Drink off the cup of life in Cape Town
Cape Town, glorious Cape Town!The Mother City of South Africa is a tremendous hub of activities, alive with a rich culture and many exhilarating and exciting adventures around each corner. It is a veritable challenge to be idly bored in Cape Town - there is so much to choose from! Whether it be a wild shopping spree in the malls or out looking for that unique and creative item in one of the markets, there is something for everyone. And if it's daring activities at the southern point of the African continent that you are after, you shall not be disappointed.
With South Africa having such a tremendously long shoreline, water-based activities are high on the list of sports available. Diving is a firm favourite as the coastal waters along these fair shores range from a chilly 8°C to an easy 25°C.
The waters of the Cape are a frosty 8 to 12°C and so a thicker wet suit and hood is recommended as well as gloves and booties or sockies to keep your extremities warm.
It is necessary to have a well-recognised diving qualification in order to participate on dives in South Africa. Diving is great adventure activity that is simple to perform and easy to learn. Once you have mastered the basics, it is relatively straightforward; by applying your knowledge you quickly gain in skill.
There are many diving charters here in South Africa and they are able to rent you all the equipment you may require: suits, tanks, masks, tanks etc. Should technical diving rock your boat, courses are available in Cape Town and mixed gas courses are offered in Hermanus which is a couple of hours up the coast from the Mother City.
As the saying goes, 'While in Rome, do as the Romans do.'
The local divers in the Cape Town area can be found along Victoria drive, or rather, their vehicles can be located along Victoria drive as they explore the favourite haunts of Justin's Caves and Het Huis te Kraaiestein. The Cape waters in summer are famously clear, providing excellent visibility. This is due to the southeaster blowing all the surface water out to sea and the nippy cold Antarctic waters flowing in to replace it.
If you are fit enough and courageous enough, you may like to try your hand at diving Geldkis. It involves an icy swim of about 400m to your dive site and a return swim through the chilly swells. It is apparently an excellent site to visit as not many folk brave the waters or the exertion.
Popular venues the dive charters often take visitors to see is the exotically named Vulcan Rock and the Maori wreck. In order to explore Vulcan Rock it is necessary to be quite an experienced diver with quite a few dives under your weight belt.
For those keen on a great diving experience with a bit of a twist, you can visit the Two Oceans Aquarium. They offer dives in their predator tank or in amongst the beautiful tendrils of the kelp forest tank.
Enjoy the buzz of the ocean off the coast of Southern Africa, gasp at the chill and splendour the underwater world offers. Diving is an awesome experience that fuels your spirit for life!
Lekker Local Tips
* Diving at the Two Oceans Aquarium provides additional entertainment for those of your party who are not diving-mad. They also have a touch tank section where certain sea creatures can be gently handled under supervision - great fun for kids and adults.
* Underwater photography courses are also available for those keen on preserving their memories on film.
