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Scuba Diving Day Tours
Diving with Cow Sharks
 
Being 'eyeballed' by a three metre shark gliding silently past

your face is not the kind of experience you forget in a hurry.   However, depending on the time of year and with a little bit of luck, it is an experience that divers can commonly expect on our shark dives.

 

This isn't a staged event with divers in a cage, this is a genuine scuba dive done in relatively shallow water (12m maximum making it a dive open to even novice divers) in a location bordered by kelp forest, with a sea bed of both rocky gullies and smooth sand patches.  The sharks prevalent in this area are Seven Gill Cow sharks; up to 3M of slow swimming predator named for their seven gill slits and identifiable by the absence of the front dorsal fin (the classic 'shark' fin).

 

All sharks are prehistoric, but the Cow sharks are the last survivors of an otherwise extinct branch of very early sharks which makes them the grand-daddies of the more 'modern' sharks that can also be seen on these dives; In particular, the Spotted Gully shark, a smaller and more lively species which can be seen amongst the rocks. Whilst Cow sharks specialise in making slow passes within reach of divers, the Spotted Gully shark is more nervous and tends to swim off. It's possible that this is because whilst we think of the Gully sharks as modern relatives of the Cow shark, the Cow shark is more likely to think of them as lunch. The general rule is that by the time you have finished mouthing the word 'wow' and you think to point out the Gully shark to your buddy, the Gully has gone.

 

With the Cow Sharks, Gully sharks, and two types of shy shark also to be found amongst the kelp it's not uncommon to surface having seen no less than four species of shark in one dive.

 

Where:

The best spots to see the sharks are in False Bay either as a boat or a shore dive, we meet at our shop in Kommetjie prior to the dive.

 

When:

Boat launches are scheduled for Wednesdays, Saturday and Sunday's or any other day when we have a minimum of 5 paying clients. Shore dive we do 7 days a week obviously weather permitting.

 

What to bring:

Towel

Sun Block

Costume

Money
 
Cost:
 
Price on enquiry
 
Bookings
 
 
 
 
Snorkelling with the Seals
 
Swim with the seals and watch them dart around gracefully in the water below you. Interact with these curious animals and have an absolute unique experience.

 

No experience required!

 

After a thorough briefing on what to do you enter the water under supervision of an experienced PADI dive-master.
Then the action begins with many playful seals swimming and jumping around you.

 

Where:

We have 2 options either False Bay or the Atlantic Ocean, weather depending. When snorkelling at False Bay we meet at our shop in Kommetjie, when snorkelling in the Atlantic we meet usually in the Houtbay harbour

 
When:

Boat launch is required and they are scheduled for Wednesdays, Saturday and Sunday's or any other day when we have a minimum of 5 paying clients.

 
What to bring:

Towel

Sun Block

Costume

Money
 
Includes:

Fun boat ride Wetsuit

Weight belt

Fins

Mask

Snorkel
 
Cost:
 
R500 per person
 
Bookings
 
 
 
 
Shore Dives
 
We take groups of 1 to 6 people per guide; on shore dives we visit the many fascinating diving locations all around the Cape Peninsula. You can choose from dives like kelp diving, wreck diving or any of our colourful reefs.

 

At our dive centre in Kommetjie we sort out all the equipment and paperwork. The Dive master then loads the car and you drive out to the dive site. At the dive site you will be briefed on the dive and what to expect. Most shore dives in False Bay are accessed by a short walk down the beach. Most shore dives on the Atlantic side (Western Seaboard) involve descending down a path to the water. Always make sure you proceed slowly and carefully.

 

Where:

Meeting point for all shore dives is our Kommetjie dive shop but we offer transport from our shop in Longstreet and all hotels, B&B and backpackers in Cape Town (centre). The Kommetjie shop in very close to all popular dive sites both on the Atlantic and False Bay. We sort our equipment out here and the leave for the beach, stroll in to the ocean and discover the amazing aquatic life that Cape Town has to offer.

 
When:
Every day of the week we do shore dives. You just have to book at least 1 day in advance (longer in advance is ok). We meet at the Kommetjie shop at 09.00am or 08.00am at the Longstreet shop for people who require transport.
 
What to bring:

Towel

Sun Block

Costume

Dive card

Money
 
Cost:
 
Shore Dive
 
R160
1 Shore Dive plus full equipment
R490
1 Shore dive Cylinder plus weights
R260
2 Shore Dives plus full equipment
R650
2 Shore Dives cylinder plus weights
R480
3 Shore Dives plus full equipment
R830
3 Shore Dives cylinder plus weights
R700
 
* Please note: All prices include your dive permit and is valid for 30 days.
 
Bookings
 
 
 
 
Boat Dives
 
We have 2 Oceans on our door step so this means that there is basically every day diving going on, if one side is less suitable then there is always the other side to dive. This does mean that we can only confirm where we dive the evening before.

 

So with any booking it's very important to have a confirmation contact number available.

 

In general we dive the Atlantic Ocean between November and February, the rest of the year we dive False Bay.

 

All our dive charters are accompanied by a PADI instructor or a PADI dive-master, who is familiar with the locations and conditions that you will encountered. They are there to ensure maximum fun and safety on dives. Don't be scared to ask for their help, that's what they are there for!

 

We can accommodate 12 divers accompanied by 2 dive masters on board; our 7.3M semi-rigid inflatable per dive. We visit many fascinating diving locations all around the Cape Peninsula. You can choose from dives like kelp diving, wreck diving, seal diving or any of our colourful reefs.

 
Where:

Meeting point for all boat dives is our Kommetjie dive shop but we offer transport from our shop in Long Street and all hotels, B&B and backpackers in Cape Town (centre).

 

The Kommetjie shop in very close to all popular dive sites both on the Atlantic and False Bay. We sort our equipment out here and the leave for the launch site where we launch or 7.3m rubber duck from which we explore the amazing aquatic life that Cape Town has to offer.

 

When:

Every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday we schedule boat dives or any other day when we have a minimum of 5 paying clients. You have to book at least 1 day in advance (longer in advance is ok).

 

We meet at the Kommetjie shop at 09.00am

 
OR

 

at the Long Street shop 08.00am for people who require transport.

 

What to bring:

Towel

Sun Block

Costume

Dive Card

Money
 
Cost:
 
1 Boat Dive
 
R220
1 Boat Dive plus full equipment
R550
1 Boat dive Cylinder plus weights
R320
2 Boat Dives plus full equipment
R770
2 Boat Dives cylinder plus weights
R600
3 Boat Dives plus full equipment
R990
3 Boat Dives cylinder plus weights
R880
 
* Please note: All prices exclude your dive permit
 
Bookings
 
 
 
 
Aquarium Dives
 
Shark Dive
Experience an adrenalin rush with the ragged-tooth sharks as they glide past. This close encounter will leave you with greater appreciation for these sleek, bronze predators. The two million-litre I&J Predator Exhibit is also home to an impressive collection of other large predatory fish from our coast.

 

Or

 

Kelp Dive
Feed hundreds of fish in one of the world's best kelp forest displays. You will be overwhelmed as the expectant fish swarm around you. This is as close as it gets! Containing 800,000 litres of water, this exhibit is typical of the Cape's west coast.

 

For the kelp dive an advanced scuba qualification is required Open Water One or Discover Scuba qualification is required for the predator tank. An absolute must for every diver who visits Cape Town and absolutely not weather depending.

 

Where:

Diving at the Two Oceans Aquarium in the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town.

 

Dive with ragged-tooth sharks (sand tigers), shoals of large predators, rays and a turtle in the I&J Predator Exhibit. Or feed the multitude of fishes in the Kelp Forest Exhibit, one of the best displays of its kind in the world.

 

When:

1 May to 31 August - 11.00am and 13.00pm daily

1 September to 30 April - 09.00am, 11.00am and 13.00pm daily

Dives last approximately 30min

 

What to bring:

Towel

Costume

Dive Card

Money
 
Cost:
 
Shark dive with own gear
 
R350
*Kelp dive with own gear
R350
*Kelp dive with rental gear
R450
Shark dive with rental gear
R450
 
* Cylinders and weights are included
 
Bookings
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