Category: Visibility

Newsletter: Weathered

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

Saturday: Student and Refresher dives at Long Beach from 9.00 am

I am having a tough time trying to understand the current weather. Despite days of westerly and north westerly wind the visibility has been very very slow to respond. At Long Beach the visibility today was only 3 metres. It should have have been better.

There is more wind, coming from the right direction, forecast for tomorrow so I am hoping for better viz by Saturday. I have student and Refresher dives to do so I will be at Long Beach from 9.00 am.

Yacht at Long Beach
Yacht at Long Beach

Clipper Yacht Race news

The Clipper Yacht Race vessels are arriving in Cape Town at the moment, and you can visit them at the V&A Waterfront. There are several excellent events planned while the yachts are here.

There’s also a talk about this round the world race at Hout Bay Yacht Club next Wednesday, 25 October, at 7.30 pm. Details here (on facebook).

regards

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

Diving is addictive!

To subscribe to receive this newsletter by email, use the form on this page!

Newsletter: Keeping current

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

No diving

We dived Long Beach today in surge, strong current and lousy visibility. It is full moon and we have had some swell but I was hoping it would be ok – it wasn’t.

Weekend conditions do not look ideal for recreational (fun!) diving. Better luck next week I hope.

Rock lobster munching a sea jelly
Rock lobster munching a sea jelly

Date to diarise

There’s a talk on South Africa’s inshore marine resources, with special reference to West Coast rock lobster stocks, happening on Wednesday 18 October under the auspices of Kommetjie Environmental Awareness Group. It starts at 7.30pm at Kommetjie Christian Church. There’s a blurb with more info here. It should be an extremely interesting event, and I’d particularly encourage you to attend if you are a keen crayfisher in season…

regards

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

Diving is addictive!

To subscribe to receive this newsletter by email, use the form on this page!

Newsletter: Fishy conditions

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

No diving

We have just returned from Sodwana, where we did a few eventful warm water dives with Coral Divers. If you haven’t been to Sodwana you should add it to your diving bucket list, for the colourful, vibrant reefs and good visibility. Highly recommended.

A barred rubberlips at Pinnacles
A barred rubberlips at Pinnacles

Local diving is not looking too promising for this weekend. A strong south easterly wind arrives on Friday night and departs on Sunday night. This is not really ideal for diving False Bay. Hout Bay is currently green and swelly, and will need several days to clean up.

My recommendation – if you must get wet – is that you consider diving in the I&J Oceans Exhibit in the Two Oceans Aquarium (blog post about this coming on Monday) and see the loggerhead turtle, Yoshi. She is to be released later in the year – read more here.

regards

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

Diving is addictive!

To subscribe to receive this newsletter by email, use the form on this page!

Newsletter: Mix and match

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

Early dives on Saturday, to be confirmed

Hout Bay at sunset
Hout Bay at sunset

It is not really the time of year where the though of diving from Hout Bay would come up! Particularly as Chapmans Peak is closed at the moment, after rockfalls. This week there has been mostly south easterly wind so parts of the Atlantic are actually as clean/green as False Bay. The temperature recorded at the CSIR buoy off Kommetjie has dropped from 16 degrees to 11 degrees in the last 48 hours.

Toss in a little rain, some weird wind and a little swell and suddenly the question of where to go takes on a life of its own. I think the best bet will be to dive on Saturday, really early, in False Bay somewhere. I will take a look tomorrow late afternoon just in case somewhere else shows promise, and confirm details by 6.00 pm. Let me know if you’re available.

regards

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

Diving is addictive!

Newsletter: Snack time

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

Sunday: Boat dives from Simon’s Town harbour, suitable for Open Water divers

Cormorant eating a pipefish
Cormorant eating a pipefish

It is a long weekend, however not one suited to three solid days of diving. As we speak, the swell has just reached 7 metres on the the CSIR buoy off Cape Point. The swell climbs and drops during the weekend, as does the wind.

All things considered, I think Sunday will be the only decent option. The water should be clean and the swell has more of a westerly tendency than it has today.

We were out last last Friday just after the storm swell and the surge was heavy. It was also by far the most trying conditions I have ever had to launch and retrieve the boat in. There were huge kelp islands and much foam all over False Bay. This week was a lot better and yesterday the visibility was 6 metres plus, and the surge manageable. It is that time of year where we have storms and swell and they often disappear as fast as they arrive.

regards

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

Diving is addictive!

To subscribe to receive this newsletter by email, use the form on this page!

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/

Diving is addictive!

To subscribe to receive this newsletter by email, use the form on this page!

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/

Diving is addictive!

To subscribe to receive this newsletter by email, use the form on this page!

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/

Diving is addictive!

To subscribe to receive this newsletter by email, use the form on this page!

Newsletter: Magic wand

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

No weekend dives, but next week looks promising!

A magic wand would be the right tool to fix the weather. The wind has been relentless and despite odd periods of calm, mostly early in the mornings, there has been reasonably good visibility in between the patches of red tide.

Frilled nudibranch
Frilled nudibranch

Sadly this weekend is again going to be dry as the window of light wind is really small early on Saturday, and then it howls again until Tuesday. Wednesday and onwards next week do look like good diving days so if you are up for a weekday dive get in touch.

regards

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

Diving is addictive!

To subscribe to receive this newsletter by email, use the form on this page!

Newsletter: Clean green

Hi divers

Weekend dive plans

Saturday: Shore dives at Long Beach, meeting at 9.30 am

Sunday: Boat dives around Roman Rock, meeting at 9.00 am at the False Bay Yacht Club parking area

Roman Rock lighthouse
Roman Rock lighthouse

The Atlantic is warm and green, as is False Bay. The green looks cleaner in False Bay, though so thats where will head this weekend. Some wind in the forecast for Saturday means shore dives, meeting at Long Beach at 9.30 am.

Sunday will be the better day to boat dive, so we’ll be meeting in the parking lot of False Bay Yacht Club at 9.00 am. Sites most likely somewhere in the greater Roman Rock area… Or wherever the water looks cleanest.

If you’ve a hankering to dip yourself in salt water this weekend, you know what to do.

regards

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

Diving is addictive!

To subscribe to receive this newsletter by email, use the form on this page!