Category: Boat diving

Newsletter: Slightly swelly

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

Sunday and Monday: Boat dives (location to be decided)

Last weekend we did some boating in Table Bay as a support boat for the Robben Island to Big Bay Freedom Swim. The remnants of the swell on Thursday and Friday was enough to give the swimmers a sizeable challenge with strong currents, choppy surface conditions and very cold patches of water.

Colin swimming across Table Bay
Colin swimming across Table Bay

The swell climbed from under 2 metres to a little over 5 metres this morning.  This means diving tomorrow is pretty much out, as is diving on Saturday (thanks also to the Two Oceans Marathon). The swell drops off during the day on Saturday so both Sunday and Monday should deliver some reasonable diving conditions.

It is difficult to say whether Hout Bay or False Bay would be better on Sunday and Monday, but I will make that decision late on Saturday afternoon. I have Open Water and Advanced Open Water students so one day is likely to include a deep dive to more than 18 metres.

If you are keen to dive on Sunday or Monday, let me know and I’ll schedule you in!

regards

Tony Lindeque
076 817 1099
www.learntodivetoday.co.za
www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog/

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Newsletter: Diving Days

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

Saturday & Sunday: early launches in False Bay, conditions permitting

Storm clouds at Muizenberg
Storm clouds at Muizenberg

Visibility in both the Atlantic and False Bay is very patchy today. We dived in False Bay yesterday and had a very dirty top layer, with cleaner and colder water below 10 metres. There is north westerly wind tomorrow and a little rain. There is a 50/50 chance we have cleaner conditions for the weekend.

I would like to launch both days in False Bay if the conditions permit. Let me know if you’re keen to be on board.

regards

Tony Lindeque
076 817 1099
www.learntodivetoday.co.za
www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog/

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Newsletter: Copy Cat

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

Sunday: Boat dives (max depth 18 metres) from Hout Bay

The weekend forecast is pretty much a copy of last weekend, and the one before. Saturday has strong south easterly wind and some swell, and Sunday is almost windless with a swell of less than 2 metres. This all points to Hout Bay as being the best option.

So Hout Bay it is, meeting on Sunday at 8.30 on the slipway. Both dives will be to a maximum depth of 18 metres, so suitable for Open Water divers. Let me know if you want to come diving.

Fudge and Blue
Fudge and Blue

Earth Hour

Don’t forget Earth Hour on Saturday, from 8.30-9.30 pm in whatever your local timezone is… Have a candlelight dinner and contemplate how you can be a better steward of the earth’s resources. This year’s focus is climate change. Want to learn more about it? We recommend this book by a team of South African scientists.

regards

Tony Lindeque
076 817 1099
www.learntodivetoday.co.za
www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog/

Diving is addictive!

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Newsletter: Cool opportunity

Hi divers

Long weekend dive plans

Tuesday: Early boat dives from Hout Bay

Last weekend we had boat dives out of Hout Bay, to two of the lesser dived sites (the Sentinel and Die Josie). Maori Bay was very green but we found lovely visibility right up against the mountains.

Happy divers at Die Josie
Happy divers at Die Josie

The water in False Bay is very clean and cold right now. Sadly, the wind for Saturday is at the limit of what I think will be pleasant. Sunday’s wind will be way too strong. Furthermore, the Navy Festival this weekend spells traffic chaos as well as parking issues for boat trailers and tow cars.

These reasons induce me to skip diving over the weekend and plan boat dives for Tuesday, which is a public holiday. The Atlantic will again be cool, flat and clean so we will launch from Hout Bay, nice and early. Text or Whatsapp me if you want to be updated on meeting times and dive sites.

regards

Tony Lindeque
076 817 1099
www.learntodivetoday.co.za
www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog/

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Newsletter: Mountain side

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

Saturday: Boat dives from Hout Bay or False Bay

Last weekend’s dives were pretty good; the visibility was better further south on Sunday. On Saturday we met an octopus at Long Beach, who tried very hard to persuade us he was a piece of kelp.

Octopus imitating kelp
Octopus imitating kelp

This week has had a fair whack of wind on and off, and False Bay currently looks pretty grumpy with very little sign of visibility. Hout Bay also looked a little off this morning, but the wind should have improved that.

I will stick my neck out and say we will launch on Saturday, and it needs to be really early as the wind picks up around midday.

Where we will need to wait for a visual check late tomorrow to decide which side of the mountain we will dive. I don’t think the conditions will be great for training dives and we may end up in the cold Atlantic. Either way we meet at 7.30 am at either Hout Bay slipway or False Bay Yacht Club parking in Simons Town. Text me if you want to join in.

regards

Tony Lindeque
076 817 1099
www.learntodivetoday.co.za
www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog/

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Newsletter: It is a weekend

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

Saturday: Shore diving at Long Beach, meeting at 10.00 am

Sunday: Boat dives from False Bay Yacht Club at 9.00 am, to Roman Rock and the wreck of SAS Pietermaritzburg

It is certainly going to be the best weekend in a while, as far as diving goes. There has not been too much of that recently! There are light winds and a 3 metre swell, but it is a westerly swell so I don’t think it will affect False Bay too much.

We are shore diving at Long Beach on Saturday, and boat diving from False Bay Yacht Club on Sunday, to Roman Rock and the wreck of SAS Pietermaritzburg. If you’re keen to dive, let me know.

Huddle around the buoy
Huddle around the buoy

Dates to diarise

Next Sunday, 12 March, is the Cape Town Cycle Tour, so don’t make any plans to move around the city unless it’s by bicycle…

The following week(end), 17-19 March, is the SA Navy Festival in Simons Town, so we will try to schedule dives out of Hout Bay that weekend.

Don’t forget…

… to download the Shark Spotters app for updates on shark and other marine wildlife sightings, beach conditions, and more. You can find the app in the Apple app store, and the Google Play store.

regards

Tony Lindeque
076 817 1099
www.learntodivetoday.co.za
www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog/

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Newsletter: For the fans

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

Saturday: Launching from Simons Town yacht club at 8.30 am, to be confirmed on Friday afternoon

Atlantis sea fans
Atlantis sea fans

The wind has been punishing, but there’s very little blowing tomorrow, which means the visibility could go either way. We will plan launches for Saturday morning, from the yacht club in Simons Town.

I’ll look at the conditions tomorrow afternoon. If you’ve let me know you’re keen to dive, I’ll let YOU know whether we can. So if you want to get wet on Saturday, please be in touch.

regards

Tony Lindeque
076 817 1099
www.learntodivetoday.co.za
www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog/

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Newsletter: Anyone’s guess

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

Sunday: Launching from Simon’s Town jetty at 9.00 am for Atlantis and 11.30 am for SAS Pietermaritzburg

It is anyone’s guess where the water will be cleaner this weekend, False Bay or Hout Bay. There is a lot of red tide in False Bay and many patches of dirty water visible from the top of Chapmans Peak.

Chapmans Peak from the boat
Chapmans Peak from the boat

I think Sunday will be the better day for diving, and most likely False Bay will be the better place to be. I will launch from the Simon’s Town jetty at 9.00 am for Atlantis and 11.30 am for the wreck of SAS Pietermaritzburg. If the Atlantic pans out instead, we will dive the wrecks of the Maori and the BOS 400 from Hout Bay. Let me know if you’re keen.

regards

Tony Lindeque
076 817 1099
www.learntodivetoday.co.za
www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog/

Diving is addictive!

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Newsletter: Cool summer

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

Friday: Shore dives at Long Beach

Sunday: Boat dives from slipway in Hout Bay, meeting at 7.00 am

The weekend forecast looks mostly like it is going to be a cool – or rather cold – water dive weekend. There is a fair amount of swell on Saturday, too much for my liking. Sunday has less swell and a little less wind. Hout Bay will most likely be the best option as the wind is fairly strong south easterly which is not all that pleasant in False Bay.

View towards Simons Town from Glencairn
View towards Simons Town from Glencairn

It will again be an early start as I have both Open Water and Advanced students, so we will likely meet at 7.00 am at the slipway in Hout Bay. Text me if you are diving.

regards

Tony Lindeque
076 817 1099
www.learntodivetoday.co.za
www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog/

Diving is addictive!

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Newsletter: After the fire

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

Sunday: Boat dives from Simon’s Town jetty, meeting at 7.30 am

The on and off westerly and south easterly winds made life difficult for the fire fighters fighting a blaze in Simon’s Town yesterday. When you see the extent of the burn you realise they have tough decisions to make and are constantly risking their lives. This makes it hard for me to complain about not knowing where to dive… It seems irrelevant in light of what they do as a day job!

View of Simon's Town from Red Hill after yesterday's fire
View of Simon’s Town from Red Hill after yesterday’s fire

We will launch for boat dives on Sunday, most likely in False Bay from Simon’s Town jetty. We will start early, meeting at 7.30 am. Let me know if you want to dive.

regards

Tony Lindeque
076 817 1099
www.learntodivetoday.co.za
www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog/

Diving is addictive!

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