Wet and Wild in Cape Town

Scuba-diving and snorkelling with sharks,ship wrecks and seals at Scuba Shack

Elizabeth has done 14 dives before - ten in Great Barrier Reef and four in the Carribean. This will be her first South African diving experience, she says while putting on her wet suit. Fully covered top-down that is, prepared for the cold waters she was warned for. Elizabeth experienced a rather warm diving experience, since instructor Kieran took her to False Bay. Entering the Atlantic side of the Peninsula can be somewhat more chilly - that part of the ocean rarely exceeds 15 degrees Celsius.

People tend to think that diving in and around Cape Town isn't worthwile. Cold water, bad sight and no coral - read often heard critiques.  "Nonsense," says Gertjan van Vliet, owner of dive centre Scuba Shack. "It surely isn't the easiest place to dive, but Cape Town is one of the ultimate spots in the world to learn to master the skills of scubadiving. If you can dive in South African waters, you can dive anywhere," states Dutchman Gertjan, himself a fanatic scubadiver. "I have done over 1500 dives in and around Cape Town - every time was a delight," he laughs. Walking onto the beach after her first Capetonian dive - still dripping - Elizabeth agrees with him.

South African waters have their own treats that other oceans and waters in the world lack. The kelp forest  offers a wide variety of fish and plants living underseas. Additionaly, the very popular shipwreck-diving can't be done in many places, just like the unlikeliness of a diver to encounter seals and (shy) sharks in the Red Sea or near Sint Bart.

In his ten years of Scuba Shack, Gertjan has handed out over 2500 open-water padi's to pupils from all over the world. They all took the four-day course in Kommetjie, where Scuba Shack is based.

An all-in open-water course entails two days of theory lessons and practice in the pool, followed by two days in which you'll do four dives in the ocean. All equipment rental is included, all dives - boat and shore - are done on the Atlantic side (in Hout Bay), as well as on the semi-Indian side of the ocean, on Windmill Beach near Simon's Town. Total price: R2900. All open-water padi's are done on the warm side of life - False Bay.

I'm not a wuss - Snorkelling is just as fun
For those who don't have a padi nor intend to get one - Scubashack also organises biweekly boatfares for which one doesn't need oxygen tanks. Setting off to one of the many seals islands where lots of seals lay comfortably in the water, waiting for people to 'come out to play'.  For R500 per person, this can be called an experience you are not likely to forget anytime soon.

We dive deep into Cape Town. above and below sea level. Want to join us? Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter and follow us on Twitter.