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SOUTHERN AFRICA (South Africa & Mozambique) 
Once through customs on arrival at Johannesburg after a good, but slightly delayed flight on Virgin Atlantic, we were greeted by our hosts for the trip. We were reunited with the advance party of 5 Swedes who were joining the other 23 of us. An eclectic group, I suppose, from no less than five different BS-AC Branches and various other parts of UK, with Peterborough Sub-Aqua Club being the biggest single party. (Ah, the power of the Internet do I hear you say - very true!) However, we were well-seasoned travellers with literally thousands of dives collective experience between us. All were qualified at least as BS-AC Sports Divers, or equivalent, although about half the party were also experienced instructors. We were quickly gathered together for a briefing of what to expect in the coming days. Not so much a holiday, more an adventure! "You're in Africa now! Remember that!" we were told by our Tour Director. "Things happened differently here. Often in a different way and to a time of their own. But relax, don't fight it, and you'll enjoy it." He went on, "Oh, and yes, don't think you have come on holiday..." He paused, what did he mean......? "See it as an adventure!" How prophetic; he could not have been more accurate, as we were to find out over the next fortnight. Why Southern Africa? We had chosen to come south of the equator for a number of reasons. Firstly, no doubt because there is always an excitement about South Africa - different and re-awakening, post apartheid. Reports about diving had been good and research showed that the dive locations were now properly organised and receptive to sizeable groups. It helped too that the South African Rand is very depressed making the holiday price highly attractive. The South Africans themselves are increasingly anxious to attract divers from around the world, although, as we learnt to our cost, they have a lot still to learn. South Africa possesses a good range of diving, mainly around the coasts. You must remember it is a huge country, so it also possesses considerable diversity. This varies from shark diving in cages around Cape Town, where there are also numerous wrecks, to the tropical Sodwana Bay. Other internationally famous spots are Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks. We were advised that 85% of the world's marine species could be found in South African waters. On offer then was everything from a Great White at close quarters to scenic reefs. Choosing South Africa has the added advantage that it is eminently possible to extend your trip for several days to enjoy a mini-safari. You will probably need to travel to remoter regions to experience this, but this is not too great a problem from the areas we visited. However, such excursions are very popular and need to be booked months in advance. Finally, it was relatively easy to extend our trip to Mozambique to visit an adjacent country which showed emerging potential for leisure and travel, yet was undeveloped and relatively untouched. Aliwal Shoal, Sodwana Bay (maybe if you're lucky) and Ponto do Ouro After a video presentation in UK the previous Spring, we had negotiated what all considered to be an exceptional package. We were due to visit three main dive locations up the East Coast of Southern Africa, up through South Africa into Mozambique. This would give us a good opportunity of seeing sharks, as well as many other species in some of the remoter areas too. Aliwal Shoal Leaving Jan Smuts airport behind, we set out on the long cross-country journey by coach for Umkomaas, the village beyond Durban where Aliwal Shoal lies. It has got to be said that travelling to Jo'burg and transferring to Aliwal across country was a mistake, even if it did save a collective small fortune on the connecting flight between Jo'burg and Durban. The road is generally good, but the distance is huge - so do fly all the way! There are several dive schools and centres here, nestling on the hillside above the estuary mouth and alongside the railway. There are also dive lodges and a few chalet/bungalow complexes giving comfortable accommodation. We stayed in "Coconuts" several miles down the road. This meant about a 15 minute trip between our lodgings and the dive centre. 
Sea Fever dive centre which we used, is well equipped and provided a good changing area where we kitted up before being taken by Landrover down to the launch site 5 minutes bumpy ride away. Several large RIB's operate here, launching into the quiet estuary, slipping under the railway viaduct, before Whoosh! into the heavy breakers and along behind and between the wave crests for an exhilarating few minutes. You need to hold tight for the ride and secure all camera and dive gear to avoid breakage. Calmer water is reached and you speed away for some miles off shore, whilst the alert skipper alternately guns and throttles back the twin engines to cushion the boat against the swell. Whilst we were not as tossed about as I often have been on the North Sea, this is not a trip for the faint hearted. All boats here have twin engines, as a compulsory safety precaution.
The off-shore reefs at Aliwal are best described as interesting, rather than spectacular. Other locations have much more to offer, Aliwal is relatively flat and lacks the variety of walls, drop-offs, pinnacles etc that there are elsewhere. However, they are neither very shallow, nor particularly deep and we spent our dives typically in the 15 to 25 metre depth range. Some start shallow and run deeper, so with the tides and currents which have to be closely watched, you need to be careful not to end up with a "reverse" profile starting the dive in a few metres and ending at depth. Unless you find one of the few sheltered spots, you are likely to have at least a steady and may be quite fast drift dive.The reefs themselves are fairly flat with just a few hollows, ledges and swim-throughs to explore. It struck me fairly quickly that there was considerable diversity here. It did not seem long before I saw a range of species which had taken me several trips elsewhere to see before. Equally though, the sheer volume of fish and marine animals did not appear here quite in profusion as say the Red Sea or Far East. Nevertheless, there are large shoals of numerous species of fish here, as well as a few representative specimens of many others. It must also be said that both hard and soft coral is very healthy here. The South Africans protect their reefs fiercely and there is no dynamite or cyanide fishing here which has reeked havoc elsewhere. Nor is there evidence of coral bleaching caused by global warming. Sea temperature is in fact a very pleasant mid 20's degrees centigrade, so a 3 or 4mm wet-suit is quite adequate. 
Our second day, we dived the wreck of The Produce, a reasonable sized general cargo vessel sitting upright on the sandy sea-bed. A comparatively recent wreck, it is fairly intact. It is eminently penetrable by experienced divers, although care should be taken with the strong currents that may cut across you unexpectedly as you emerge from the lee of the wreck. However, the divemaster's promise that we would "have our heads taken off" if we stuck them into the wreck and met the tidal stream face-on, was much exaggerated.As mentioned the marine life here is immensely diverse, as indeed it is all the way up this coast. We saw glassfish, butterfly fish, trigger fish, a few moray eels, moorish idols, numerous groupers, potato bass, parrot fish, surgeon fish, sting and eagle rays, lionfish, scorpion and puffer fish. In addition there we numerous common reef fish - anemone fish, fusiliers, snappers etc etc. We also saw several turtles. Colourful starfish are to be found as, of course are various intensely coloured nudibranchs. Undoubtedly though, the real reason to visit Aliwal Shoal is to see the Raggies. During the breeding season, in the South African spring (autumn in UK), they are a numerous over the Shoal, especially at Raggies Cave. Raggies, or Ragged Toothed sharks (also know elsewhere as grey nurse or sand tiger shark) have a reputation stemming from their ferocious appearance with row upon row of backward pointing teeth. Divers can swim among several dozen of them at arms length. Regrettably, we picked the wrong time to go and missed them. Advised to avoid the heat of December and January, we opted to visit in mid February. This was a mistake. Protea Banks Whilst at Umkomaas (Aliwal) a group of us travelled the relatively short distance South, down the coast, to Protea Banks to dive the blue for "big fish". After a useful detailed briefing on diving with sharks in the water, we took the RIB some miles out to sea before dropping into the blue over the banks. Nothing is guaranteed here. However, we kept close together and were rewarded by sight of several large Zambezi (Bull) sharks. Other large sharks, including Great Whites and oceanic Hammerheads can be seen here. Sodwana bypassed Our original itinerary had been to include several days at internationally renowned Sodwana Bay, the marine and nature reserve. Diving there has a good reputation, although we had heard from another group, who had visited a few months before, that it was not the pick of the three locations. It is remote and the dive camp is located a little way from the beach. This means divers are dropped on the beach in the morning and don't return to their accommodation until evening. When we were collected at Jo'burg, we were boarded into a rather antiquated, some would say clapped-out coach. It was painfully slow and the aircon had long since "gone to the Great Cooler in the sky". It was justified to us as a replacement for the 40+ seat luxe liner on grounds that it was the only way we would stand a chance of getting to Sodwana. The wettest summer for years, now an event of historical proportions for poor Mozambique, had swelled rivers and washed away bridges en route to Sodwana. Small ferries were operating and, apparently our bus, and its trailer, was the largest vehicle that the ferries could handle. In the event, we never attempted the journey, since even a Landrover failed the route the day before. So we bypassed Sodwana and headed straight for Mozambique. Ponto do Ouro, Mozambique 
As most will know, Mozambique had just started to recover from the ravages of a 20-year civil war. They only stopped killing each other when the money for bullets ran out. The recent flood catastrophe has therefore set recovery back many years. Nevertheless, the area we visited, not far over the border with South Africa, has NOT been badly hit. There is no major river basin in the vicinity, so there was no possibility of infrastructure in this area being swept away. Besides, so much that is required is merely transported into the country from the border at Kosi Bay, 20 or so kilometres away. There are no land telephones or mains electricity supply, so the main sites, including where we visited have their own generators. Reports I have received from Ponto since the disaster confirm this and the fact all they have suffered from is abnormally heavy rain. However, as the local "micro" economy is centred around diving, it is essential for the community that business quickly returns to normal.
It is just about possible to do three dives a day here, but you will have to carefully watch your surface intervals and bottom time if you are to avoid lengthy decompression or short dives. A dive computer is essential. Unlike many dive destinations where you might dive a wall, reach maximum depth early and then work your way gradually to the surface, essentially decompressing as you rise, the dives here have flatter profiles. Although none is particularly deep, perhaps with the exception of Pinnacles where you are out in the blue, it is easy to spend a longish dive at 22 to 25 metres quickly giving you a high surfacing code penalty. This was partly compensated for by compulsory three-minute deco stops at 6 metres on all dives. The third dive in a day may also be impossible, as the swell, strengthened by an on-shore breeze, sometimes gets up during the course of the day. This not only makes boat handling difficult, but recovery of divers risky. Furthermore, relatively close to shore, even at 20 metres, the swell can spoil the dive and make photography practically impossible. The swell does slacken late in the day, so a night dive can be an option. It is more than likely though, that your afternoon will be spent in beach games or simply absorbing the rays. But enjoy it, you're on holiday! Most dives are slow to moderate drift dives, although that will not always be the case. The water was essentially slack on Aquarium and Bass City reefs. In fact, Aquarium, which consists of two large "lumps of coral rock" covered in a profusion of fish, would be over in a minute if there was much current or surge. Visibility was generally excellent, often 20 to 25 metres plus, and only down to 15 metres on a very few dives. Marine life throughout was particularly good. Certainly it was considerably better than Aliwal. Some of the species we encountered include: marbled electric ray, blue spotted lagoon ray, sting ray, manta ray, hammerhead and scalloped hammerhead shark, guitar shark, zambezi shark, white faced and honeycombed moral eel, trigger fish, clown trigger fish, chromis and other damsel fish, fusiliers, various parrot fish, butterfly fish, surgeon fish, emperor angelfish, coral grouper, potato bass, moorish idols, goatfish, sweetlips, gobies, crocodile fish, various snapper, dottybacks, lion fish, hawkfish, assorted puffer and box fish, anemone fish and a large array of small coral reef fish, goldies etc. Additionally, there were attractive hard and soft corals, starfish, nudibranchs, octopus and turtles. We saw a good selection on each dive, excepting the early morning shark dive at Pinnacles, where we were in deeper water, off the bottom (we were still rewarded with hammerhead, zambezis and a graceful manta). On one dive, one buddy pair were lucky enough to have "close encounters" with a honeycombed moray, a green turtle, zambezi shark and a dolphin all in the space of 5 minutes. On the way out to "Deep Melangane" reef we encountered a playful pod of dolphins and spent a thrilling 10 minutes snorkelling with them. The diving is done from large RIB's launched from the sheltered end of Ponto beach. Launch into the surf is exciting, but the boat skippers are skilled and know the waters well. But if launch is exciting, recovery at the end of the dive is more amazing - driving at open throttle straight onto the sand. After a warning to hold tight, it's power on up to 20 - 25 mph right onto the beach! A little frightening first time when you don't know what to expect, but the sand acts like a giant sponge shock-absorber, so surprisingly you don't all end up in a heap of divers, kit and boat. Whilst in Ponto do Ouro, we were based at Simply Scuba, the largest operator at the "dive camp". They provided lodgings, food and the dive support, although dive marshalling was done by our accompanying dive tour operator. Accommodation was within the Simply Scuba "compound" within the larger camp area. It consisted of robust two-man static tents, with an additional roof screening. There are alternative chalets, although there were no complaints about the tents which had a certain rustic appeal. Catering was good and we fed well, probably too well! Meals were taken in the wooden open-sided central assembly area and were self-service. The surroundings were clean, unspoilt and had a natural charm. Positioned just a few strides from the beach, it was a highly convenient spot. However, we were still taken by Landrover the couple of hundred yards or so to the boats. What's more our kit was loaded on and off and washed down by the friendly local boys. All we had to do was assemble it, check it and strap it on! Vanessa, the manageress of Simply Scuba, runs an efficient camp. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and recommend it to anyone else. Ideally, you should book direct. Safety and Comfort The safety of those on the trip was of paramount concern to our dive tour organisers. They showed a sound professional approach. Perhaps they were a little over-cautious at times, particularly with a group as experienced as ours. However, it should be remembered that this is their livelihood and a serious of fatal incident could easily jeopardise their entire operation. During our stay we had an untimely reminder, with the sad drowning on the beach of a young Mozambique boy, whose body was recovered from the sea by one of our party. There is no decompression chamber anywhere near these sites, so evacuation has to be by emergency helicopter. In the circumstances, as with all diving, risk avoidance is far better than cure. 
There are some shortcomings though that could be addressed. Diving from a 16 man RIB may be an efficient means of carrying people, but it is not so good if all are expected to enter the water simultaneously and dive with a single divemaster on one marker buoy. Boats. On occasion there was as many as 18, and once 19 on the boat. Entry by backward roll all together, leaves a morass of arms, legs and cylinders and must increase the likelihood of injury. Such a large group can spoil the dive on a drift where too much attention has to be paid to not becoming separated. Surfacing can bring hazards too, as the group can be dispersed by the swell. This did happen on one occasion, but I was pleased to note a number of delayed SMB's popping up all around. This was a result of good practice, not dive briefing (which incidentally were invariably good). Diving in several waves or smaller groups would be better. Perhaps the practice of large groups is purely for economy, but certainly it is a question of too many divers, too few divemasters. The one and only night dive which we did during the trip was marshalled in the same way. Although the divers were all able to keep in visual contact, aided by chemical night sticks, this practice is risky, as the chances of keeping a large group together at night cannot be high.We were told that nitrox was available at Aliwal (and Sodwana). However, although several requested it on arrival, it never materialised. One nice touch though, and a good idea for future reference, was that on all dives we were given a lollipop once back on the boat and de-kitted. Not only does this help combat the effects of 45 minutes dry air and the taste of salty water, but it also gives an effective sugar hit after a tiring dive. Nice one! Weather and travel tips We were perhaps unlucky when we went. It had been most unusually wet for weeks. Mind you, heavy tropical rain is to be expected some afternoons as the norm. The thunder and lightening can be spectacular. We had some rain and were drenched one evening, but it was not excessive. However, we did have several overcast days. The sun still remained powerful despite the cloud cover and was capable of quickly burning unprotected skin. When the sun did come out, it quickly reached the 90's. So be prepared for a hot and rather humid climate, certainly during summer months. So far as currency is concerned, take South African Rand and Rand travellers' cheques. You can change the travellers' cheques in many towns in South Africa. In Ponto do Ouro you will use cash only - and Rand are actually preferred. Electricity is 240 volts, with same size electric plugs as in UK, but "old-fashioned" ROUND pin, not square pin plugs. Travelling around You should remember that the country is vast and distances are huge. You should expect lengthy journey times for transfers. Main roads in South Africa are generally good. Minor roads are often potholed and progress on them is slow. In Southern Mozambique there are no roads, just sand and dirt tracks. Progress is therefore painful and usually means bumping along in the open air on the back of a 4x4. All part of the fun, really. Distance is measured in kilometres in South Africa and we must have done 1,500 to 2,000 of them at not much over 50 kph. Simple arithmetic tells you that we spent well over 30 hours in our coach. We were lucky it was not baking hot. The only way to cope with the tedium was to treat it as an unpleasant joke, so we ran a book on how long our second journey would take (congrats again to Tony who was nearest with his guess of 11.5 hours). Overall - yes, an adventure! Breakdowns - Drenching - Open trailers - Colour - Friendly people - Exciting diving....... would we go again? Well, yes, to have a great dive holiday just in Mozambique or to go there and to then extend the trip to visit the Raggies at Aliwal Shoal. Perhaps an ideal plan would be to go to Mozambique for a full week's diving followed by two days spent at Aliwal. This would make a total of 18 dives at two a day. Adding transfer days, degassing time and flights, this would then make a great fortnight's dive holiday. INFINITE DIVE ADVENTURES - A WARNING Following their original approach in the Autumn of 1998, we had a very detailed and lengthy pre-holiday exchange with Infinite Dive Adventures (also known as Infinite Dive Academy CC). They arranged our dive tour, transfers and accommodation. Their Directors visited Peterborough three times prior to our trip and made a video presentation to our Club. They were anxious to promote Southern Africa diving and have visited many clubs. They appeared highly credible, prepared to negotiate a promotional deal to develop their business and, on paper, came up with a highly attractive package. This consisted of a comprehensive 22 dive package with all transfers and accommodation for £689. Flights, booked through helpful Philleas Fogg Group Travel, took this to £1,134, excluding IDA's group discount. But did they deliver? - Emphatically NO. Were we misled? - We feel we were YES. Months before the holiday, a highly detailed itinerary was sent to us. Once we were "captive" in South Africa, IDA seemed increasingly reluctant to run so many dives, offering all sorts of excuses. Two days after arrival in Mozambique, we were told by their Managing Director (and travelling Tour Director) that they would only allow us their "standard" 10 dives. He called it a misunderstanding. We disagreed, but could not prove it whilst 5,000 miles from home. We were forced to negotiate additional diving with limited other operators on the beach. Eventually, IDA agreed to offer us extra dives "at cost"; the standard single day or night dive rates from Simply Scuba. This cost us an additional £1,000. You will appreciate that this caused us all a highly uncomfortable few days, far from home with a dive tour operator in whom we had by then a complete loss of confidence. Other serious shortcomings included the reduction of accommodation (putting eight in a room together in Jo'burg and expecting non-partners to share a double bed in Umkomaas are not exactly equivalent to the expected twin or double rooms with en suite) and the cutting of "Neptune" and "Gala" dinners at the end of the holiday. On return home, IDA's offer was checked and was found to be unequivocal. So was the "misunderstanding" deliberate, a mistake or did they simply forget? We asked for a refund of the additional payment, an explanation and an apology. Despite exchanges of several e-mails, nothing was received. It would have only taken a few minutes to remedy the situation and plenty of opportunity was given. We would not trust them again. You are warned. Contacts 1) Philleas Fogg Group Travel, Group Bookings, First Floor, Telford Point, Telford Road, Basingstoke, Hants RG21 6YU Tel: (01256) 320035 Fax: (01256) 320431 (Enquiries also dealt with by Farnborough office). Deal with travel and group discounts with Virgin Atlantic etc. 2) Simply Scuba, Dive Camp at Ponto do Ouro, Mozambique Accommodation through Centro Touristo in Jo'burg Tel: + 27 11 425 3058 Diving through Simply Scuba's office in Durban Tel: + 27 31 502 5261 or on E-mail to: enquiries@simplyscuba.co.za Both companies work in tandem respectively organising accommodation or diving at Ponto do Ouro. They can also assist with visas and transfers from/to the border. 3) Scuba Adventures, Ponto do Ouro, Mozambique Contact Lawrence Dale. Arrangements for dive packages, training courses, equipment hire and accommodation at various locations at Ponto. They could offer their own package and accommodation such as the cabanas at Ponto do Ouro Beach Resort or book you into the dive camp with Simply Scuba (a competitor). Also run the small Dive Shop in the village with lots of useful materials for divers (from ear drops to sudafed) e-mail: scubaadventures@iafrica.com Tel: + 27 11 234 0917 Fax: + 27 11 234 0919 I have not included contact details for Infinite Dive Adventures, as I personally believe they are best avoided. I would be happy to advise as best I can on direct questions e-mailed to me. David Dixon Chairman, Peterborough Sub-Aqua Club BS-AC Branch 0297 March 2000 e-mail: scuba.diver@virgin.net All photography: Copyright David S Dixon Any contributions to this section will be most welcome. Do you have any useful tips and experience which could prove useful to other divers, about travel conditions, booking, flying, other modes....? Send all contributions to Webmaster. Back to SOUTH AFRICA MAIN PAGE | ||||
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