weather is often mild, even sunny, and with little wind in the day or two before the front arrives. During the passage of the front, the weather is generally windy, overcast and frequently rainy, but may still provide very good diving if the wind is not too strong for the boats to operate. A north-westerly wind will not usually be a problem for diving, but the chop may make the trip back uncomfortably wet and bumpy.

After the front has passed, in winter one can expect a day or two of good diving before the next front. In summer, a front is commonly followed by strong south easterly winds, which kick up an unpleasant short onshore chop which makes the boat ride uncomfortable and messes up the visibility.

Get in
Boat access only. The site is approximately 3.5 km from Miller's Point slipway and 10.8 km from Simon's Town jetty.

Marine life
Because the reef is deep, there are many sea fans, some up to 2 m tall. Tubular hydroids, gasflame nudibranchs, silvertips, redspotted nudibranchs and protea dorids can all be seen. Also, hottentot, schools of strepies, and cryptic reef fish like the Chinese klipfish. The site may be visited by spearnose skates and some of the seals which haul out at Seal Rock nearby..

Photography
The site is relatively deep, so illumination will usually be poor. There may be opportunities for wide angle shots, but close-ups and macro using artificial light will more often give better results. While the topography is reasonably interesting, there are no particularly spectacular features.

Suggested Routes
No special routes recommended. The pinnacles may be difficult to find at the end of a dive, so start there if you want to see them.

Hazards
No site specific hazards have been reported.

Skills
Certification appropriate to the depth is expected. The dive is beyond the depth range for entry level divers.

Equipment
No special equipment is required. A DSMB and reel is recommended to alert the boat crew of your position when surfacing, and to warn other boats of your presence, as this area may carry fairly heavy small craft traffic at times, and the commercial ski-boat fishermen are not all particularly concerned for the safety of divers.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Finlay's Point to Partridge Point area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches,
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast

 * Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches
 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Smits Cliff

The dive site Smits Cliff or Hells Gate is a shoreline rocky reef in the Batsata area on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand
The site is not dived very often as there are more popular sites which are more accessible. As a result it is mostly unexplored and has not been mapped.

Position

 * S34°16.48’ E018°28.41’ Below the cliffs visible above the water on the south side of Smitswinkel Bay,

This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is required.

Name
The site name "Smits Cliffs" refers to the cliffs above the site and the contraction for Smitswinkel Bay commonly used by local divers. The cliffs at the south side of Smitswinkel Bay are marked on the charts as "Hell’s Gate". The mountain above them is called Judas Peak (919 m).

Depth
Maximum depth is probably about 16 m.

Topography
Not a particularly spectacular site, but interesting, Large and medium sandstone boulders and outcrops, with coarse shelly sand in low spots.

Geology: Ordovician sandstones, probably of the Graafwater formation.

Conditions
This site is well protected from south westerly swell, but quite exposed to south easterly weather. It would usually be a winter dive.

Get in
Access to this site is only by boat. The site is approximately 6.2 km from Miller's Point slipway and 13.5km from Simon's Town jetty.

Marine life
Moderate variety of invertebrates.

Routes
No specific routes recommended.

Hazards
No site specific hazards known.

Skills
No special skills required.

Equipment
No special equipment recommended

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Batsata area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches,
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast

 * Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches
 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Smits Reef

The dive site Smits Reef. also known as Batsata Maze, Birthday Reef, Seekatbank and Horseshoe Reef is a rocky reef in the Smitswinkel Bay area on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The site includes the outlying Kreef Reef to the nortwest.

Understand
This reef has a wide variety of colourful invertebrates and spectacular topography in good visibility. There are several parts of the reef which are far enough apart to be dived as separate sites. The Maze is the most popular – a small area with some interleading swimthroughs among the large boulders to the south-east of the reef.

Position
S34°16.486’ E018°28.929’ (Top of the reef)

The reef is north and offshore slightly from Batsata Rock, and extends into the mouth of Smitswinkel Bay.

This site is in the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is required. The reef shown on the map is all just outside the Paulsberg Restricted Zone.

Name
This area has many names. "Smits Reef" is obvious and logical, as it is in Smitswinkel Bay, and the popular contraction for the wrecks of the area is "Smits wrecks", so Smits Reef makes sense, and is used to refer to the whole area and more specifically to the top of the main reef, on the east side of the gap. "Batsata Maze" refers to the nearby Batsata Rock, but most of the reef is not really much of a maze, so it is recommended that this name is reserved for the small section at the south east corner, centred on S34°16.517' E018°29.017', which is more like a maze than the rest, with deep gullies and gaps between huge boulders, and several caves and swimthroughs. "Birthday Reef" is probably a purely arbitrary reference to an unknown person's birthday, and the relevance is unclear. The name is falling out of general usage. "Horseshoe Reef" refers to the shape of the north eastern part of the reef, which is a massive area of granite with a deep indentation, not entirely unlike a horseshoe in shape, so it is now used when referring to the northeastern sector. The whole area is known to fishermen as "Seekatbank", presumably because of the abundance of octopus (seekat in Afrikaans) caught here. The number seen on dives is not very large, but there are plenty of places for them to hide, so they might well be there. "Western Pinnacles" is the group of shallow pinnacles on the smaller mass of reef to the west of the sand gap.

The large relatively flat and deep northern outlier "Kreef Reef" is named for the large numbers of kreef (west coast rock lobster) seen on the first survey dive. It also has a large number of large sea fans, but there is already a "Fan Reef" in the region.

Depth
Maximum about 27 m on the sand, top of the highest pinnacle is about 4 m. Most of the Maze is around 15 to 18 m and this would be the average depth for most dives.

Visibility
Visibility is likely to be similar to that on the Smits Wrecks. 20 m would be exceptionally good, 8 to 10 m good and less than 5 m would be considered poor.

Topography
The reef is an immense outcrop of granite, with cracks and deep gulleys, and a lot of large boulders, surrounded by sand. To the south the sand is a relatively narrow strip, beyond which is more reef, which extends continuously to Batsata Rock. To the north, lower reef is visible across the sand on a good day. This includes Kreef Reef and the North-Eastern outliers. There is also some low reef near the main reef to the east of the Maze. On the other sides, the sand extends much further, and there does not appear to be much more reef nearby.

The main reef can be considered in several sections: The south end has the maze, the west side has a large number of large boulders, scattered over the bedrock of the lower part of the reef, but does not appear to have many deep overhangs or big holes, with one notable exception where a huge boulder on the reef overhangs a lower section by several metres. The north eastern corner is similar, the northern ridge has relatively steep sides, and a few very deep. narrow cracks, and the sand bottom is deeper than on the west side. The east side from the big northern indentation south east to the Maze is moderately sloped, with fewer big boulders than the west side. The top of the reef is fairly flat over quite large areas in the middle, but also has a few boulder pinnacles and relatively shallow gullies.

Geology: Granite of the Pre-Cambrian Peninsula pluton on a quartz sand bottom with occasional shelly areas.

Conditions
The site is exposed to swell from the south east, and to a certain extent, from the south west. Longer period swell will make conditions on the reef uncomfortable or hazardous due to strong surge, but short period waves will just make it uncomfortable on the boat. Visibility is less predictable, and at this time is largely a matter of luck and reports from divers who were in the area recently.

The site is usually at it's best in winter but there are also occasional opportunities at other times of the year, though least often in summer, when the south east wind tends to blow much of the time.

Get in
Only accessible by boat. The site is approximately 5.8 km from Miller's Point slipway and 13.1km from Simon's Town jetty.

Do
Dive at one of the marks and explore the vicinity. The reef complex is too big to see it all on one dive.

 * S34°16.486’ E018°28.929’. (Top of the reef) The south west corner of the main reef also has some pretty rugged profile, and the big overhang on the 15 m contour is worth a visit.

 * S34°16.517' E018°29.017'. (About the middle of the Maze area.) Batsata Maze is a small section of the reef towards the southeast where a jumble of large boulders lie on top of the lower outcrops and form a group of swim-throughs, overhangs, gaps and caves. There is a relatively complex group of linked swim-throughs and holes under the rocks at a depth of roughly 20 m to the east side of the Maze. The main entrance at S34°16'30.9", E018°29'01.5" faces 120° magnetic (roughly southeast) and is at the northwest end of a fairly deep gap between boulders. The swim-through forks to both sides, but the south fork appears to be bigger. If you follow the 18 m depth contour north from this swim-through, you should find a few others, considerably smaller, in the general vicinity of the Maze. A dive at the Maze will appeal to divers who like overhangs, holes and swim-throughs. Dive on the reef near the south end, Swim south to 20 m depth, and follow the 20 m contour to the cave on the east side of the reef. There are several other holes and swim-throughs in this area and you can easily spend an hour looking for them.

 * S34°16.517' E018°29.026'. (Main entrance to the cave swim-through)

 * S34°16.495' E018°28.863'. The West Reef is across a sandy bottomed gap from the west side of the main reef. There is a sheer sided pinnacle near the southern end of this section, and a more gradual slope to the sand to the north. The sand bottom in this area is mostly between 17 and 18 m deep. Most of this section is low profile, below the 15 m contour, and the rest is pretty steep, peaking to the south with at least two pinnacles just above 6 m depth on top. The west reef is also quite spectacular, particularly the pinnacle to the south, which rises from near the bottom at about 16 m almost straight up to the flattish top at about 6 m. The northern part of the west reef is much lower and fairly flat in places.

 * S34°16.410' E018°28.940'. (Northeast pinnacle, on the Northeast Ridge) Horseshoe Reef is the northeastern section, comprising the northern ridge and the east face of the main reef. There are a number of small outliers up to about 4 m high in the inside of the horseshoe curve, and a small group of relatively tall rocks close to the north side of the east end, where the depth of the sand gets down to 27&npbp;m. The northeastern area of the main reef is quite highly profiled in the 12 to 15 m depth range, with fairly steep walls and some overhangs.

 * S34°16.360' E018°28.780'. Kreef Reef is a large, relatively low, outlier to the north west of Smits Reef. Mostly low and medium profile rocky reef with outcrops and small boulders. Type of rock is not clear. Granite possible, but heavily jointed and somewhat weathered, probably not more than about 4 m higher than the sand. Lots of broken reef with small boulders and outcrops, giving a diffuse edge to most of the west and north perimeter. Lots of sea fans, particularly palmate sea fans. The reef is about 100 m long north to south and more than 50 m wide east to west. The depth on the sand varies from about 22 m on the west side to more than 24 m on the east side.

An unnamed southern outlier is due south of the main reef, on sand about 24 m deep. There are a few large boulders resting on the relatively low outcrops, and some of these have small gaps underneath. The high point is the largest pinnacle which reaches to about 11 m from the surface. The reef life is similar to the main reef, but a little less diverse due to the smaller depth range. It is a fairly large piece of reef, as can be seen from the map.

Marine life
Like many other sites on the False Bay side of the Cape Peninsula, the shallowest areas have large numbers of the large solitary sea squirt known locally as "red bait", The steeper walls tend to be covered in common feather stars, with a scattering of Elegant feather stars and a variety of encrusting and more bulky sponges, false corals, gorgonians. The deeper reef tops have red-chested and Mauve sea cucumbers, gorgonians, strawberry anemones and striped anemones. There are also places where there is a surprisingly dense cover of brittle stars, and cauliflower soft corals can be found scattered around the less exposed areas.

The west reef appears to be notable for the numbers of catsharks and Orange wall sponges seen there. Flatter areas of the deeper rocks tend to have large numbers of sea urchins and sea cucumbers. Hottentot seabream and Galjoen can be seen on the pinnacle.

Smits Reef

Features

 * The Maze, to the south of the main reef, with the cave/swimthrough complex at 20 m on the east side at S34°16.516' E18°29.025'.
 * The long sandy gully, between the main outcrop and the lesser outcrop to the west.
 * The large overhang on the south west side of the main reef at S34°16.499' E18°28.909'
 * The pinnacle at the south end of the west reef at S34°16.495' E18°28.863'
 * The outlier pinnacles and wall at the east end of the north-east arm

Photography
Good site for invertebrate photography. (photographic equipment suggestions)

Hazards
No site specific hazards are known. Some of the swimthroughs are a bit tight and you should exercise caution and good judgement before entering them. You can not get lost in them, but could get stuck. It is technically an offense to damage the reef life, and other divers tend to object, as this is what we dive to see, so be careful.

Skills
Appropriate certification for the planned depth is expected, but no special skills are required.

Equipment
The site is fairly far offshore, so a DSMB is a useful safety feature if it is necessary to surface far from the shot line, which is quite common practice, as it may be difficult to find your way back — it is, after all, called the Maze... A compass will help with navigation and Nitrox can significantly increase no decompression dive time depending on the depth of the dive.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Batsata area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches,
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast

 * Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches
 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Smits Swim

A Smits Swim is a Scuba dive which takes in all five of the wrecks at Smitswinkel Bay.

It is possible to visit all five wrecks on a single no-decompression dive. This is occasionally organised for people who want to have been there and done that. No T-shirt is issued, but it is quite entertaining and good exercise.

The swim can be done either way, but the easiest and most reliable route from a navigational aspect is from the SAS Transvaal to the MV Rockeater, as this maximises the acceptable error by aiming for the widest possible target on the longer legs. The route may be seen on the chart above, and is described in detail below. It should not be necessary to go deeper than 27 m during the dive, and most of the dive can be done at about 21 to 24 m. The total distance will be between 320 m and 400 m, and at a comfortable speed of 1 km per hour will take from 19 to 24 minutes.

Planning
Choose a day with good visibility, and a large cylinder, preferably filled with 34% to 36% Nitrox. For planning purposes, assume 25 minutes bottom time at 24 m depth. Choose your cylinder size based on your known personal air consumption at moderate exertion.

Make sure the skipper knows you will be surfacing a long way from the shotline, and take a DSMB if you don't tow a SMB.

Route
Start at the SAS Transvaal, at whatever part of it is convenient. Orientate yourself a few metres above the wreck so your compass will not be too badly influenced by the steel structure, and head towards the stern (roughly 220°magnetic). Keep left and swim along above the starboard side of the hull until the stern of the Orotava becomes visible a few metres to your left over the sand. If you miss the jump, continue to the transom of the Transvaal and then swim southeast until you get to the starboard side of the Orotava

Cross over to the Orotava and swim to the bow. A depth of 22 m will allow you to see the wreck if visibility is fair, and is far enough above the wreck to reduce the compass deviation. The Orotava lies with the bow heading about 168°magnetic. A course of 164°magnetic for about 105 m should take you to the stern of the Princess Elizabeth, and is the course which allows the largest tolerance for error if there is no current, which is usually the case. Inaccuracy to the right will take you further forward on the Princess Elizabeth, and inaccuracy to the left will take you to the stern of the Good Hope.

Depending on where you make contact with one of these wrecks, either swim towards the stern of the Princess Elizabeth (about 127°magnetic) and cross over to the Good Hope on the same bearing, or swim forward along the starboard side of the Good Hope (about 203° magnetic), keeping a lookout to your right for the Princess Elizabeth which is a few metres away and usually visible. Make an excursion to the trawler and return to the Good Hope.

Swim forward over the Good Hope (about 203°magnetic) to the bow and turn left about 30°. The course for the middle of the Rockeater is about 170°magnetic, and the distance about 50 m.

Spend any remaining time and air on the Rockeater, before ascending on your marker buoy line.

These directions were tested on 31st July 2005 by a group of 11 divers, starting from the Transvaal, who all reached the Rockeater in about 21 minutes. They were tested again om 30th May 2021, by two divers with a scooter, who comfortably did the trip both ways with a little decompreseeion.

Reciprocal route
It is also possible to swim the 5 wrecks starting at the Rockeater, and ending at the Transvaal.

The jump from the Rockeater to the Good Hope is marked (2017) by a permanent guideline from the end of the Rockeater's fallen lattice mast to the bow of the Good Hope. The line lies on the sand for most of the way, and is overgrown by sessile organisms, which makes it considerably more visible. It is possible to swim a few metres above the line to extend bottom time. The bearing is about 010°magnetic and the distance about 55 m. Swim above the starboard side of the Good Hope until the loom of the Princess Elizabeth is visible to your left, and cut across the small gap.

There is no guideline to the Orotava, and the gap is the largest by far, with a narrow acceptable error angle. The direction depends on where you start the jump. From the funnel it is 344°magnetic for about 90 m, and from the bow 356°magnetic, over a shorter distance - about 80 m. Once the Orotava has been seen, swim to the stern and continue in line with the Orotava over the short gap to the Transvaal.

These instructions have not been tested. Please let us know how they work.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Smitswinkel Bay area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches,
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast

 * Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches
 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/South Paw

The dive site South Lion's Paw or just South Paw is in the Clifton area on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, part of Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Position
South Paw is about 600 m offshore of the headland between Clifton and Camp's Bay.
 * S33°56.308’ E018°21.890’

This site is in the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area since 2004. A permit is required.

Name
The name "South Lion's Paw" is an allusion to the mountain "Lion's Head" directly above Clifton. The mountain is likened to the head of a reclining lion, whose back is Signal Hill, and whose paws are the two groups of rocks to the south and north of Clifton.

Depth
Maximum depth recorded is about 20 m

Topography
Granite corestone outcrops and boulders of large size, a small group of which break the surface and have precipitous walls dropping almost vertically to about 15m. They are surrounded by other smaller boulders and lower outcrops which extend some distance in all directions. There are small patches of coarse shelly aggregate in the bottom of the gullies, but no extensive sand bottom nearby. To the north of the eastern end of the exposed rocks is a large boulder with an arch against the main rocks, and there is a deep narrow gully along the north side, but the surge may be strong in this area. As is usual with this type of reef formation there are holes and overhangs under some of the boulders.

Geology: Granite of the late Pre-Cambrian Peninsula pluton

Conditions
The site is exposed to the south west swell, so should be dived in low swell, and is often good after south east wind. The site is reasonably protected from south east winds, but if they are strong the boat trip may be unpleasant.

The site is usually at it's best in summer but there are also occasional opportunities in autumn and early winter.

This is an area which sometimes has upwellings, caused by the south east wind, resulting in cold clear water, which may develop an algal bloom over a few days which will reduce the visibility again

Get in
This is a boat dive. The site is 7.7 km from Oceana Power Boat Club slipway, Granger Bay, or Cape Town Harbour V&A Waterfront. Best done as a live-boat dive due to the proximity of the exposed rocks and the strong surge over the top of the shallower rocks.

Marine life
Marine life is typical of the general area. There is not much sea bamboo kelp as the reef is mostly too deep for it. The shallower rock surfaces have the usual heavy encrustation of red bait, and deeper steep and overhanging surfaces are covered by sponges, colonial ascidians, sea fans and anemones. Less steep deep surfaces have urchins and grey sea cucumbers. The nippled nudibranch has been photographed here, and is not known from anywhere else. If you see or photograph one, please notify SURG.

Photography
This is a good site for macro invertebrate photography.

Routes
No route is particularly recommended, but it may be advisable to keep clear of the exposed rocks at shallow depth to avoid being washed onto them by the surge. This will depend on conditions on the day.

Hazards
Cold water, strong surge and breaking waves over exposed rocks. Sea urchins. Strong offshore winds may develop over a short time.

Skills
No special skills required, but the ability to deploy a DSMB would be useful. Not a site for the novice if there is much swell running.

Equipment
A DSMB is suggested for unencumbered manoeuvering during the dive, while allowing the boat crew to monitor your position during ascent. It is not recommended to ascend close to the surface piercing rocks as the surge can be strong and it may not be possible to control your depth and ascent rate. A light will be useful to look into crevices and restore colour at depth. Nitrox may be of value depending on your planned dive. A compass will be useful to help keep track of where you are.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Clifton area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula east coast
 * Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches
 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/South-west Reefs

The dive site South-west Reefs is an inshore to offshore rocky reef in the South Peninsula area on the Atlantic Seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand
A massive area of shallow reef and kelp beds to the west of the tip of the peninsula. It is the haunt of spear-fisherman and crayfish catchers and is unexplored on scuba.

Position
This site is in the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area since 2004. A permit is required.

Name
The name "South-west Reefs" refers to the location to the south west of the Cape Peninsula

Get in
Boat access only.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Atlantic South Peninsula area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches

 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula east coast
 * Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches
 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Spaniard Rock

The dive site Spaniard Rock or Rocklands Point is an inshore rocky reef in the Rocklands Point area on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Position

 * S34°13.03’ E018°28.03’ — A high, steep sided and flattish topped granite pinnacle that extends a few metres above the water off Rocklands Point. It is the only rock of this description and is unmistakable.

This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is required.

Name
Local legend claims that the rock is named "Spaniard Rock" for the colourful invertebrate encrustation which shares colours with the Spanish Flag. More plausible reasons are not known at this time. "Rocklands Point" is descriptive, and is the name given to the point on maps and charts, but it is ambiguous, as there are several dive sites at Rocklands Point

Depth
Maximum depth is about 13 m on the sand beyond the rocks.

Topography
Spaniard rock is a high pinnacle from sand at about 12 m on south and east sides, to a couple of metres above the water. Contiguous low reef lies to the north. To the west is another pinnacle comprising a group of big corestone outcrops and boulders, one of which breaks surface occasionally. This is a much larger group than Spaniard Rock proper, and has deep crevices and overhangs. Between this group and shore is a lot of lower reef, with a bit of sand in the gaps

The water gets deep quite quickly on the south side of the entry area. The smaller pinnacle to the west extends just above water at mid tide, and is awash at high tide. There are several other fairly large boulders around it and to the south the bottom of coarse shelly sand is at about 10 m. A gap of several metres to the east separates this group from Spaniard Rock proper, which is very sheer on the south and east sides, down to a sand bottom at 11 to 12 m. There are a few low outcrops further east, and bigger boulders to the north. Geology: Granite of the late Pre-Cambrian Peninsula pluton

Conditions
Suitable if entry conditions are OK. Best if sea is flat or swell very low. Usually considered a winter dive site, and is sheltered from westerly winds and swell. The site is exposed to south easterly winds and waves, which could cause exit conditions to deteriorate during a dive. If this happens, consider the longer swim to the more sheltered north exit area.

Facilities
Parking at the side of the M4 on a wide gravel verge near a sign warning against feeding baboons.

Get in
Traditionally a shore dive, but not dived as much from the shore as it used to be. There is adequate parking on gravel shoulder on seaward side of main road, near the signpost warning against baboons. Access to the shore is poor. There are several steep eroded paths, some worse than others. Choose the one that looks best on the day. All are slippery and steep, with loose gravel. If you have a large group it may be worth arranging a rope for safety, otherwise a walking stick or staff would be useful. The climb from the roadside to the rocks is the worst part of the exercise as it is steep and slippery.

The exit point to the north of the little promontory is good, entry to the south could be a bit shaky if swells are running, but if it is too rough, it is probably not a good day for a shore dive at this site. The alternative exit is the north entry and exit point, which is more sheltered, but a significantly longer swim. Make your choice on the day to suit conditions.

Boat access is 1.6 km from Miller's Point slipway and ?? km from Simon's Town jetty.

Marine life
Dense kelp forests close inshore, thinning out with depth, and colourful encrustations of invertebrates, particularly on the steep and overhanging surfaces in the deeper areas.

Photography
Good site for photography. (photographic equipment suggestions)

Routes
Entry at the flat rock facing Miller's Point. Surface swim to inner pinnacle, descend, dive round the group of rocks, then west to the main pinnacle, round the main pinnacle then on a compass course to exit at the north entry and exit point. On the way back to shore on 300° magnetic there are a number of big boulders and then gullies and ridges leading into shallow water. These must be avoided and passed round to the north. Keep in water deeper than 5m with the slope up to your left to stay out of the worst of the surge until you get to the exit area, which is beyond a large smoothly sloping rock surface encrusted with nubbly encrusting corallines, colonial ascidians and sea urchins, with scattered kelp, then stay in the middle of the gap for the easiest exit.

Hazards
The path is steep and slippery and usually in poor repair.

Skills
No special skills required for the dive. Some fitness and agility is required for the climb down and back up to the road. A suitable site for competent snorkellers.

Equipment
A light will be useful to look into crevices and overhangs, and a compass will help to navigate back at the end of the dive.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Rocklands Point area

Other regional dive sites:
 * Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches,
 * Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast

 * Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches
 * Dive sites of False Bay east coast
 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area