It is not really the time of year where the though of diving from Hout Bay would come up! Particularly as Chapmans Peak is closed at the moment, after rockfalls. This week there has been mostly south easterly wind so parts of the Atlantic are actually as clean/green as False Bay. The temperature recorded at the CSIR buoy off Kommetjie has dropped from 16 degrees to 11 degrees in the last 48 hours.
Toss in a little rain, some weird wind and a little swell and suddenly the question of where to go takes on a life of its own. I think the best bet will be to dive on Saturday, really early, in False Bay somewhere. I will take a look tomorrow late afternoon just in case somewhere else shows promise, and confirm details by 6.00 pm. Let me know if you’re available.
False Bay is clean at the moment. This is the time of year for really good visibility, and even though it’s cold, it’s often really worth it.
Saturday has swell, wind and a little rain. Sunday has less swell, less wind but a greater chance of there being a touch of rain. I think Sunday will be our choice for diving, and we will start a little later than usual to take advantage of the improving weather mid-morning.
We will meet in the parking lot of False Bay Yacht Club at 10.00, for the first launch will at 10.30 to Photographers Reef and the second at 12.30 to Roman Rock northern pinnacle. Let me know if you’re on board.
Sunday: Boat dives (max 18 metres) at 9.00 am and 11.30 am from Simons Town jetty
Simon’s Town boating on a windless day
It is the time of year where False Bay is mostly good, clean and a little bit cooler. Providing the usual winter swells don’t hammer us, the conditions are good. Sunday looks to be the better day for us, so we plan to launch at 9.00 and 11.30 am from False Bay Yacht Club. Both sites will be a maximum depth of 18 metres as I have students to qualify.
The swell peaks at 8 metres with 18 second period tonight. It starts to drop off during the following few days, however I doubt the conditions will have settled enough on Saturday for training dives. Sunday has some south easter so we will have a dry weekend.
SA Agulhas II berthed in Cape Town
SA Agulhas II open day
Visit the East Pier Quay at the V&A Waterfront on Saturday (24 June) to get a rare opportunity to go aboard South Africa’s state of the art polar research vessel, SA Agulhas II. A little bit more info from the Department of Environmental Affairs is available here (pdf). We visited the ship a few years ago – read more about that visit here.
It is a long weekend, however not one suited to three solid days of diving. As we speak, the swell has just reached 7 metres on the the CSIR buoy off Cape Point. The swell climbs and drops during the weekend, as does the wind.
All things considered, I think Sunday will be the only decent option. The water should be clean and the swell has more of a westerly tendency than it has today.
We were out last last Friday just after the storm swell and the surge was heavy. It was also by far the most trying conditions I have ever had to launch and retrieve the boat in. There were huge kelp islands and much foam all over False Bay. This week was a lot better and yesterday the visibility was 6 metres plus, and the surge manageable. It is that time of year where we have storms and swell and they often disappear as fast as they arrive.
Taking a wait and see approach – let me know if you want to be contacted for dives…
Rainbow at Glencairn
A 12 metre swell with an 18 second period arrived yesterday and hammered the Atlantic shoreline. The swell was very westerly, as were the howling winds, so False Bay experienced nothing even close to that intensity.
Despite the protection afforded by Cape Point, False Bay saw some of the swell today and surfing was popular at the Clan Stuart, Glencairn, Fish Hoek and Kalk Bay reefs.
By tomorrow the swell has dropped down, the wind has died and False Bay will start to settle. This changes for the weekend. Saturday sees the arrival of a weaker and smaller front which comes with 50 km/h winds and some rain. The odds of decent diving are slim, as the wind is from the north, not a direction False Bay likes much.
Things can change, so to be safe will play it by ear and decide on the day whether we launch or not. Let me know if you want to be notified of any dives.
Celebrate World Ocean Day
What better way of adding to your World Ocean Day celebrations than by enrolling in a free online course on ocean science and solutions? Here’s the course blurb:
The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) One Planet – One Ocean: From Science to Solutions is a ten-week course presenting the challenges and opportunities facing oceans today. Led by the teams at GEOMAR, the International Ocean Institute, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, and Future Ocean, the course brings in some of the world’s leading experts on ocean science to present the issues and potential solutions grounded in rigorous scientific research.
False Bay has been reasonably dive-worthy for the last two weeks, however, the weekend does not look all that great. Near gale force winds on Saturday coupled with a 3-4 metre swell that rolls in on Saturday evening will reduce the comfort levels of the bay. There is no wind on Sunday but I doubt the swell will make for pleasant diving for many. The water should be really clean after Saturdays wind… Not much consolation! We’ll be staying dry this weekend (and hoping for rain).
Saturday: Boat dives at 9.00 and 11.30 from Simons Town jetty (maximum depth 18 metres)
This week we launched on Monday, Tuesday and again today. Monday and Tuesday were pleasant as there was no swell or wind to worry about, however the visibility was pretty lousy. Mostly pea soup around Roman Rock and a little further south and 4-5 metres in Smitswinkel Bay.
One day of westerly wind, not even that strong, and False Bay transformed. On the wreck of the Princess Elizabeth this morning the visibility was 20 metres plus. It is quite astonishing how quickly things change.
I think the viz will remain for the weekend and Saturday is probably going to be the best day. There’s less wind on Sunday but a lot more swell and therefore surge to deal with. I have students to qualify so both dives will be to a maximum depth of 18 metres. Most likely to Alpha Reef and the northern part of Roman Rock.
Gathering around the shot line in Smitswinkel Bay
Shark Spotters fundraiser
Get the details of the next Shark Spotters fundraiser, happening on Wednesday 31 May, here. Book directly with the Two Oceans Aquarium. Greg Bertish, author of The Little Optimist, will talk about his adventures, and about the early days of the Shark Spotters program. We have donated an auction item/lucky draw prize!
It is the time of year where we have more decent days for diving in a week than we experience during the windy summer months. This weekend looks pretty good for both days in False Bay. Not much wind or swell, and while it is doubtful this visibility will be in the double digits, it should be decent.
I will launch from Simons Town jetty at 9.00 and 11.30 am on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday will be for qualified divers, and you get to choose where we go. Sunday will be mostly students’ qualifying dives so max 18 metres, suitable for Open Water divers.
Musselcracker at the Two Oceans Aquarium
Shark Spotters fundraiser
Check out the details of an upcoming Shark Spotters fundraiser here. It promises to be an inspirational and enjoyable evening.
It feels very much as though winter has arrived (minus the rain), mostly in the early mornings. When daytime temperatures rise into the twenties, it’s not totally unpleasant! Sunday is one of those days, and we will launch from Simons Town jetty at 9.30 and 12.30. Both sites will be a maximum depth of 18 metres as I have a bunch of Open Water students to qualify.
