Hi divers
This time of year we all seem to be waiting for the weather to switch to “winter” so we can all enjoy improved visibility and more predictable conditions. Last Sunday’s boat dives were cancelled late Saturday afternoon as Grant had been out in the bay on a charter and had looked at the sites we planned to dive, too dirty was the decision. Believe me, you don’t want to waste a boat dive on rubbish visibility!
During the week we have had mild wind with some swell so there has not been too much cleaning up of the water. The bay has consistently been 19-20 degrees on the surface with around 5 metres visibility at most of the dive sites. We have booked for boat dives on Sunday but Grant will again only make the call late Saturday.
Long Beach is seldom if ever “that bad” so we did manage to complete the planned dives on Saturday with a few unplanned there dives on Sunday. I am planning to continue Open Water training on Saturday at Long Beach and Advanced dives from the boat on Sunday. However should the boat again not launch I want to have a better Sunday plan than I had last weekend. For those of you doing an Advanced course we will dive at Long Beach on Sunday and do navigation if the boat plan falls through. There are twelve little doublesash butterflyfish gathered in one spot as well as 40 -50 steentjies guarding nests, not to mention many large short tail sting rays at Long Beach right now so there is a lot to see. There is a swell arriving on Sunday so I don’t feel the Clan Stuart or A Frame will be very good. Windmill on a weekend is very cramped as the parking is so limited.
Mozambique
Clare and I have booked our flights for this trip. Mail me for the details if you are joining us. We have found a shuttle bus that seats minimum 8 that will do the return trip from Durban to Mozambique border for R800 per person which is much cheaper than renting cars, so we may use this option. We are all taking gear (excluding tanks and weights) so if you are coming along and need gear from me let me know as soon as possible as I only have 12 sets.
Training
Rescue course starting in the next few weeks. Tami, Maurice, Goot, Cecil and Gerard are mandatory candidates so if you want to join them text me.
Excitement
The pelagic trips are still happening and the white shark cage diving season in False Bay is in full swing. These trips are almost always full on weekends and often need to be booked weeks or even months in advance. The best way to do either of these trips is to do a weekday trip as the boats are not always full and therefore you get more time in the water. I have a short list of people that can take a day off at short notice, text me to get on this list. We will do the cage diving trip in winter when the visibility is a bit better. This and the pelagic trip is two dives you just must do in your life!!
Getting a day off work is easy… Just google “how to fake an illness for your boss” (not from your work computer). I am sure you will find something useful.
Shark nets
The city is in the process of investigating a barrier net for a section of the beach in Fish Hoek. Many many people are against this and if you visit Shark Spotters facebook page you can comment and voice your approval or disapproval. The nets are not the same as the nets deployed in KZN and should not be harmful if deployed as they propose or if the net is in fact the type they describe. Read all the for and against arguments before you decide where you are on this issue. Personally I do believe there is a strong possibility this could work, if researched correctly, however the City of Cape Town have in my opinion not been all that open about information on the area in the past so I am still skeptical – what do you think? You can also comment on our facebook page.
Next weekend
Joy of joys, next Sunday is the Argus Cycle Tour. This means that any diving on the Cape Peninsula is out of the question unfortunately, no matter how amazing conditions are. If we do dive on Sunday, we’ll head out to Gordon’s Bay and ask Elmi to take us shore diving!
regards
Tony Lindeque
076 817 1099
www.learntodivetoday.co.za
www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog/
Diving is addictive!
P.S. The photos in this newsletter are from the night dive we did last week. Clare was away on the weekend so I have no documentary proof of the dives we did!
