Scuba Diving Holidays

 

SCUBA DIVING HOLIDAYS

 

For some it's the beauty of the reef and the marine life that inhabits it, for others it's the thrill of discovery deep inside a wreck or cave - everyone has a different reason for scuba diving, but most would agree that it's for the sheer enjoyment of experiencing the underwater world, a world so far removed from ours that it will truly amaze you. Whether you want to relax while photographing brightly colored tropical fish, be thrilled by the power and grace of a school of sharks, or make a living working underwater, scuba diving has it all.

 

Who can scuba dive?
The simple answer is - almost anyone. Scuba divers are aged from 8 years and over and come from all walks of life. Here are some basic considerations:

•Age
Children as young at 8 years old can start diving with programs taught in the safety of shallow water and aimed specifically at young children. From the age of 10 years old children can be certified as Junior Open Water Divers and those 15 years and older can be certified as Open Water Divers. There are no upper age limits.

•Health
You need to be in a state of good health. This doesn't mean you need to be super-fit, but you have to be free of any serious medical problems. You'll answer a medical questionnaire when you sign up for a course and if you or your instructor have any concerns you will be referred to a medical doctor for assessment. You will also need to be able to swim and float or tread water.

•Disabilities
Scuba diving is accessible to people with physical disabilities. Many instructors are trained to provide courses tailored to physically challenged divers and there are diving societies whose primary goal is to facilitate and promote diving for physically challenged people.

 

DIVE DESTINATIONS

 

South Africa

If it's variety you're after, you've come to the right place. South Africa has an enormously long coastline ranging from about 35°S to 27°S, which isn't quite within the usual range for tropical diving.

The Mozambique Current flows down the east coast, bringing warm tropical water with it, and at Sodwana Bay there are the most southerly coral reefs in the world.

Here you'll find the full complement of pretty colourful fish and some great nudibranchs, including the outrageous Spanish dancer. Whale sharks, turtles, dolphins and ragged tooth sharks are often seen in specific areas.

As you head down the coast the underwater environment changes gradually until, once you reach Cape Town, you're diving in chilly but beautiful kelp forests. There are three major types of kelp, and a short portion of the Western Cape coast is the only place in the world that they all grow together.

If you've always shunned cold water diving, consider it. Sure, you have to don a thick wetsuit with constraining hoodie and gloves, but it's worth it. Diving in kelp is like walking in a forest - you float beneath the canopy and admire the surprisingly colourful reef life.

Off Cape Town, divers regularly see anemones in colours ranging from electric blue or deep red to pale pink, nudibranchs of almost every colour you can imagine, and a range of small creatures in and around the bright orange and sulphur yellow sponges.

There are dive schools in almost every centre, with a surprising number in landlocked Johannesburg, where people do their training before heading down to Sodwana Bay for their qualifying dives.

 

Africa

• Mozambique
• Kenya - MV Dania, Shark Point, Kasa
• Tanzania - coast, Zanzibar, Mnemba Island,
• Malawi - Lake Malawi
• Egypt - Mangrove Bay, Taba, Samadai, Marsa Abu Dabab, El Fanus, Abu Ramada, Susanna, Soma Bay 
• Tunisia - Mahdina, Port el Kantaoui
• Seychelles
• Madagascar
• Mauritius
• Cape Verde - Burakona (Sal Island)
• Sudan -Saab Rumi South, wreck of the Umbria 
• Eritrea - Massawa, Dahlak Islands

International

• Europe ( Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Croatia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Malta)
• Middle East - Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia
• USA
• Canada
• Caribbean
• Mexico (Baja coast and Gulf coast)
• Venezuela
• Central America - Belize, Guatamala, Costa Rica
• South America - Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador,
• Maldives
• Asia - Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, India
• South Pacific Islands
• Australia
• New Zealand

CHECK OUT OUR "SPECIALS" PAGE FOR THE LATEST SCUBA DIVING HOLIDAY DEALS AND PROMOTIONS!

For more information or recommendations on Scuba Diving Holidays contact Cruise Traveller on info@cruisetraveller.co.za or your local travel agent.