Most of my Open Water training is conducted at Long Beach behind Simon’s Town station. Long Beach is an unassuming little beach with flat, calm waters in even the most unpleasant conditions. This, and the abundance of marine life and artifacts that can be seen beneath its waters, make it very suitable for Open Water students.
There are public restrooms and a parking area, both in reasonably good condition. There is usually a car guard of some description at the parking area. It’s a lovely place to spend a sunny day, and non-divers can play on the beach, snorkel or swim, and enjoy the view of False Bay, the navy harbour, and the mountains.
We also sometimes get picked up there by the boat, instead of driving all the way to Miller’s Point to launch.
Here’s how to get there… You’re driving roughly south (unless you’re coming from Cape Point) wherever your point of origin, away from central Cape Town.
Coming along the Main Road:
- This is easy. Keep on the Main Road through all the coastal suburbs – Muizenberg, St James, Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek.
- At the circle at the top of Fish Hoek Main Road, keep left and stay next to the sea. You are basically following the railway line along the coast.
- Carry on through Glencairn, past the wetland on your right and the beach on your left
- Pass Dixie’s Restaurant and the graveyard on your right, the Clan Stuart wreck sticking out of the sea on your left, and start keeping your eyes open…
- The next large building on the left will be Simon’s Town station. Look out for the large red Station Kiosk sign at the pedestrian crossing.
- Just after the station is a brown sign for Long Beach, pointing left.
- Turn left there and follow Drie Gebroeders road down into the Long Beach parking area.
Coming on the M3 highway:
- When you get to the end of the M3, turn right at the traffic light and contine through one more set of lights (Virgin Active on your right).
- Just before the next set of lights take the slipway to the left, up onto Ou Kaapse Weg. This turnoff is not well signposted!
- Now you basically stay on the same road until it ends abruptly in the ocean. Go over Ou Kaapse Weg into Sun Valley.
- Continue straight through two sets of traffic lights (stopping if they’re red), onto the Glencairn Expressway (Blackhill Road). This takes you over a small mountain into Glencairn.
- When you get to the sea, with a Spar on your left and a wetland on your right, turn right. Now you are on the Main Road.
- Directions continue as from Item 3 in the Main Road section above!
Here’s Long Beach on Google maps. That’s the parking area in the middle, the restrooms at the bottom in the middle, and Simon’s Town station near the top.
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