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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Hakka Reef

The dive site Die Middelmas or Hakka Reef is an offshore rocky reef 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

 * S34°01.747’ E018°18.328’
 * S34°01.655’ E018°18.341’
 * S34°01.760’ E018°18.420’
 * S34°01.780’ E018°18.380’

Die Middelmas is a rock that projects above the water at all tides, to the west of the Oude Schip peninsula. Hakka Reef is around this rock.

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 area.

Sven's Caves is a group of deep overhangs and swimthroughs at about 20 m depth on the south side of a group of high profile pinnacles to the east of the exposed rock, first reported by local diver Sven Huckveld.

Southeast pinnacles are a pair of high pinnacles to the southeast of the exposed rock. The taller pinnacle to the west rises to within 6m of the surface. There is a deep overhang under the lower pinnacle on the south side.

Peet's Pinnacle is a steep sided corestone boulder pinnacle rising from about 23 m on the sand to the west up to a reported 8 m on top, surrounded by lower reef, first reported by local diver Peet van Eeden.

Name
Also known as Middelmas Blinder. Named after the rock formation, Die Middelmas, that the site is close to. This rock formation forms a 'blind' rise which peaks about 5 m below the surface.

Depth
Maximum depth is about 26 m to the west, and the top of the blinder is about 5 m. Middelmas rock extends several metres above the surface. Average depth is likely to be about 15 m.

Visibility
Visibility is variable, as with all sites in the region. On a really good day it may exceed 20 m, and will then usually be very cold. These conditions normally occur in summer, when upwellings driven by the strong south easterly winds bring cold, clear, deep water to the surface. The good visibility does not often last long, and is usually followed by a plankton bloom soon after the wind dies down. More often the visibility is less than 10 m, and it is quite commonly around 5 to 8 m in ordinary diving conditions. Of course it can easily be worse, and may be as low as 3 or 4 m, even if the conditions otherwise look good.

Topography
The site is marked by a large exposed rock beyond the tip of the "Oude Schip" point at the north of Leeuwgat, on the west side of the Karbonkelberg.

The reef is around the exposed rock, and is mostly high profile granite boulders and outcrops, with sand patches in the deeper areas. The reef is exposed to the prevailing swells and there is usually significant surge. There are several narrow steep-sided gullies and overhangs, and these provide habitat for the usual reef ecosystem of the area. The reef is more colourful than the interior of Leeuwgat (Maori Bay).

There is some steel wreckage to the south and south west of the rock which has not been identified, though it may be part of the Bos 400, which touched this reef before finally coming to rest at Duiker Point.

There is also some riveted iron or steel wreckage of unknown provenance close to the northwestern corner of the exposed rocks at about 12 to 15 m depth. This cannot be part of the Bos 400 which was welded.

Sven's Caves: There are a few swim-throughs and deep protected gullies in the area known as Sven's Caves (shown on the map), which is marked by a pinnacle rising from about 18 m to about 8 m, with several other slightly lower pinnacles around it.

Southeast Pinnacles is a group of two pinnacles with a small cave overhang on the south side.

Oude Schip Pinnacle: There are several isolated pinnacles to the north of the reef which break in moderate to heavy swell, and are a hazard to shipping, though as the whole area is a hazard to shipping it is not too important that they are not accurately marked on the navigation charts. One of these, now named Oude Schip Pinnacle, has been mapped, and rises to about 2 m below the surface at low tide. It is a group of massive granite outcrops clustered quite close together on the deeper reef extending west from Oude Schip point.

Peet's Pinnacle: One of the isolated pinnacles north of Middelmas, more or less straight out beyond Oude Schip point.

Geology: Pre-Cambrian granite corestones of the Peninsula pluton. Occasional sand patches at low points.

Conditions
The site is exposed to the wind and to swells from all directions with some west in them, so should be dived when the swell forecast is for low and short swells. The site is reasonably protected from the south easterly wind and well protected from south easterly wind waves, but it is far enough offshore to occasionally catch gusts of the south-easterly wind. The ride back to Hout Bay will be wet and bumpy in a strong south-easter. The site will probably be at it's best in summer after a strong south-easterly wind, which may bring upwellings of cold clean water, but there will also be occasional opportunities in other seasons.

Get in
This site is only accessible by boat. It is about 8.1 km from Hout Bay harbour.

Marine life
Expect to see soft corals, sea fans, hydroids, sponges, basket stars, nudibranchs and more. The area known as Sven's Caves is particularly rich in soft corals and sponges, and has a fair amount of noble corals and nippled sea fans. The flatter areas may have urchins, brittle stars and patches of black mussels. The shallower surfaces are covered with dense growths of Red bait, and where there is sufficient light there are lots of seaweeds, including kelp forests.

Features
Deep gullies, walls, pinnacles and swim-throughs. Some wreckage of an unidentified welded steel ship to the south west, and of an unidentified riveted iron or steel ship close to the exposed rocks to the north. The area known as Sven's Caves has several gullies, pinnacles and swim-throughs. There are several blinders to the north, mostly unmapped, but they can break without much warning if the swells are in sets.

Photography
There is lots of coral and invertebrate life so bring your macro lenses! Also, the rocky outcrops, overhangs and vertical walls make for interesting mid and long shots. A wide angle lens will probably give best results for these.

Routes
No particular routes recommended.

Hazards
Cold water, strong surge in swim-throughs, gullies and overhangs.

Skills
No special skills required, but because of the strong surge and delicate corals and invertebrates, good buoyancy control and finning techniques are essential. This site is not recommended for novice divers.

Equipment
No special equipment 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/Harbour Island

Harbour Island is one of the diving areas of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. It's diveable whenever conditions on the east side of False Bay are suitable. That's more often in summer, when the south west swell is smaller and the south east wind makes conditions on the west side of the bay unpleasant.

Access
The slipway is well protected by the harbour walls, and boats can be launched and recovered in almost any weather. It's a concrete ramp 9.2 m wide and is in good condition. There is a floating jetty in good condition to the left side of the slipway where boats can tie up to load and wait for access on busy days. Very well protected from waves from all directions.

Public access for boats with seaworthiness certificates and licensed skippers.

Small non-commercial harbour and marina. Slipway is controlled by Helderberg Municipality.

Position

 * S34°09.132' E018°51.470' (Slipway)
 * S34°09.136' E018°51.449' (Jetty/boarding area)
 * S34°09.096' E018°51.359' (Harbour mouth)
 * S34°09.038' E018°51.607' (Main gate)

Conditions
The launching facilities are usable all year, and the use of the facilities by dive boats is mainly dependent on good diving conditions on the east side of False Bay. This is more common in summer, when the lack of rain runoff from the mountainside, and the generally lower south west swell result in better visibility when the sea is calm enough to dive. The dive sites on the Gordon's Bay area are all close inshore in the lee of the mountains, so a fairly strong south easterly wind is not generally a problem, which is a good thing since in summer the south easter can blow very strongly at Gordon's Bay, often for several days running.

Facilities
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Access is not controlled. An official will collect your launching fee if he is there at the time.

Parking for trailers is good but limited (17 bays), and there is alternative parking outside the marina at the side of the access road near the main road. There is also a reasonable amount of parking for cars, but occasionally it has been necessary to unload at the slipway and park outside. There is no charge for parking.

Turning and loading space is limited but usually sufficient. There are public toilets with fresh water conveniently near to the slipway, and usually in good condition, They are open from 08:00-17:00 except on weekends in summer when they open at 19:00 and close at 18:00.

Other facilities in the immediate vicinity are a small shop selling refreshments and fishing tackle and several licensed restaurants, some of which have outside seating and will cater to people in wet dive gear.

Fees
A launching fee of R40 is charged for boats. (2005)

Hazards
Security of parked vehicles is not known to be a problem, but it would not be advisable to leave your vehicle unlocked.

Return to Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay

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/Het Huis te Kraaiestein

The dive site Het Huis te Kraaiestein is an inshore historical shipwreck in the North Oudekraal area of the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, part of Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Position

 * S33°58.85’ E018°21.65’ — Just to the north east of the entry area at Sandy Cove.

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

Name
"Het Huis te Kraaiestein" was a Dutch ship of 1,154 tons, built in 1697 at the Zeeland Yard for the Zeeland Chamber of the Dutch East India Company, and commanded by Jan van de Vijver. It was wrecked on the rocks in the bay at Oudekraal on the Cape Peninsula on 27 May 1698 in thick mist as they were trying to find the way into Table Bay. The ship was on its maiden voyage outward-bound from Wielingen, which they had left on 1 February 1698, with a cargo of 19 chests of pieces-of-eight (approximately 57 000 pieces). No lives were lost. Three chests of treasure disappeared and the name 'Geldkis' (money-chest) appears on maps of the area.

Depth
The sand bottom is at about 10 m.

Topography
The wreck has broken up completely and all that is left are a few iron cannon, anchors and some pieces of wood. All these items are usually entirely overgrown and you will only recognise them by looking for unusually straight lines. There are two large cannon about 3 m long and 0.4 m diameter at the southern end of a gap between two boulders. They slope down to the south and one appears to be broken. They are in a V formation with the shallow ends nearer to each other. These cannon are heavily encrusted and partly wasted, and are not immediately recognisable. There is a mass of what appears to be wood which is a few metres long and quite substantial. It is not clear what this might be, but it could be part of the deadwood as it is so massive. There are a few pieces of reinforced rubber hose about 150 mm diameter, abandoned by salvors, and in the sand to the south of this there are two more cannon, of the same type, partly or completely buried in the sand. There is an anchor from the wreck nearby. Another large iron anchor lies flat in the sand further inshore, marked on the site map, which may at times be buried under the sand, and another nearby, which has a fluke sticking up which is seldom or never buried. Another anchor thought to be from this wreck can be found north of the big swimthough at Justin’s Caves, and is also marked on the site map.

Geology: Granite corestone boulders of the late Pre-Cambrian Peninsula pluton, and fine quartz and shell sand

Conditions
This is an area well sheltered from the south west swell, but as it is shallow, there is usually some surge. The site is usually at its best in summer, and is diveable in strong southeasterly winds but there are also occasional opportunities in autumn and early winter.

Keep a lookout for times when the swell is low and short period. The site is not worth diving if there is white water around the rocks.

Facilities
No facilities provided. Security is dubious as with all parking at the side of public roads.

Get in
This is almost always dived as a shore entry dive, as the access is easy, and the distance from the entry point is not very far.

Parking is at the side of the road on the outside of the bend on the City side of the Twelve Apostles Hotel. The path starts near the signpost and after a steep descent curves round to the north between some trees and a granite boulder. It continues north-eastwards and then splits in several directions. The first branch is to the left to the entry for Justin’s Caves, The second continues more or less straight down a slope to a shallow gully between big boulders. There is an old piece of rail and small boulders in this north west entry point. The third branch is to the right, uphill slightly and through between some bushes, then down over the rocks to a shallow sandy gully, with a small beach at low tide. This south-east (closer to the road) entry point has a sand bottom with large granite boulders on both sides. The boulder on the right is convenient resting place for fins, camera etc. when making final preparations for entry. The access at both these points is very protected and safe in almost any conditions you would consider diving.

Marine life
Kelp forest. There are a few invertebrates and a variety of seaweeds, but not many fish.

Features
Wreckage of a ship of historical interest.

Photography
Wide angle lenses will be best suited to photograph the wreckage.

Routes
To find the wreckage with the cannon:
 * Enter at Sandy Cove, swim out through the gap towards Geldkis intil the southern tip of Geldkis is bearing 360°magnetic. Continue on this bearing until the tip of the rocky point to your left is almost directly to your left. When this point is bearing 280° magnetic you should be above the wreckage.
 * (Koornhof’s directions: 2000) Swim out keeping to the left of the small cluster of rocks approximately 50 m out. Once past them, swim to a point about 30 m behind them and find the small darkish rock with a cleft through the middle and line yourself up so that you can see directly through the cleft. Once you have this line (you’re facing the shore), look to your right and you will see a large egg-shaped rock about two thirds of the way along the large cluster of rocks going out to sea. Keep swimming out to sea until you can see the hole at the left edge of this rock and you will be directly above the wreck site.

Hazards
Cold water, Hot sunshine.

Skills
No special skills required. Popular area for training and night dives.

Equipment
No special equipment required.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Oudekraal 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/Highfields

The dive site Highfields is an offshore historical wreck in the Table Bay area on the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand

The Highfields was a British four-masted steel barque commanded by Capt E.R. Dunham. The vessel was lost on 14 August 1902 after a voyage from Cardiff to Table Bay with a cargo of coal. Survivors reported that she had been in a severe storm off the Cape and had lost most of her canvas. Her decks were awash but she managed to reach Table Bay under small sails. It seems her crew and captain were desperate to find shelter.

The German steamship Kaiser was at anchor just outside the breakwater when the Highfields came out of the dark (just after midnight) and hit her anchor chain. The Highfields briefly lay across her bows before being blown off. The Kaiser was not damaged at all, but the Highfields sank within 2 to 5 minutes of the collision with the loss of 23 crew including the master and second mate.

Position

 * S33°53.152’ E 18°25.860’
 * S33°53.155’ E 18°25.810’

This site is not in a Marine Protected Area. A permit is not required. The site is just south-west of the No.1 entrance channel buoy, mostly within the traffic separation zone between the main deep water channel and the inshore traffic zone, and the bows of the wreck extend a few metres into the main harbour approaches lane.

Name

"Highfields" is the name of the shipwreck at this site.

Depth
Maximum depth is about 22 m, and the top of the wreckage is at about 18 m.

Visibility
Visibility will be at its best during or after strong south easterly winds, and may exceed 20 m, but will more likely be around 8 to 10 m. If the wind stops and the sun shines for a few days, plankton bloom will reduce visibility, and if westerly winds blow, they will usually also result in poor visibility, which could be less than a metre on a bad day.

Topography

The wreck lies in roughly 21 m depth on low flat rock between slightly higher ridges to the north and south, with small patches of sand and gravel, and is fairly intact but is up-side down so it is mostly hull plating that is visible, Around the sides there are a few places where one can see into or under the hull, and her huge anchors lie just off the bow. It is likely that the ship came to rest on bottom on the starboard side, as the remains of several spars are to the south side. If the deck and deck beams collapsed relatively soon it would explain the further subsidence of the port side and bottom plating and the position of the fracture of the starboard hull structure along the length of the hull.

The wreck is aligned almost east-west geographically. The bows are to the east, and a section of bow with the forefoot and a short length of keel has broken off and lies on the bottom on its starboard side. This section carries the anchor winch, which is quite large and still largely intact. Scattered around this section are several anchors of the traditional shape, some with stocks deployed, others with stocks stowed and a couple with missing stocks. They may not all originate from this wreck, as there are about 6, of various sizes, which seems a bit much, and the area has been an anchorage for centuries, so it is entirely possible that some of them were from other vessels which were fouled on the wreck and lost.

A short distance further east there is a section of what appears to be the bowsprit, a large diameter iron tube with fittings appropriate to that origin. It is only a few metres long, and is aligned roughly with the length of the vessel.

Slightly to the west of the bow there is a rather broken up section which contains a large mass of chain, in a position consistent with it being the chain locker, rusted and concreted by coralline algae and other growth into a solid mass with the other wreckage and two substantial bollards, and further west the main section of hull has collapsed, leaving mainly low sections of topside plating and frames standing upright to the sides.

As you continue to the west you will come upon the more intact section of bottom, which has subsided along the sides, leaving the south side partly open, and the north side closed by a long upright section of bilge plating. The bar keel is clearly visible along the full length of this section, and terminates near the stern where the plating has collapsed completely. This leaves an arch shaped opening into the hull spaces, but it is quite low and there is a lot of debris inside.

A short distance further west, and partly overlapping the main section of collapsed hull, the sternpost and deadwood section of the run has broken off and lies on its starboard side on the north side of the wreck. The sternpost still has visible gudgeons and lies transverse to the centreline of the wreck, which is consistent with the original position of the hull being on the starboard side. A large section of the rudder, still carrying several pintles, lies partly under the sternpost. A few metres south there is an object which may be the rudder post, and with it the top half of the rudder.

The south side of the wreck has more scattered debris than the north side, which is basically straight. Among this debris are some components that look as if they might be parts of a small steam engine, possibly used to power the winches. There are also some more fragments of iron spars, and an unidentified artifact which was named the "Maypole" by divers. It is a cylindrical object a couple of metres long, with a flange and a sharp spike at the one end, with two more or less spherical blobs. there is a similar but larger blob a few metres away to the southeast which was described as "ornate" by the diver who took the photo.

Geology: Pre-Cambrian sedimentary rocks, probably of the Tygerberg formation, with scattered patches of sand and gravel. The rock is quite hard and tends to weather into rectangular blocklike forms. Strike probably north/south. Dip not known.

Conditions
The site is exposed to wind and waves from the north west and west, so should be dived when the swell is fairly low and from the south west to south east, and is often good in south easterly winds in summer. The site is reasonably protected from south westerly swell, particularly if the period is short (10 seconds or less)

The site is usually at its best in summer but there may also be occasional opportunities in spring and autumn.

This is an area which sometimes has upwellings of cold clear water, caused by strong south easterly winds, resulting in good visibility for a short while, usually followed by a plankton bloom, as the upwelled water is rich in nutrients. The plankton will reduce visibility, particularly near the surface, though there may be reasonable visibility at depth, often below a thermocline, but light levels may be low.

There may be a slight current setting east. It is unlikely to be too strong to swim against at the bottom, but may be strong enough to make a noticeable difference when swimming against it. This current may go across the wind.

Get in
This site is only accessed by boat as it is quite far offshore and at the edge of the shipping lane at the entry to Cape Town harbour. Take care to remain outside of the shipping lane during the dive. The site is about 2.2 km from the Oceana Power Boat Club slipway

Marine life
Marine growth on this wreck is relatively sparse. The dominant organisms seem to be coralline algae, mostly of the encrusting types known locally as "pink paint". You can reasonably expect to see Hottentot seabream, as they are almost everywhere over reef in this region, but probably not much else in the way of fish. There are also some sea squirts and other ascidians, and a few starfish and other echinoderms, but this is not a dive site for the enthusiastic invertebrate spotter.

Features
Inverted wreck of a 19th-century iron sailing ship. The wreck is in an interesting condition, where it is sufficiently intact for a diver to work out where on the vessel you are, but sufficiently broken up to make this a bit of a challenge. There are several large anchors, a large winch, some fragments of the rig, the rudder, two sets of bollards and some enigmatic pieces of machinery, besides the large amount of hull that is still more or less intact, and the usual scattered plates and frames around the perimeter and lying in heaps near the hull. The wreckage is unusually bare of marine growth for its age, and is largely coated with pink encrusting coralline algae, much like most of the surrounding reef, and in many cases the first indication that you are looking at wreckage is that it has unnaturally straight lines, and space underneath. The hull has several areas where it is possible to see some distance under the plating, and one wonders what may be found in these protected areas on a day with good visibility.

Photography
There is not a great deal for the macro photographer. Most of the features of this site are fairly bulky items of wreckage, and will best be photographed with a wide angle lens, The visibility is often quite poor, with lots of particulates to cause backscatter, so either long strobe arms or natural light will give the best results. The wreck is fairly monochrome anyway, so the loss of colour is less important than at many other sites in this region. you have the choice then of monochromes in pink and brown with artificial light, or greens with natural light. If the visibility is good the light levels should be adequate for natural light wide angle work.

Suggested Routes
No specific route recommended. It is possible to circumnavigate the wreck during a dive. Both ends are worth a visit, and the south side seems to have more interesting details and gaps to see into the space inside the hull. For divers uncertain of their navigation skills, it is suggested to clip a reel line to the shot and head off to one of the ends via the south edge of the hull, then return and do the same to the other end. In this way most of the wreck can be seen and the position and distance to the shotline will always be known, enabling a safe ascent.

Hazards
Diving the Highfields is slightly tricky as she lies immediately to the west of, and partly in, the entrance channel to the harbour. One needs to inform Cape Town port control of the dive and then devise an ascent system that prevents divers drifting east into the channel during ascent and while on the surface. A shot line placed near the stern (furthest point away from the channel) with its buoy attached to a second line to an anchor placed some distance further west has proved workable. Another way is for divers to tie a biodegradable sacrificial ascent line to the wreck which they hold onto during ascent and on the surface. They then let go of the line once the dive boat gets to them. In any event, diving the wreck with a west wind blowing or with an appreciable current from the west is not advisable.

Skills
It is essential to be able to find your way back to the shotline, or deploy an upline and DSMB for ascent, as you must avoid getting into the shipping lane, particularly during the ascent, as at that time the boat will not be able to assist if a ship comes through. Do not assume that large ships will be able to avoid your DSMB, even if they see it.

Alternatives for finding the shotline include bottom lines, and effective use of a compass, bearing in mind that the wreck is steel, and will affect accuracy of a nearby compass. Navigation using landmarks should be possible if the shot is suitably placed, but this will depend on visibility.

The site is not suitable for entry level divers due to the depth and skills requirements.

Equipment
A DSMB is strongly recommended so that the boat can monitor your position if you must ascend away from the shotline. A Jersey upline (disposable, biodegradable line for ascent) is recommended to prevent drift if ascending away from the shotline.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Table Bay 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/HNMS Bato

The dive site HNMS Bato is an inshore historical wreck in the Simon's Town area on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Position

 * S34°10.998’ E018°25.560’ — About 50 m offshore off the north end of Long Beach, Simon’s Town.

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

Name
"His Netherlands Majesty's Ship Bato" was a Dutch warship of 800 tons and 74 guns. The ship had been used as a floating battery in Simon’s Bay for several years. Set on fire and sunk off Long Beach, Simon's Town, on 8 January 1806, the same day that the Battle of Blaauwberg began. The Batavian Republic forces at the Cape capitulated to the British forces two days later. The wreck has been worked on and cannon from the site stood outside the Simon's Town Post Office.

Depth
Maximum depth is about 4 m. Average depth is likely to be about 3 m.

Topography
The wreck lies in shallow water (about 3.5 m) The area is fine sand with some low sandstone reef to the South. The wood structure of the wreck has become very overgrown over the years and is not easily recognisable over large areas The wreck lies approximately parallel to the shoreline. The centreline of the debris field is nearly North/South True, from S34°11.012’ E018°25.558’ to S34°10.985’ E018°25.561’, It is about 50 m long, 8 m wide and it extends over an area of about 400 m2. There is a large mass of corroded iron at S34°11.008’ E018°25.552’, and some copper sheathing at the north end of the wreckage

Conditions
Protected area, but shallow. Can be dived if the swell is low. Generally best in winter.

Facilities
The parking lot is tarred and in good condition. There is a fresh water shower, but on occasion the taps have been sawn off. The public toilets are shabby and may not be open.

Get in
Parking at the tarred parking lot at Long Beach behind the railway station. There is a walk of about 450 m along the beach from the slipway gap to a small brick building. The wreckage of the Bato is visible from the shore on a calm day as a dark patch of weed about 50 m offshore.

Marine life
The wreckage is largely overgrown with kelp and seaweeds, and has shallow water invertebrates, and often a few fish

Features
Historical wooden shipwreck. The wreckage is low and heavily overgrown with seaweed and invertebrates. The wreck is protected by legislation and may not be disturbed.

Photography
The water is very shallow, and natural light should allow almost any equipment to be used, but the subject matter is rather limited.

Routes
Swim straight out to the wreck on the surface, Dive and explore the wreck, then swim back to shore on compass bearing 330° magnetic.

Hazards
No known site specific hazards.

Skills
No special skills required. Suitable site for novice snorkellers

Equipment
A light is useful for looking into dark crevices. An extra weight might be useful to keep you under water if your buoyancy is normally neutral at the surface.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Simon's Town 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/Hout Bay harbour

Hout Bay is one of the diving areas of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. Its harbour slipway is used by divers mostly in summer, when south easterly wind makes diving on the False Bay side of the peninsula unpleasant.

Access
This MCM controlled small commercial fishing harbour and marina provides public access for launching boats with seaworthiness certificates and licensed skippers. For information try phoning the Harbourmaster’s office 082 371 6268

Position

 * S34°02'55.95" E018°20'45.05"
 * S34°03'01.76" E018°20'42.97"
 * S34°03'03.90" E018°20'59.58"

About 3 km from Hout Bay central area, and 20 km from central Cape Town by road.

Conditions
The harbour is well protected from the sea in all weather conditions, but is only used by divers when the south-west swell is low, and the wind is light or from the east. The slipway is serviceable in any wind that allows the boat to be maneuvered safely.

About twice a year the roads are closed due to cycle and road running events. when this happens don't bother to try to get to Hout Bay. Diving is not planned for those occasions even if the weather is perfect.

Dives may well be planned and take place in strong south easterly winds. These may make the boat trip uncomfortable, but once round the headland at Duiker point, the boat will be in the lee of the land and the sea may be flat. Diving is often good in these conditions.

Facilities
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is a security guard in a sentry booth just inside the main gate, but the gate is not closed.

Parking for trailers is extensive but sometimes filled. This is a popular facility and is much used by commercial and sports fishermen, dive charter boats and private dive boats. Parking for vehicles without trailers is also fairly extensive. Much of the parking near the slipway is gravel and fairly uneven. It is muddy after rain, but this is seldom a problem as dives from this area are usually done in fair weather.

The slipway is a concrete ramp and is wide and in good condition. The access road turning area and part of the parking area is tarred. There is a small concrete jetty to the side of the slipway ramp where boats can tie up to load and wait for access on busy days. The harbour provides very good protection from waves from all directions, and launching and recovery is possible in most weather conditions. The water at the slipway is deep and there is no tidal restriction to launching.

Public toilets exist but are far from the slipway. It is more convenient to buy some refreshments at the nearby restaurant and use the customer facilities. There is a public pay phone at the nearest restaurant.

There are several restaurants within the harbour precincts, and two of them are within easy walking distance of the slipway. "Ikhaya" is relatively diver friendly and has outdoor seating with shade, where divers can drink a cup of coffee and eat a snack between dives, even in wet dive gear.

Fees
Launching fee is R42.00 per day (2006) A fee of about R5.00 per day is charged for vehicle access and parking. A receipt/ticket is issued.

Hazards
Security varies depending on whether the commercial fishermen are using the slip. If they are, there are usually dozens of people drifting around and some of them may be light fingered. Break-ins are not common at the tarred parking area as it is in view of the restaurant.

Return to Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Insanity Reef

The dive site Insanity Reef is an offshore 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°12.817’ E018°28.044’ — North entry point: 245° magnetic, Spaniard Rock: 212° magnetic.

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

Name
There is speculation that the site name "Insanity Reef" is a result of someone suggesting it as a shore dive. It isn't really that difficult in good conditions.

Depth
Maximum depth is about 14 m on the sand beyond the rocks. The top of the reef is at about 2 m. Waves will break over this rock if there is much swell.

Topography
Large granite corestone outcrops and boulders on a fairly level sand bottom. The sand slopes gradually down to the east and is fairly fine with wave ripples and coarse grains of shell and coralline seaweed fragments near the reef. The reef is smaller than Alpha and more broken up, but compact and all the rocks are close together. There is a huge boulder at the north end which stands on the outcrops to form a small sand-bottomed swim-through with about 4 entrances. This is the highest rock of the reef and rises to about 2 m from the surface. Further south the reef is lower but still steep sided, and is made up of a few large outcrops with occasional undercuts, crevices and overhangs. The long axis of the reef is NW-SE (149°magnetic) and it is about 75m long by about 50m wide.

Geology: Granite of the late Pre-Cambrian Peninsula pluton

Conditions
The site is exposed to wind from all directions and waves from the south east and south west. The site will usually be at it's best in winter on days when the swell is low, but there are also occasional opportunities during the rest of the year. Conditions will probably be suitable if shore entry conditions are OK and there is no strong offshore wind. The return swim to shore could be a problem in a strong offshore wind (north west). If the south-easter is blowing there may be a slight current setting northwards, and the chop may make shore exit tricky.

Facilities
The gravel roadside lay-bye on the seaward side of the M4 is where you park. It will be muddy in winter. There has never been a shortage of parking reported, but that is more due to the small number of dives done here than to the size of the parking area.

Get in
Generally considered a boat dive from Miller's Point slipway or Simon's Town jetty, but also occasionally done as a shore dive from Spaniard Rock north entry.

For a shore entry, there is adequate parking on the gravel shoulder on the seaward side of the main road, near the signpost warning against baboons.

Spaniard rock in the background seen from the road. The "path" starts in the foreground. Insanity reef is about in line with the dark rock to the left of centre 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 could be useful. It is quite a long swim (about 320 m) to the site, specially in a dry-suit, but not exceptional. The entry and exit point at the north of Rocklands Point showing the offshore blinder in the middle background. This is used for shore entry to Insanity Reef, which is about 320 m out from here.

Marine life
The reef has a zone of heavy red-bait at the top, with sparse Split fan kelp, and lower down the sides are mostly covered by common feather stars with patches of red and grey cucumbers, striped anemones, and strawberry anemones. The swimthrough also has red-bait underneath, hanging from the roof. There are a few sea fans in the deeper areas, many of which are overgrown by other sessile organisms.

Routes
Either swim out on the surface to the reef of go by boat. Position is most easily fixed by GPS. Dive round the reef and visit the swimthrough at the north west end. After you have seen the reef, either return to the boat or swim back to shore on compass course 245°magnetic from the north end of the reef or 255°magnetic from the south end of the reef. There will be other reefs on the way, and you may find the blinder.

Hazards
No site specific hazards have been reported. For shore entries, offshore wind may increase in strength significantly during the dive. The path is steep and slippery and in poor condition.

Skills
No special skills are required for boat dives. The ability to navigate using a compass is necessary for a shore dive as is a reasonable level of fitness and agility

Equipment
No special equipment suggested for boat dive. A SMB to indicate your position to boats, and a compass to navigate to and from the reef are necessary for shore entry dives.

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


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Justins Caves

The Dive site Justin's Caves is an inshore rocky reef in the north Oudekraal area on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand

The site has spectacular topography and colourful ecology, and is justly one of the more popular shore dives of Cape Town.

Position
The southern and closer inshore group of rocks off the point at North Oudekraal
 * S33°58.848’ E018°21.473’ — (Shoreward entrance to main cave)
 * S33°58.850’ E018°21.500’ — (The highest rock in the group)

This site is in the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area since 2004. A permit is required. It is just inside the Karbonkelberg restricted area.

Name
The site name "Justin's Caves" is partly descriptive of the small caves and spacious swimthroughs at the site, but it is not recorded who Justin was. The site has had this name since before 1983.

Depth
The bottom is generally from about 8 m to about 13 m. There is very little sand. You can find 15 m over the flat reef to the north.

Visibility
Visibility varies significantly with the weather. It can be as good as 20 m on a very good day, and this is usually associated with an upwelling following a south easterly wind. There can also be a surface layer with plankton bloom which may make the visibility near the surface far worse than below this upper layer, and this may be associated with a thermocline. Upwellings generally result in cold water. Visibility of 8 m or more would be considered good. Large swell will result in strong surge and usually poor visibility.

Topography
The Justins Caves group of rocks comprises huge granite corestone boulders in a cluster, with several swim-throughs, narrow gaps, walls, overhangs and caves. Hardly any sand bottom is visible between the rocks. Spectacular in good visibility.

There is a large iron anchor thought to be from the wreck of Het Huis te Kraaiestein on the low granite outcrops north of the caves. There is hardly any kelp in this area and the reef life is limited to mostly Cape sea urchins, dark sea cucumbers, mussels and Spiny starfish. Further north from the anchor is a low boulder field at a depth of about 15 m, where there is a bit more biodiversity.

To the north east of the caves is an area of moderate to very large boulders stretching to Geldkis and including Mushroom Pinnacle about half way across. The kelp in this area is sparse and mostly confined to the tops of the taller rocks.

The area between the shore and the caves is also a boulder field, with large numbers of large rocks supporting a fairly dense kelp forest

Geology: Corestone boulders and outcrops of late Pre-Cambrian granite of the Peninsula pluton.

Conditions
The site is often at its best during or after south easterly winds, but strong south easterly winds (offshore) can make it difficult to swim back to shore at the surface. It is exposed to south westerly swells, and surge can be strong, particularly in the swim-throughs.

The site is usually at its best in summer, but there are also occasional opportunities in autumn and early winter.

This is an area which sometimes has upwellings, caused by south easterly winds, resulting in clear cold water, which may develop an algal bloom after a few days of sunshine, which will reduce the visibility.

Keep a lookout for times when the south west swell is low and short period, and the south easterly winds have just stopped, for a good probability of good diving conditions.

Facilities
There are no facilities provided. Security is no better than at any other roadside parking in the area.

Get in
Shore dive. Parking at the side of the road on outside of bend north of the Twelve Apostles Hotel near S33°58.941’ E018°21.594’. There is an entry/exit point directly opposite the caves at the bottom of a slope covered with rounded boulders of medium to small size at S33°58.910’ E018°21.571’. This gives the most direct route to the caves which are under the group of large granite boulders about 150 m offshore.

The gully is quite shallow over rounded sandstone boulders and there is a nice flat granite rock at the entry point to put gear on if the tide is low enough. If the tide is very low the kelp can be a bit of an obstacle, particularly in the gully, and the rocks can be slippery. An alternative entry and exit point which is far more protected from the south west swell is at Sandy Cove, about 50 m to the north, but if the conditions are too rough at the entry described here, the caves will be very surgey.

The first swimthrough referred to in the route description is under the second high rock from the left, and the main swimthrough is under the low rock just to the right of that in the photo. Access is over the small round boulders in the foreground and through a gap to the left of the gully. Swim out on the surface to just short of the high rock in the background. The gully is quite shallow and at low tide the kelp is a hassle. The site is not generally done as a boat dive, but if it is, the boat should stay out of the channel between the rocks and the shore, as unmarked divers use this area on the surface and at shallow depth, and there is a dense kelp forest. The ground is generally unsuitable for anchoring, and boats should not be left unattended at anchor.

Marine life
There is a large and fairly dense kelp forest on the way out and back, which can be a bit of an obstacle on the surface at low tide. The rocks at the caves are covered in the typical reef life of the area, with spectacular growths of sponges, soft and noble corals, sea fans and ascidians in the sheltered areas under overhangs and in the swimthroughs.

Features
Several swim-throughs and caves, and a large anchor from the historical wreck of the Dutch East Indiaman "Het Huis te Kraaiestein"

Photography
A good site for macro photography, and wide angle work if the visibility is good.

Routes

Enter at the north-west facing gully at the end of the western branch of the main path. Swim out on the surface to the highest rock in the group. Dive and by keeping the high rocks on your right, follow the high rocks generally south. Go north through the swim-through at approximately S33°58.863 E018°21.475 then head past a curved hollow in the bottom, north to the main swimthrough at S33°58.848’ E018°21.473’. This swimthrough branches and has two exits to the north. Choose whichever you prefer. Fom the far side of this swimthrough, swim north again some 40m over fairly flat granite outcrops and see if you can find the large iron anchor, said to be from the wreck of the Huis te Kraaiestein, at S33°58.825’ E018°21.444’. Return south to the main group of rocks and spend your remaining time exploring the various gaps and overhangs among the boulders. You can follow the route shown on the map, by going around the reef with the exposed rocks to your right and swimming through one of the narrow gaps between exposed rock on the north west side of the group, then keep the exposed rocks to your left and swim south east until back at more or less the start point of the dive. Return to shore at shallow depth on a compass course of about 150° magnetic to avoid wind and kelp fronds. Exit at same point as entry. An alternative exit point is below the storm water outlet slightly further south west, but this involves a steep and occasionally slippery climb. particularly over the gravel and grass at the top.

The south western part of this reef has some interesting holes and swimthroughs, but they are not mapped. There is a swimthrough which starts deep on the north eastern side of the south western group of rocks shown on the map, which changes depth by several metres before you come out quite shallow on the south west side of the reef. The surge in this swimthrough can be very strong, as the exit is directly exposed to the incoming swells. Take care if you choose to try this one.

Hazards
Cold water, Hot sunshine. Strong surge in gullies and swim-throughs. Sea urchins. Strong offshore winds may develop over a short time (check the forecast). Dense kelp forests en route for shore dives (can be tiring to swim through at the surface). Rugged and slippery rocky access route.

Skills
No special skills required. Reasonable fitness and agility are recommended due to the clamber over slippery rocks at the entry and the moderately long swim out to the site and back. The swimthroughs are reasonably spacious, but are an overhead environment for several metres, and the surge inside may be quite strong. One of the swimthroughs involves a significant change of depth.

Equipment
A light is recommended for looking into caves and overhangs, and because of the loss of colour at depth. A compass is recommended and the return should be done underwater if the wind picks up during the dive. Do not tow a SMB here unless you have a really good reason, as it will hook on kelp and keep you out of the caves.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Oudekraal 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/Kalk Bay Harbour Wall

The dive site Kalk Bay Harbour Wall is a shoreline rocky reef and artificial structure in the Kalk Bay area on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula, part of Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand

The herbour wall site is mostly used for commercial diver training and collecting lead sinkers and other fishing gear lost from the harbour wall.

Position

 * S34°07.787’ E018°26.967' — (Shore entry and exit point at south-west end of wall). The site is to the east of the breakwater wall of the Kalk Bay Harbour.

Kalk Bay Reef is to the east of the point and southeast of the harbour wall. It is a shallow reef of 9 to 13 m depth on the sand edge, rising to a moderate area of shallow reef above 6 m. It has a few areas which break in moderate seas, which can be seen on the aerial photo. There are also some parches of low reef off the harbour wall a bit further north.

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

Name
The site "Kalk Bay Harbour Wall" is off and near the harbour wall at the small commercial fishing harbour at Kalk Bay.

Depth
Maximum depth is approximately 9 to 10 m on the sand depending on the tide, and is not much shallower over the reef areas.

Visibility
Visibility is seldom better than 3 m.

Topography
Vertical faced concrete harbour breakwater wall with low profile rocky reef at the base, and patches of pebble and sand at about 8 to 9 m depth, There are several concrete blocks and pieces of steel rail near the wall and other garbage including tangled fishing line, old lures, and usually quite a lot of sinkers. The reef extends to about 100 m from the wall.

Geology: Ordovician sandstone, probably of the Peninsula formation, or possibly the underlying Graafwater formation. Strike is about north-west/south-east, more or less perpendicular to the wall, and dip is quite shallow. about 5° to 10°, to the south west.

Conditions
Avoid strong south easterly winds and large swell. The site is usually at its best in winter but there are also occasional opportunities during the rest of the year

A large swell will make exit tricky. If this appears to be too hazardous, it is possible to swim round into the harbour, where there are ladders and a beach, but this should be considered an emergency option, and the risk of injury by a boat is greatly increased. Keep as close to the wall as possible, and exercise due caution when surfacing. Boat crews will not normally be expecting divers in the water.

Facilities
If diving from the shore entry below the restaurant: There is a large gravel parking lot at the entrance to the harbour between the railway line and the harbour buildings: : S34°07.780' E018°26.931', clearly visible in the aerial view. Turn left over the level crossing and then right into the parking area. The far end near the buildings is most convenient.

If diving from the breakwater wall: Either arrange to park on the breakwater, which may require getting the chain unlocked, or park in the tarred lower parking lot and carry your kit along the wall.

Public toilets are provided. They are usually open and may be clean. There is a restaurant and cafeteria in the harbour, well known for seafood.

Get in
Normally done as a shore dive.

Permission is required from the harbour master to dive from the wall, which is the usual arrangement for commercial diver training, as a feature of the site is the 3 m jump entry and ladder exit. For this purpose parking may be arranged on the breakwater at the top of the ladder, which is about half way along the wall. It is recommended that a handrope be attached to a vehicle to aid divers climbing over the edge, as there are not very good handholds on top of the wall beyond the top of the ladder.

Alternative access is from the shoreline rocks outside the harbour, which is in any case a far easier exit. This entry point is at the rocky shore at the end of the harbour wall just below the restaurant. A rock about 8 m from the wall has convenient ledges for entry and exit at low tide.

Do
Dive at one of the areas listed and explore the vicinity. You could try the roughly 3 m jump entry from the wall and the ladder exit as a training exercise. The water is adequately deep near the ladder. Do this at your own risk, and be sure you use the correct technique, a 3 m faceplant can be both painful and embarrassing, and you could break or lose equipment.

 * S34°07.787’ E018°26.967'. The site is along the base of the breakwater wall and the adjacent rubble and reef.
 * S34°07.875’ E018°27.125'. This is the sandstone reef off the point to the south of the harbour.

Marine life

Wall moderately encrusted, no strong zonation. Reef fairly sparsely encrusted, largely encrusting corallines and urchins. Large shoals of juvenile fish in season, mainly Strepies and Blacktail, but also quite a few Hottentot. Anglers jig for Chokka (squid) from the wall at night.

Features
The 3 m jump entry and vertical ladder exit are useful features for some training purposes, as is the 9 m sand patch near the ladder and the convenience of parking on the sea wall with permission of the harbourmaster.

Photography
Macro photography is all that is worth trying at this site.

Routes

 * 1) Entry from the wall by jumping in (about 3 m). Exit can be by the ladder on the wall, but it can be a tricky climb, particularly at the top, as the ladder stops slightly short of the top of the wall and the handholds are not abundant. Study the top of the ladder before entry to avoid embarrassment on exit. You may find it more convenient to use a rope to lift your equipment if you are not sufficiently fit and agile to climb a vertical ladder in full kit while holding your fins.
 * 2) Entry at rocks at start of wall: dive along base of wall, with occasional short excursions up wall and to side over reef until about half way along wall. Head out about perpendicular to wall along the top of the low reef until you reach the pebble zone, see if you can spot any Cerianthids, then continue to the edge of the sand and along this edge until it turns to the left. Then make your way across the reef more or less North magnetic until back at the wall close to the harbour mouth. Follow the wall back to the entry point, and exit.

Hazards
Monofilament fishing line. Some with complete with hook, sinker, bait and fisherman on the harbour wall. Nearby boat traffic. Possibility of Great white sharks in the area.

This is a commercial fishing harbour but boats entering and leaving are usually on their way to or from fishing grounds, and do not usually spend any time in the diving area to the south east of the harbour. Recreational anglers commonly fish from the harbour wall and divers must keep a lookout for fishing lines. Sinkers and other fishing tackle are frequently found on the bottom. At night this is a popular squid-jigging site.

Skills
No special skills are required. This is a popular training area for commercial and scientific divers.

Equipment
If you intend to go far from the wall a compass and SMB are recommended to help avoid the traffic zone at the harbour mouth, and to alert boats to your presence and position.

Nearby

Back to the list of Alphabetical list of sites, or dive sites in the Muizenberg to Kalk 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/Kanobi's Wall

The dive site Kanobi's Wall is an offshore rocky reef in the Karbonkelberg headland area on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand
This is a good site for rugged topography, biodiversity and depth range.

Position

 * S34°02.365’ E018°18.138’ — The blinder just south of the rock furthest off Duiker Point which extends above sea level.

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

Name
This blinder off Duiker Point was named "Kanobi’s Wall" by Odette from Pisces Diving in 2005. It has been speculated that this may have some connection with the character Obi wan Kenobi in the Star Wars movies, but this has not been confirmed. The reef to the south was named Star Walls following this example. Kanobi's wall is also referred to as Kanobi's Reef, as the wall is not such a distinctive feature.

Depth
Maximum depth is about 25 m, and the reef breaks the surface at one place.

Topography
Relief above 18 m is quite spectacular. Huge stacked boulders, with tunnels, overhangs and caves of various sizes, and lots of vertical walls, some probably 10m or more in height. Deep narrow gaps and crevices. No sand seen. A knocking sound suggests a loose boulder somewhere, which is moved by the surge. There is a small cave at S34°02.358’ E018°18.103’, a low, wide cave at S34°02.347, E018°18.102’, 19 m deep, and a swim-through from S34°02.349’ E018°18.116’, 13 m deep to S34°02.358’ E018°18.125’, 13 m deep. Geology: Granite of the late Pre-Cambrian Peninsula pluton.

Conditions
The site is exposed to westerly swells and wind, and also, though the fetch is relatively short, to south easterly winds and wind chop. The wind chop will not usually affect the diver when underwater, bur can make recovery by the boat relatively difficult, particularly if there is wind driven spray. South westerly swell will significantly affect diving due to surge conditions, as the site includes quite shallow areas and a number of narrow gullies and swim-throughs, which can focus and magnify the water movement to an awesome surge, and can provide some adrenalin rushes for the unwary diver. The site is usually at it's best in summer but there may also be occasional opportunities during autumn and early winter. Note that in summer the south east wind may pick up from a calm morning to strong or even gale force by afternoon. This is reasonably predictable and the weather forecast should be consulted.

This is an area which sometimes has upwellings, caused by the south easterly wind, resulting in cold, clear water, sometimes followed by a plankton bloom, which reduces the visibility again.

Keep a lookout for times when the forecast is for low short south westerly swell and light winds, as this will indicate a reasonable chance of good conditions.

Get in
This site can only be accessed by boat. It is about 6.9 km from Hout Bay harbour.

Marine life
Typical of the big reefs of the Atlantic coast. Heavy growth of red bait in shallow areas, Split-fan kelp on top surfaces of the reef in moderate depths. Walls, caves and overhangs are covered with a wide variety of sponges, corals, ascidians and other invertebrates.

Features
Large swimthrough, at 13 m depth, as shown on the map, several deep gullies and a few small caves.

Photography
Good site for photography if the surge is not too strong.

Routes
Drop in near the pinnacle and swim around the rocks at various depths. Start deep and work your way up, inspecting the various zones. It is necessary to keep away from the blinder when surfacing, as the surge over the top can be dangerous to both divers and boats, so it is advisable to swim well away during the ascent, and for this reason a DSMB and compass are recommended. The swimthrough is worth a visit if the surge is not too strong.

Hazards
Cold water, Strong surge in gulleys and swim-throughs. Breaking waves over exposed rock. Sea urchins. Strong offshore winds may develop over a short time.

Skills
Ability to deploy a DSMB is useful, as is ability to use a compass. Divers should be adequately skilled at buoyancy control in surge, and able to fin fairly strongly, unless the swell is exceptionally weak.

Equipment
Take a light to see into dark places, like overhangs and swim-throughs. A compass is useful to keep track of where you are, and a DSMB is useful if you surface away from the reef, which is desirable as the waves break over the blinder. Nitrox may extend your dive time if you are well insulated.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Outer 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/Klein Pannekoek

The dive site Klein Pannekoek is an inshore rocky reef in the central Oudekraal area on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Position

 * S33°58.91’ E018°21.09’ — About 570 m at 212° magnetic to the north cove at the Table Mountain National Park Oudekraal site.

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 name "Klein Pannekoek" means Small Pancake, and refers to the flat appearance of the exposed part of the rock and compares it to the nearby, slightly larger but also flat, rock known as Groot Pannekoek

Depth
No records available. Maximum depth probably about 15 m

Topography
Very large granite corestone outcrops and boulders, Some overhangs, crevices and small caves.

Geology: Late Pre-Cambrian granite of the Peninsula pluton

Conditions
Best after south-easterly winds (offshore). The swell should be low, though a bit of white water on the outer reefs is normal. There is usually some surge, and it can be quite strong.

Facilities
Limited off street parking with fairly good security, Clean, neat toilet facilities, Fresh water showers and taps, picnic sites (no fires permitted), shade, seating, garbage cans, a nice little beach and pleasant and protected snorkelling areas for beginners.

Get in

Boat dive or shore dive with a long swim (570 m). It is about 15 km from Hout Bay or 13 km from the Oceana Power Boat Club slipway at Granger Bay.

Shore dive: Parking as for Coral Gardens. Go down the stairs at the west end of the parking lot and across the grassy area then turn right to the small sand beach at the northern cove. The entry area is usually a placid spot as it is well sheltered from the south west swell The long climb down the stairs and the long swim to the site require a reasonable level of fitness, but there is fresh water on tap at the top of the stairs and a few litres on your head and suit before the descent will keep you cooler.

Marine life
There are kelp forests and a good variety of invertebrates on the rocks.

Routes
No particular route recommended.

Hazards
Cold water, Strong surge in gulleys and swim-throughs. Sea urchins. Strong offshore winds may develop over a short time.

Skills
The site requires fitness if dived from the shore. The ability to navigate back underwater on a shore entry dive is strongly recommended.

Equipment
A compass is recommended to help navigate back from shore entry dives in case an offshore wind comes up during the dive. A snorkel is recommended in case you do not have enough gas left to return underwater, as it is often necessary to swim face down to get through dense kelp.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Oudekraal 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/Klein Tafelberg

The dive site Klein Tafelberg Reef, also known as Salad Bowl, Yacht wreck, and The Patti is an offshore rocky reef in the outer Hout Bay area on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand

This can be a spectacular dive in good visibility as the reef profile is very rugged. The depth varies from about 42m to just under 15m over a small area. The reef structure provides a wide range of habitats and there is a large diversity of colourful invertebrates to be seen.

This site is a group of pinnacles at the south eastern end of the large Tafelberg Reef complex, which may extend all the way to Vulcan Rock in the west.

Position

 * S34°04.436' E018°19.185'
 * S34°04.442' E018°19.191'
 * S34°04.443' E018°19.178'
 * S34°04.454' E018°19.232'

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

Name
The name "Klein Tafelberg Reef" translates to Small Table Mountain Reef, it is a part of Tafelberg Reef complex and is slightly separate from the main reef, at the south eastern end. The alternative names "Salad Bowl", "Yacht Wreck", and "The Patti" refer to the large variety of colourful reef life on the rocks of the bowl shaped hollow in the side of the reef, and the wreck of the yacht Patti that lies in it.

Depth
Maximum is about 42 m, and the top of the pinnacle about 14 m. The Table Top pinnacle a short distance to the west is at 15 m and is much larger.

Visibility
This is an area where visibility is likely to be better than average. On a good day it can exceed 20 m, but 10 m is more likely. Good visibility is often associated with several days of strong south easterly wind which causes upwelling of clear, cold water from the depths. This water is often rich in dissolved nutrients, and if the wind is followed by a few days of bright sunshine, there may be a plankton bloom, also known as a 'red tide' which may decrease the visibility, particularly in the surface layers. However, the deeper water may still be relatively clear, though the light levels will be less and the water will be much greener.

Topography
The site is a huge granite outcrop with big boulders piled on top, and patches of sand bottom in the deeper areas. This is the eastern section of an underwater hill which stretches from a sand bottom at about 50 m depth, about 100 m south east of the "Table top" pinnacle to near Vulcan Rock and Di's Cracks.

The relief is very rugged and spectacular in good visibility. Although most of the pinnacles are not particularly large, many are very steep and precipitous, with deep cracks and gullies adjacent to them, and there are many places where the reef can be seen towering several metres above you, while there is still a significant drop to the local bottom.

The large flat topped pinnacle at about 15 m depth is known as the Table Top, as it is roughly square and flat on top with sheer sides. This pinnacle is about 21 m long and 17 m wide, and is split by a huge crack about 2 m wide into two unequal sections. The dropoff to the north east is much deeper than to the south west. The pinnacle is two squarish blocks of granite about 6 m high on the edge of a north-east facing cliff of about the same height, The table top is covered by a fairly dense Split-fan kelp forest, and there is an overhang between the bigger pinnacle block and the cliff top.

The wreckage of a small yacht, the Patti, lie on a ledge called the salad bowl at the bottom of the cliff below the Table Top pinnacle, and below the ledge there are a few scattered bits of wreckage on the slope, which continues down to a bit deeper than 36 m, qhere there is a patch of sand.

The view up to the pinnacle from the wreck is quite impressive on a clear day, when the near vertical rock face with the big crack can be clearly seen looming above.

About 80 m to the south east of the pinnacle there is sand at 42 m depth, which extends at least 100 m further to the southeast. This is probably the local bottom of the reef. The slope between this sand and the shallower reef includes a large number of fairly large boulders. To the north of Table Top there is sand at about 36 m.

To the southwest the depth drops to 45 m in places, still quite close to the shallower parts, but beyond an extensive area that is between 20 and 25 m deep and fairly flat from south to southwest of the pinnacle. Much of this flat reef top above 21 m is covered by Laminaria kelp forest.

To the north west of the Table Top there is a stretch of flattish reef about 20 m deep and then a fairly large area of pinnacles rising to above 15 m depth. The north east side of this area includes a long low wall between about 27 m and 21 m.

Geology: Granite of the late Pre-Cambrian Cape Peninsula pluton

Conditions
The site is exposed to south westerly swells, which can cause a strong surge. Even a low swell can cause a noticeable surge if the period is long. The site is usually at its best in summer but there are also occasional opportunities in autumn and winter. This is a site where some of the world's largest surfable waves can occur, but it is hard to believe this when conditions are suitable for diving.

This is an area which sometimes has upwellings, caused by strong south easterly winds, resulting in cold clear water, which may develop a plankton bloom over a few hours to days, which will reduce the visibility again.

Keep a lookout for times when the south west swell is low and short period, and there is not too much south easterly wind forecast.

There is often a slight surface current, which has been recorded up to 1.4 km/h setting east. This is probably caused by wind, but on calm days the direction will be unpredictable until you are on site. It is not generally considered a hazard, but it would be prudent not to spend too long on the surface before descending as it can carry the diver away from the mark. If ascending away from the shotline, a DSMB will allow the boat to keep track of your drift during the safety stop.

Get in
The site is only accessible by boat. It is about 4.5 km from Hout Bay Harbour.

Marine life
Lots of great invertebrates including several species of nudibranch, and various colonial ascidians on the reefs. You will also probably see seals, kelp, and some Hottentot seabream.

The tops of the shallower pinnacles are covered by a dense growth of large red-bait pods, and usually split-fan kelp (Laminaria pallida), with an understorey of smaller red seaweeds, like the Coral plocamium, and supporting a variety of anemones, hydroids and other small invertebrates.

Even near the tops of the pinnacles, corals, false corals and sponges are abundant on the steeper rock faces and particularly under overhangs. Basket stars are frequently seen at this site, sometimes in large numbers, and there are several other starfish, including the brooding cushion star.

Features
Wreck of yacht just north of pinnacle.

One of the most accessible 40 m (42 m if the tide is high) dive sites in the region, with plenty to see on your way up, as it is conveniently only a short distance to the pinnacles, with constantly upward sloping reef along the way.

Photography
Good site for macro and wide angle photography. Macro will always give you some good subjects, right down to super macro, but wide angle scenic shots will depend on visibility and lighting. You may be lucky.

Routes

 * 1) Descend on the shotline to the reef, swim down to the wreck of the yacht, and continue to the desired depth, then work your way up the rocks to the top of the pinnacle and ascend on the shotline, or deploy your DSMB.
 * 2) Descend on the shotline to the sand at 42 m for a deep dive. The shot should be near the reef edge, so after reaching the desired depth, enjoy the rest of the dive by ascending on the reef slope in a generally westerly direction, with a bit of north depending on where the shot was dropped. When you get to about 24 m, swim a contour with the reef to your left until you reach the yacht wreck, then ascend on the Table Top pinnacle to 15 m, deploy your DSMB and surface. If you prefer, you can try to find the smaller but slightly higher pinnacle to the south east of the wreck, but it is only two or three metres higher, and the safety stop will always be in mid-water at this site. This route is shown on the map as the red dotted line for the closest known 42 m area.
 * 3) If trying for a 45 m depth to the south of the reef, the swim back along the bottom may be too long to stay within the no decompression limits, as there is a long stretch of flat topped reef about 25 to 20 m deep you will have to cross. More information on this route is needed. Let us know.

Hazards
Cold water, Nitrogen narcosis in the deeper areas. Strong offshore winds may develop over a short time. Strong surge if the swell is big and the period is long.

Skills
No special skills are required, but appropriate certification for the depth is expected. Ability to navigate with a compass and to deploy a DSMB are necessary for the deep dive route.

Equipment
It is cold and relatively deep, and a dry suit is recommended. This is a dive site where the use of Nitrox can be worthwhile to extend no-stop time. A compass will help keep you orientated, a light will restore colour and allow you to look into crevices and overhangs, and a reel with DSMB is worth carrying in case you need to surface away from the shot line.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Outer 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/Kruis

The dive site Kruis or Crosses is a shoreline rocky reef in the Rooi-els area on the east side of False Bay, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Position

 * S34°17.431’ E018° 49.304' 18 km South of Gordon’s Bay, at the tip of a blunt headland to the north of the beach at Rooi-els

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

Name

The site name "Kruis" or "Crosses" refers to the cross erected above the site in memory of J.F. Marais, Rector of the Stellenbosch Gymnasium (later Paul Roos Gymnasium), 25/10/1866 – 25/5/1901, who drowned in the vicinity.

Depth
Maximum depth is about 22 m on the sand.

Topography
Sandstone ridges roughly parallel to the shoreline with occasional transverse gullies crossing the ridges, sometimes with pebble or sand bottoms. Underwater features are similar in character to those above sea level.

The entry gully opens into a small fairly shallow cove to the north east, towards Percy’s Hole gully. This inlet slopes down gradually to the north west over an extensive area of deeper low profile reef with some sand patches until it reaches the sand bottom at about 22 m depth about 200 m offshore. Around to seaward of the entry gully there is a fairly large, quite shallow ledge which extends 40 to 50 m to seaward before dropping steeply to the low deep reef. Further south there is a deep relatively bare gully where large numbers of enthusiasts dispose of ring nets in the lobster season. This has been named Ring-net Gully after the rusty ring nets caught up in the reef and red bait. The point to the south of this also falls off steeply to seaward, and there are a few moderate sized pinnacles in this area.

Geology: Ordovician Sandstones of the Table Mountain group, probably Peninsula formation (uniformly light grey, medium to coarse grained, well bedded quartzitic sandstone). Strike roughly north east, dip about 25° south east.

Conditions
The site is exposed to south west swell. Long period swells will result in poor visibility and a fairly rough entry and exit. The site is usually at its best during or after south easterly wind in summer, but there are also occasional opportunities in winter when there has been a spell of calm weather with no big storms in the South Atlantic.

This is an area which sometimes has cold water upwellings after the south east wind, and occasionally these upwellings bring clear cold water and excellent diving.

Keep a lookout for times when the swell forecast is short period and low, or is not from the south west.

Winter storms may bring in broken kelp to cover the bottom below the walls, and the visibility is likely to be poor due to suspended organic matter.

Facilities
Paved roadside parking at the site is usually adequate, but has been crowded on occasion.

Get in
This site may be accessed by boat or shore entry.

Boats can either travel from Gordon's Bay or Harbour Island, both of which are about 18 km away, or from Rooi-els, much closer, but with a really small and poor slipway, and requiring a special launching permit only available to local residents.

Shore entry requires no complications, and is more popular, but it does require a bit of physical effort.

Getting there by road: Drive along the Faure Marine Drive (R44) from Gordon’s Bay toward Rooi-els. Parking is at the side of the road on large paved parking area at S34°17.404’ E018°49.389’.

Path to the entry area: Walk toward the cross to the left, which gives this site its name. There is a rocky gap facing west which is reasonably accessible to a fit diver. Climb down to near sea level and over a ridge to a gully that opens roughly to the north shown in the middle of the photo. Entry and exit area: Note the rock in the middle of the gully in the photograph. Entries can be made just to the right of the rock, or by jumping off the steep ridge to the right, where the gully is fairly deep. If this is not your style, you can climb down nearer to the water at the north end of this ridge. Exit is possible at the extreme south end of the gully if conditions permit, on the ledge in the right foreground. by getting past the rock into the relatively sheltered pool at the end. The ledge at the north end of the ridge is sometimes better. Otherwise make your own best choice. An alternative exit is at Percy’s Hole Gully to the north, which is usually more protected from south west swell. The entry and exit area at Kruis is in the foreground of this photo. Notice the surge past the rock in the gully. The gap on the far side is bigger and easier to negotiate than that on the near side. The tide was fairly low at the time that this photo was taken.

Marine life
Dense kelp forest inshore. Heavy red-bait in the exposed shallows, Galjoen over the high reef. The usual invertebrates for the area, though possibly not as varied as at Percy’s. The occasional seal may visit during your dive.

Photography
Fairly good site for photography. Macro and other close-up equipment will give best results most often and the visibility is seldom good enough for scenic shots.

Routes
Swim out to the end of the gully, left over the ridge, and around the point. Keep the steep side of the reef to your left around to Ring-net Gully, then if time and gas allow, head out to sea from the end of the south side of Ring-net Gully. Then swing north east, and south back into the cove and exit from the inner end of the gulley if conditions permit.

Hazards
No site specific hazards have been reported. Shore access requires a walk down a steep path and some scrambling over rocks. Exit can be tricky in larger swells due to strong surge in the gully. Swell can increase significantly over a short period, but this can be forecast quite reliably.

Skills
No special skills required.

Equipment
A light is useful for looking into crevices and to restore colour at depth, and a compass is useful for keeping track of where you are.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Rooi-els 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 offshore and approaches

 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Ledges

The dive site Ledges is a shoreline rocky reef in the Gordon's Bay area on the east side 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°10.193’ E018°50.726’

Name
Named "Ledges" for the ledge on the shore just above high water, which is the landmark from the seaward side. There is also a high rock outcrop at the north east end of the ledge where enthusiasts jump into the water from several meters up. Take care where you jump if you try this.

Depth
Maximum depth is about 9 m.

Topography
Fairly flat bottom with smallish boulders and occasional sand between.

Geology: The coastal outcrops of Tygerberg formation in the Gordon’s Bay area are visible here and to the north

Conditions
Best during or after South Easterly winds. Reasonably sheltered from South Westerly swells.

Facilities
Small paved parking area on the seaward side of the road.

Get in
Usually a boat dive. The site is about 1.8 km from Gordon's Bay harbour, or 2.4 km from Harbour Island.

Alternatively it could be a shore dive with quite a steep climb. Park at the paved parking area just before the junction of the R44 and Protea road. Find your own route before kitting up.

Marine life
Surprisingly interesting variety of organisms though the topography is pretty bland. Low reef with mounds of stringy stuff with sand and cerianthids. Fine sand offshore. Popular site for rock anglers, so quite a lot of nylon monofilament fishing line, often in tangled masses.

Routes
No particular route recommended.

Hazards
Shore access requires a scramble down steep rocks and a slightly tricky entry and exit.

Skills
No special skills required for boat dive. Reasonable fitness would be required for shore dive to climb down the mountainside from the road

Equipment
No special equipment recommended.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Gordon's Bay 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 offshore and approaches

 * Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area


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Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Livingstone Reef

The dive site Livingstone Reef is an offshore rocky reef in the Roman Rock area of Simon's Bay, in False Bay, near Cape Town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

Understand

Fairly high profile corestone reef around the pinnacle, and another large outcrop some way to the east. Quite pretty. Typical medium depth west False Bay invertebrate cover, with lots of sea fans.

Position

 * : S34°10.605' E018°27.571'

Bearings:
 * 199° magnetic to Roman Rock lighthouse
 * 276° magnetic to Long Beach

This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is required. The site is entirely within the Boulders Restricted Zone of the Table Mountain National Park MPA.

Name
The name "Livingstone Reef" is derived from the name of the diver who found the pinnacle by accident when diving the north pinnacle of Castor Reef. The reef was known to exist, but had not been reported before as a dive site.

Depth
Maximum depth is about 23 m on the sand and the top of the highest pinnacle is about 14 m. There is another pinnacle to the east which comes up to about 17 m.

Topography
The western pinnacle is fairly compact, but made up from a group of large rocks clustered together, with crevices, gaps, and a few overhangs. The highest rock extends about a metre above the 15 m depth contour, and the local area is generally above 18 m for several metres around.

The surrounding reef is relatively low, mostly between 21 and 18 m deep, and the sand is between about 22 and 23 m, with little variation in depth around the reef.

The reef is elongated from north-west to south-east. The length is estimated at about 220 m, and width from south west to north east is about 30 m near the pinnacle. The reef slopes down rapidly to sand to the north-east and southwest, while to the south-east and north west the slope is more gradual, with quite a large area of low reef to the south-east. Further to the south-east it gets more rugged again, and extensive outliers in the form of low ridges and boulders lie to the northeast, east, and south of the high reef.

About 100 m to the south-east of the north-west pinnacle group there is another slightly lower monolithic pinnacle reaching up to about 17 m depth from the sand on the north eastern side. Further to the north-east is an area of low boulders, many with sand between them, and seldom more than 1 to 1.5m high off the sand, and a massive outlier directly to the east reaching up to 19 m on top of the main ridge. The area between the northwest and southeast pinnacles is low and broken, with narrow sandy gaps and occasional higher ridges. This area has not been fully surveyed.

Geology: Granite corestones of the Peninsula pluton, surrounded by fairly fine quartz sand, with shelly patches.

Conditions
The site is exposed to south easterly wind and waves, so should be dived in light winds, or if the wind is somewhat from the west, and is often good in winter. The site is reasonably protected from south westerly swell, but if the wave period is long there may be significant surge. This is an area which sometimes has a thermocline, and the temperature may drop several degrees, often with a marked improvement in visibility, resulting in better but colder conditions than the surface would suggest. Temperatures may drop by more than 5%deg;C across the thermocline, and this is more likely in summer.

Get in
Boat dive: The site is too far offshore to swim

The site is about 6.1 km from Miller's Point slipway, 3.5 km from False Bay Yacht Club, or 3.3 km from Long Beach

Marine life
The reef cover is typical for this area and depth range. There are fairly large numbers of gorgonian sea fans, anemones, soft corals, arborescent htdroids, bryozoans, feather stars and sea cucumbers. Fish include Bank steenbras, Redfingers, Two-tone fingerfin, Hottentot, Chubby clingfish, Klipfish and various shy-sharks.

Features
The pinnacle is an area of complex topography, with several deep gullies and crevices, and a few overhangs and small swim-throughs

Photography
This is a good site for macro photography, and if the visibility is good, wide angle should produce good results.

Suggested Routes
The most spectacular area known is in the immediate vicinity of the pinnacle. Dive around it, from the sand to the NE and SW to the top of the pinnacle. If you choose to go further afield, try following the north east edge to the eastern pinnacle, and further.

There may be a fairly large area of unsurveyed reef to the northeast of the western pinnacles. There are no reports yet of what may be there

Hazards
No site specific hazards are known.

Skills
No special skills required, Most of the site is deeper than the recommended limit for most entry level divers. Certification appropriate to the depth is expected. The ability to deploy a DSMB is recommended.

Equipment
A DSMB is recommended so that the boat can see where you will be surfacing.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Roman Rock 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/Logies Bay

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

Position

 * S34°00.25' E018°20.53'

The location is the bay to the right of Llandudno beach. It is easy to see from the car park above the turnoff to Llandudno when coming from Camps Bay. The difference between this bay and the main Llandudno bay is remarkable: whereas the main bay is a beach with the sand extending into deep water, the Logies Bay is full of kelp and rough boulders with no sand in sight. Furthermore, whereas Llandudno has a popular surfing wave, the small rocky headland tends to protect this bay and it is rare to see much of a swell come in.

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 area.

Name
The name "Logies Bay" is found on maps of the area.

Depth
No data available. Probably about 10 m

Topography
The rock formations along the north shore are quite interesting in places as there are many small caverns and holes. This sort of formation extends below the water and this makes the diving interesting: the small holes are good places for marine life to settle and while not extensively covered the life on the rocks can be very beautiful. The rocky sections do not extend far beyond the shoreline and the bottom soon becomes sandy interspersed smaller boulders covered with kelp. The kelp is seldom dense enough to be a problem.

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

Conditions
The site is exposed to swells from the west, and is often good during or after south easterly winds. The site is reasonably protected from south westerly swell due to the little headland, but if the swell is large or long period it will get into the bay.

The site is usually at it's best in summer but there may also be occasional opportunities in spring and autumn.

This is an area which sometimes has upwellings, caused by south easterly winds, resulting in cold clear water which may be followed by a plankton bloom.

Facilities
Off-road parking.

Get in

The site is normally accessed from a shore entry.

Drive down the road to the beach parking lot. This is a summer site and there may be a severe shortage of parking on hot sunny days and particularly weekends. The little parking lot overlooks the beach, but you should notice a red dirt road leading to the right which is not accessible by car. Kit up as much as possible here and walk along this road until you reach the small bay. Getting to the water’s edge includes a short scramble down a steep slope and some boulder hopping. A small point of flattish smooth rocks extends slightly into the bay and this provides a useful entry site.

Marine life
An interesting phenomenon which can be observed here is the congregation of Box Jellyfish in columns. The jellyfish, which usually swim in an apparently random pattern, congregate and form a column a few metres wide at most, from the bottom to the surface over the bright sand. The jellyfish can be seen actively swimming towards these columns which are packed with the animals. These columns are more likely to be seen on the larger sandy areas.

Routes
No particular route recommended.

Hazards
Cold water.

Skills
No special skills required.

Equipment
No special equipment required.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Llandudno 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