Scuba Diving in Cape Town, South Africa: An Underwater Adventure

Nov 07, 2025 0

Cape Town, South Africa, is a unique and popular scuba diving destination, offering a wide variety of options to explore. The coastal waters are influenced by both the Agulhas and the Benguela currents, providing diverse marine environments. I revisited Cape Town with an undying passion for underwater photography and a crazy obsession for sharks, placing it at the top of my dive destination list.

Cape Town offers breathtaking views and diverse marine life.

Planning Your Dive Trip to Cape Town

Before embarking on your diving adventure, here are some essential tips to ensure a smooth and safe experience.

Getting Around Cape Town

The easiest and safest way to get around Cape Town is by taxi. Uber is relatively cheap and convenient. Another option is renting a car. It is possible to get by train to Simonstown or move around by taxi or Uber, but renting a car is definitely the best way to move around in Cape Town. Rentacar Cape Town compares prices of all the most reputable car rental agencies. You can rent a car starting at about $20 per day for a medium car or as low as $15 per day for a small budget vehicle if you rent for a week!

Is Cape Town Safe?

Cape Town, like many cities around the world, has areas with varying levels of safety. Generally, Cape Town’s charming beauty is overshadowed by high crime rates.

Cape Town International Airport in the Western Cape is the second largest airport in South Africa and welcomes flights from around the world. Are you flying from Zurich? Our partner Edelweiss will fly you to Cape Town. 23kg dive luggage is included in the flight price. Fly with our Partner Condor from Frankfurt to Cape Town. With the Condor Activity Card your dive luggage flies for free. It is also possible to reach Western Cape by train, car or bus from other parts of the country. The N1, N2, N12 and N7 highways connect Western Cape with other provinces in South Africa.

Best Time to Dive in Cape Town

The best time to dive in Cape Town is generally during the austral summer months, which span from December to February. During this period, the weather is warmer, and sea temperatures are relatively more comfortable for diving. Scuba diving in the Western Cape province of South Africa is possible year-round. Expect cooler temperatures during the winter season (June-August). However, the southern coast is much calmer and more accessible during these cooler months. On the other hand, the Atlantic coast becomes inaccessible during the winter months. As a rule of thumb, the season in which you visit will determine where you dive.

Dive Operators

Diving in Cape Town is extremely weather-dependent and requires a bit of flexibility. Dive Cape Town with Oceans Africa for private dive charters on the Southern Peninsula. Oceans Africa is a dive tour and charter company. We are based in Cape Town where we we run scuba diving and freediving tours our boat Sea Otter. "Diving with Oceans Africa is always really special, one of the most knowledgeable skippers on the water and always finds the most adventurous places to dive or the most beautiful wildlife to see.

We contacted several dive operators in advance to book our spots. Then they'd text us about a day before once the weather conditions were ideal and had enough people to go out diving. One of the general dive centers I recommend is Into the Blue dive center. They are conveniently located at Sea Point, Cape Town. I chose them when I visited Cape Town the very first time, and I chose them again during our visit.

At Oceans Africa we believe you deserve the best possible dive experience we can deliver. We like to take our time on our trips to enjoy the bay to it’s fullest. We always try to stay flexible and adapt our charters to our clients interests, the conditions on the day and the sightings. Unlike many dive centres in Cape Town, we offer exclusivle private charters, to deliever a high degree of personal service. While our scuba diving Cape Town prices are not the cheapest they are still the best value and are priced to competitivley match many group dive experience rates.

Read also: Scuba Diving in Alexandria

As a dive charter operator, Oceans Africa works with numerous dive shops in Cape Town as well as independent dive instructors and divemasters, to offer you a wide range of diving services and dive training. Cape Town with it’s scenic beauty, vibrant cultures and history, is an ideal arrival or departure point for any tour to South Africa.

Dive Sites in Cape Town

Cape Town offers a diverse range of dive sites, each with its unique charm and marine life.

Western Cape’s diving can generally be divided into three major areas: False Bay, the south coast and the Atlantic seaboard. Here divers will find four distinct habitats, namely rocky shores, reefs, kelp forests and sandy bottoms. There are also a myriad of wrecks on both sides of the peninsula. You can expect colder waters and heavier currents on the western side which hosts a relatively small shelf before dropping into extremely deep waters.

Diving in False Bay and Simon’s Town

Our typical dive day consisted of two dives. One of the general dive centers I recommend is Into the Blue dive center. They are conveniently located at Sea Point, Cape Town. I chose them when I visited Cape Town the very first time, and I chose them again during our visit. We were picked up in front of the dive center and drove all the way to Simon’s Town. It's approximately a 45-minute scenic coastal drive from the city center.

The dive sites of False Bay side offer a softer option, with warmer water and a more forgiving climate. The influence of the Agulhas Current supports an abundance of fish and rich inverebrate life among the pretected reefs and sheltered coves, ideal for year-round diving. When boat access to the bay is limited due weather, it is oten possible to find a sheltered shore entry option at A-Frame or Windmill beach.

Simon's Town, located on the Cape Peninsula, is known for its proximity to False Bay and the diverse marine ecosystems it offers, including kelp forests, cape fur seals, and African penguins (Boulders Beach). Our first dive was a relaxed dive in one of the local kelp forests, and for our second dive, we went a bit further towards False Bay and visited a colony of cape fur seals.

Diving the Kelp Forest

Kelp forests border the Cape shorelines and provide a magical diving experience in themselves. These underwater forests host a huge variety of marine life and collectively form a vast habitat, now know as the Great African Sea Forest, extending almost 1000km north into Namibia. The kelp forest plays a vital role in providing shelter and nursery habitat for many species. Entering these magnificent underwater jungles enables a direct interaction with a mature and complex marine ecosystem.

Kelp forests are biodiversity hotspots, providing a complex and three-dimensional habitat for various marine species. Kelp forest dives are supposed to be relatively easy shallow dives; however, depending on the visibility and the surge (rhythmic, back-and-forth movement of water), they can be quite challenging to navigate. As kelp canopies are so dense, you’ll have to use your hands to slice your way through.

While seal diving isn’t ideal in a kelp forest, it is not uncommon to see them swimming through the kelp forest to either hide from predators or search for food. While kelp forests are not the primary habitat for great whites, these sharks may pass through or inhabit areas in proximity to kelp-rich coastal zones.

Kelp forests are biodiversity hotspots.

Cape Fur Seals Dive Seal Rock False Bay Simon

Diving with Cape Fur Seals

After exploring the magical kelp forest of Simon’s Town, we jumped back on our RIB and headed towards a big rock occupied by a colony of cape fur seals. Cape fur seals are found all around the Cape Peninsular and its very common to be ‘buzzed’ by them during your dives. Oceans Africa conduct guided seal snorkeling and dive charters all year round.

Out of all the marine life I have photographed so far, cape fur seals were the most challenging subjects. While they look lazy and grumpy on the surface, as soon as they hit the water, they become the most agile water animals. They’re basically hyperenergetic water doggos. Photographing them is a real challenge as they swim incredibly fast and don’t stop even for a mere moment. They tend to be skittish face to face, but as soon as you turn your head away, they start biting your tank. They are super cute and curious but cautious at the same time.

As with most marine wildlife, you don’t approach them; you let them approach you and see what happens! Although seals are one of the main attractions, cold water environments boost a whole new level of unique coral ecosystems. IMPORTANT UPDATE ON SEAL INTERACTIONS AND SAFETY: There has been an unfortunate development with the seals snorkeling and diving activity in Cape Town. It was discovered this May 2024 that there is rabies in the seal population.

Chasing Sharks in Cape Town

Cape Town and its surrounding waters, particularly along the coastline of South Africa, are known for hosting a diverse range of shark species. The region is recognized as a hotspot for shark diving. Blue and mako sharks are frequent visitors amongst great whites and bronze whaler sharks. Sevengill and pyjama sharks are often found near or inside kelp forests.

For shark diving enthusiasts there are many different species of shark to be found around Cape Town. Sevengill cow sharks, gully sharks and numerous species of smaller cat sharks can be encountered on the reef and in the kelp fringes. Divers prepared to adventure offshore can encounter pelagic shark species during the Summer months. There are of course also the cage diving Cape Town options in False Bay as well as in nearby Gansbaai.

I had been dreaming about photographing blue and mako sharks for a very long time. In order to do so, we went to Shark Explorers in Simon’s Town. Blue and mako sharks are true pelagic species; they primarily inhabit the open ocean, away from the coast and continental shelves. We had a long 4-hour journey on the open ocean before reaching the first chumming point. Conditions were very rough the previous few days prior to our trip. Although weather conditions have improved, riding the Atlantic Ocean on a small boat past the Cape of Good Hope is never pleasant. Make sure to pack warm clothing and towels and take seasick pills even if you’re not usually exposed to seasickness.

Shark Explorers provided drinks, sandwiches, and fruits, so we didn't have to worry about that. Long story short, we were chumming all day long, and we still ended up without a single shark sighting. After a long day out in the ocean, we returned disappointed and exhausted, even though we did not even jump in the water once. I guess it’s yet another lesson of how unpredictable nature is!

Nevertheless, we had one of the most amazing encounters with sevengill sharks the following day - and I eventually managed to photograph blue sharks under the most pristine conditions in the Azores a few months after this trip.

Off the Beaten Track - Diving with Sevengill Sharks

Usually, dive centers don’t reimburse money if there’s no shark activity, as it’s never guaranteed. However, one of our instructors was kind enough to add an extra dive for free the following day as we did not see any blue or mako sharks on our trip. Sevengill sharks were frequent visitors to False Bay. However, their number has drastically declined in recent years due to overfishing, habitat loss, and climate change.

While I did not have any expectations, in the end, luck was on our side, and a few individuals turned up in the harbor near Simon’s Town during our last week. Taking advantage of this opportunity, our skipper took us to the harbor, where we dropped silently into the water. Simon’s Town is a naval base, and as such, diving in the harbor is prohibited, so we had to be quiet and careful.

We swam under the docked boats to reach an abandoned, old, and rusty cargo ship waiting to be chopped up. The water was emerald green, and visibility was very poor. Ernest took a bag of chum out of his pocket, and he had just started creating a scent trail when a big, 10-foot-long Sevengill shark appeared and was shortly followed by two somewhat smaller individuals.

These ancient-looking sharks are characterized by a unique and primitive appearance, featuring a broad head, large eyes, and a single, spine-like dorsal fin located closer to the tail. Their distinctive seven gill slits allow them to efficiently extract oxygen from the water, providing adaptability to a range of environments, including shallow coastal waters and deep offshore regions. Sevengill sharks are known for their opportunistic feeding habits, preying on a variety of marine organisms, including fish, seals, rays, and even carrion.

That being said, these sharks don’t respect personal space at all. We had to constantly redirect them away from us as they seemed high on the fish scent in the water. Luckily, a small push on top of their heads did the trick. We spent about an hour with them before returning back to the harbor. Such an unexpected encounter!

Exposure Protection

The diving conditions in the Cape can be unpredictable, however there are generally two distinct seasons; Prevailing south-east winds during the summer months cause cold, very clear up-welling on the Atlantic seaboard, while westerly winds during winter, bring clear water into False Bay on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsular. Water temperature can vary considerably in the Cape, from as high as 20 degrees to below 10 degrees Celsius. Typically divers in False Bay enjoy warmer temperatures than on the Atlantic Seaboard, with an average water temperature of around 14 degrees, although thermoclines on deeper dive sites can be severe and occasionally drop several degrees. Adequate exposure protection is therefore essential to enjoy your diving in Cape waters.

As a minimum to dive Cape Town, we recommend a multi-layer system with 10mm on the chest, 5mm on legs and arms, 5mm hood, boots and gloves. Typically the cold water in Cape Town is cleaner. “If it’s clear you must fear!” is a common joke among local divers, although we are occasionally blessed with 20m visibility and 20 degrees Celsius in False Bay, the average visibility is probably around the 8-10m mark. Plankton blooms and red tides enrich our waters and feed our colourful reef systems, so the visibility is often variable.

Other Dive Sites Around Cape Town

Most of the dive sites around Cape Town are relativley shallow, ranging from 5 to 25 metres, making them accessible yet full of variety. Here is a quick overview of some other notable dive sites:

A-Frame: A popular shore dive in Simons Town with swim-throughs and colorful invertebrates.
Castle Rock: Located near Cape Point Nature Reserve, known for its amazing fish life and kelp forests.
Sterretjies Reef: Filled with sea fans and basket stars.
Wrecks of Smitswinkel Bay: Five wrecks scuttled in the 1970s, offering a unique wreck diving experience.
The Maori: A well-preserved wreck on the Atlantic side, lying at a depth from 13m to 21m.
Vulcan Rock: A large pinnacle covered in hard and soft cold coral, hosting a variety of marine life.

Map of popular dive sites around Cape Town.

Other Things to Do Around Cape Town

Cape Town truly is a diver's paradise, but there are a lot of other things to do while you're there as well. Here's a quick recap of some of the things that you can enjoy during your time there.

Whale Watching: The austral summer is also whale season in Cape Town.
Hiking Table Mountain National Park: Offering breathtaking views. Unlike us, make sure to pick a sunny, cloudless day and start the hike early in the morning. For a lazier alternative, take the Cable Car that goes all the way to the top.
Eating Your Way Around Cape Town: The city's food markets, the iconic Old Biscuit Mill, and the lively V&A Food Market are culinary hubs where global and local flavors converge.
Great White Shark Cage Diving: One of the most renowned locations for this experience is Gansbaai, near Cape Town.

Table: Dive Site Overview

Dive Site	Location	Highlights
Kelp Forests	Simon's Town	Diverse marine life, unique underwater environment
Seal Colony	False Bay	Playful Cape fur seals
A-Frame	Simons Town	Swim-throughs and colorful invertebrates.
Castle Rock	Cape Point Nature Reserve	Amazing fish life and kelp forests.
Sterretjies Reef	Offshore	Sea fans and basket stars
Wrecks of Smitswinkel Bay	Smitswinkel Bay	Five wrecks scuttled in the 1970s
The Maori	Atlantic side	A well-preserved wreck
Vulcan Rock	Hout Bay	Colorful coral and marine life

While diving around Cape Town, South Africa, can be challenging due to rough conditions and cold water, it presents a huge variety of ocean wildlife and unique cold water underwater ecosystems worth witnessing. The diving in the Western Cape and around Cape Town is some of the most exciting in the world. It certainly is one of the top 5 places to cage dive with great white sharks, but the underwater environment also offers much more than tremendous sharks.