Your ultimate guide to snorkelling and scuba diving in Cape Town

Time Out

2 days ago

Thinking of diving Cape Town's icy waters, but don't know where to start? We chatted to local and wildlife filmmaker Jeandre Gerding, a lover of nature - so much so that his entire career revolves around it. As a cinematographer and filmmaker, Jeandre has filmed various wildlife and impact projects for the likes of National Geographic, BBC, Apple TV and Disney+, as well as local shows. A merman in spirit, he's an avid diver and advocate for Cape Town's marine world.
'There are casual scuba divers who live in Cape Town and have never dived its shores,' laments Jeandre, noting that the cold water tends to scare people off, missing out on some of the best dive spots in the world.
Cape Town has a 'ridiculous amount of biodiversity'- new species are discovered almost every year.
We also have one of the most pristine kelp forests in the world, vitally important not just for protecting our coastline from waves but also providing food and shelter to thousands of animals.
For diving, what makes our shores even more special, according to Jeandre, is that you don't need a boat for some of the best diving spots - easily accessible from the shore. However, you will still need boats for some spots that are hard to hike to with heavy scuba gear, or wrecks and pinnacles that are a little further out to sea.
Much of the city's shoreline forms part of a Marine Protected Area (MPA), which contributes to the pristine biodiversity of the region.
Time Out Tip: As of May 2024, scuba divers no longer need a permit to dive in an MPA, but many popular diving spots are still no-take, which means no spear guns or shell collecting. All that you can take with you are memories and photos.
How to make your Cape Town dive memorable
There are two main diving areas that generally differ in water temperatures but offer quite different sights to see underwater.
The Atlantic Seaboard covers a massive stretch of coastline from the V&A Waterfront to Hout Bay, offering chillier waters but amazing underwater life. False Bay, on the other hand, has slightly warmer climes with massive kelp forests (and a penguin or two), stretching from Cape Point through Simon's Town, Muizenberg, all the way to the other side at Gordon's Bay and the Overberg section.
When to dive in Cape Town
In summer, the Atlantic Seaboard tends to offers better visibility, while False Bay is usually better in winter.
Since My Octopus Teacher became a massive hit, free diving in Cape Town has become super popular, but it's not as easy as just grabbing some flippers and a snorkel.
You should do a free diving course where you can learn to harness your breath and put safety first.
Jeandre recommends checking out Cape Town Freediving with two and three-day courses for different levels. He also adds it's important for newbies to go with guides or experienced locals who know their way around, and there's always safety in numbers.
'It's good to be safe - don't push your comfort zone,' advises Jeandre.
What about gear for scuba diving?
For scuba divers, there are various places where you can rent gear and an official guide with an easy Google search. However, if you're quite experienced and come with your own gear, Jeandre recommends still reaching out to a local and that there are various diving groups on the socials who love to make new friends.
One of them is the Trail Freedivers community, which is always hosting get-togethers for dives and will be able to point you in the right direction. For local Capetonians, you can also join the False Bay Underwater Club for scuba dive get-togethers, free air refills and other perks like discounts on courses.
What weather conditions are best for diving in Cape Town?
Visibility underwater is a precarious thing and dependent on many factors. What makes it harder to determine in Cape Town is that the city has many microclimates, and the same applies to its waters, according to Jeandre. While currents obviously play a major role, wind and swell also have a big impact - our expert says that offshore wind is the best for diving.
What marine life will you see?
But even if the visibility sucks, Jeandre says you can still have an 'adult Easter egg hunt' for nudibranchs - vibrant molluscs or 'sea slugs' that come in a variety of colours and patterns.
While seals have been a popular sight for snorkellers and divers in Cape Town (not just at the harbour), it's important to keep your distance from them as there has been a recent outbreak of rabies among Cape Town's seal populations.
They look cute and cuddly, but one bite can quickly end your adventuring in the ocean.
Sharks, on the other hand, have always been the ones to look out for, but the city's once-famous Great Whites have long since left its shores, and the shy sharks, bronzies and other smaller species left behind are much more docile. In any case, Jeandre adds that generally sharks tend to leave divers alone.
Most importantly, Jeandre urges anyone interested in diving to just do it!
'Face your fear and be curious.' He adds that there are a lot of health benefits, both physically and mentally, and one of the best things is that it's free to explore our marine world - you just need a snorkel and a mask.