Dive Info
Information on diving
FREEDIVING
Freediving is a form of underwater diving that relies on the diver’s ability to hold their breath, rather than using a breathing apparatus such as scuba gear. Freedivers may use fins and other diving equipment to help them swim deeper and faster, but they do not carry air tanks or use regulators to breathe while underwater.
Marine Protected areas
KeatZA
Brilliant instructors. The Apnea Addicts team look after you through the entire process and ensure that you are comfortable in the water and understand the fundamentals of the sport.
Reece Truter
One of the best experiences I have had with a dive shop. I was blown away by how beautiful the African Sea Forest was and had many amazing dives from shore entry and off a boat all during my freediving course and improving my skills, reaching new depths and learning how to do it all safely.
Amber McLeod
Charl and Brit are amazing instructors 🙂 Doing my freediving instructor course with them. Super patient people and they have very adaptable teaching styles that will suit anyone. Very fun course!
Leroux Cloete
Best in the business, took my free diving to the next level and will recommend it to anyone looking to dive safer and improve their diving.
YB Naidoo
Gareth did such an amazing job with Mischka, he reads people extremely accurately and helps them accordingly. I seriously recommend Gareth and his team if you value patience and understanding. Thanks for the breathtaking experience guys, well done!
Boy de Jonge
Did my 4 day Open Water Course, both Gareth and Indi are very nice, highly qualified and know where to go for the best Cape Town dive spots. Highly recommend!
Jonathan Müller
Great communication. Great instructor. My son loved it.
Paradise42498870172
2023-11-09
Amazing diving and skill improving.
I had such an amazing time in Cape Town while being shown around with Apnea Addicts Freediving. We visited many dive sites via shore and boat. All while improving my diving skills on freediving courses.
GoPlaces67263033124
2023-11-07
Amazing
Charl and Brit are amazing instructors 🙂 Doing my freediving instructor course with them and they have very adaptable teaching styles that will suit anyone. Very fun course!
Passport38210741530
2023-11-07
Spear fishing trip
Beautiful waters and friendly cow sharks + friendly charles. Will recommend this to anyone. Gona come back again for sure.
Leroux C
2023-11-07
If you are a free diver this is a must!!!
Best in the business, took my free diving to the next level and will recommend it to anyone looking to dive safer and improve their diving.
Charl Marais
2022-12-31
Super Cool Diving!!
I was reccomended to this center for my diving, they are PADI IDC Freedive Instructor Trainer and Scuba Centre based in Simonstown. Working with one of the only PADI Freedive and Mermaid instructor-trainers in Southern Africa. The quality of diving and teaching that I did here was incredible, the life under the water was very cool!. Whether you are interested in scuba diving, freediving, snorkeling, boat tours or freediving – CTDC put together a personal package for you that suits your needs. A personalized experience with highly trained staff is what CTDC strives on!
Hayley C
2021-05-13
Amazing shore dives with great people!
I was recommended this dive shop by a local and it was the best choice I could have made! It’s a small company, so you get an intimate, personalized experience. Joe was a fantastic coordinator and extremely knowledgeable about the sites and marine life. Philippe was my dive buddy and helped me feel really comfortable and took great care of me on our dives. We saw incredible kelp forests, beautiful coral, nudibranchs of many kinds, swam through rock formations, and a friendly seal even came by and gave us a quick show. I’m so glad I chose to dive in SA, and I’m even happier I picked Cape Town Dive Centre. Thank you Joe and Philippe!!
Tarryn B
2021-05-07
PADI Open Water & Advanced Open Water courses – an unforgettable experience
When I finally decided that it was time to learn to scuba dive (something I’d wanted to do for years), I signed up for the Open Water Course with the Cape Town Dive Centre because of a friend’s recommendation. From the minute the Open Water Course started, I loved everything about it! My instructor, Joe, was fun but also incredibly efficient and an excellent teacher. The course was quite difficult and complex so I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with just anyone. However, because of the way Joe taught and helped us under the water, I felt totally safe and calm. By the end of the course I was totally hooked on scuba diving! So much so, in fact, that a couple of months later I returned to the Cape Town Dive Centre to do my Advanced Open Water Course. For anyone who intends on continuing to scuba dive after completing the Open Water Course, I would strongly recommend doing the Advanced Open Water Course too. This course really expanded my knowledge and improved my capabilities, ultimately making me a much more competent and confident diver – with much improved buoyancy and air consumption as an added bonus! So, if the above isn’t already clear, let me say this: I would highly recommend going to the Cape Town Dive Centre to start and/or continue your diving journey! All of the staff are friendly and super well qualified, and will go out of their way to accommodate you and any concerns you may have. You are bound to have a phenomenal experience – in the water and out of it!
Claude Visagie
2021-04-10
First scuba dive
What an amazing experience. Friendly instructors that are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Would recommend this to anyone visiting Cape Town and to all the locals!!
Andrew Scott
2021-03-09
PADI open water diver course
Just completed a PADI open water diving course with Cape Town Dive Centre. Was an amazing experience and loved every minute of it! Staff very professional and drilled us on every important aspect of the course. Great value for money and can really recommend it to anyone wanting to get into SCUBA
BoardingPass760957
2021-02-08
You haven’t lived if you haven’t tried scuba diving!
Our diving instructor Joe was already waiting for us with our gear when we arrived, which was great. He was very patient and helpful and made 200% sure we had all the basic skills mastered. I couldn’t complete my dive, but he continued with my son, who is now totally hooked on scuba diving. I’m giving the experience 4 out of 5 as it was too short, a 4-hour experience was advertised and it was under 2-hours from arriving to leaving (trying to get into the wet suits and the instructions was about an hour). I can wholeheartedly recommend this and trust me, you are in SAVE hands with these people, they know what they are doing and know how to handle emergencies. Thank you, Joe!
Difference Between MPA and No Take Zone:
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A Marine Protected Area (MPA) is an area of coastline or ocean where marine life is protected and/or monitored closely by governing bodies. It is there for the benefit of the inhabitants of the area, and for the sea life it supports. Generally MPA’s are situated around sensitive environments, or breeding areas of rare marine life, or where there is a high level of poaching.
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No-Take-Zones:
Within an MPA you will find what we call no-take zones. It is a criminal offence to harvest marine life, or even pick up shells within no-take zones. “Why Shells?” you may ask: Shells form an intricate part of the ecosystem, as animals like the hermit crab use empty shells as protection or a “home”. Removing these shells will impact the ecosystem.
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Take Zones:
There are two types of take zones within an MPA, some, you are allowed to harvest any legal marine life, and others have certain restrictions. Often these restrictions include sensitive sea life like reef dwelling species, rock lobster or certain mollusks. Take Zones are frequented by fishermen, boats, spearo’s and other sustainable harvesters.
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Aptly Located:
Within an MPA, Take and No-Take zones often repeat each other, in order to allow sufficient biodiversity around the area, instead of creating one big take zone, and one no-take.
It might be arbitrarily chosen on map co-ordinates or it might be that the position of these no-take zones are in particularly sensitive or valuable areas, and are there to protect the ocean or area in order to promote diversity or pristineness of a site for other activities (eg. Scuba Diving)
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Resources:Â
https://www.marineprotectedareas.org.za/protecting-the-ocean
https://www.sanparks.org/mpa/
https://www.saambr.org.za/marine-protected-areas-mpas/.
Well-being outcomes of marine protected areas: Ban et al., 2019
KeatZA
Brilliant instructors. The Apnea Addicts team look after you through the entire process and ensure that you are comfortable in the water and understand the fundamentals of the sport.
Reece Truter
One of the best experiences I have had with a dive shop. I was blown away by how beautiful the African Sea Forest was and had many amazing dives from shore entry and off a boat all during my freediving course and improving my skills, reaching new depths and learning how to do it all safely.
Amber McLeod
Charl and Brit are amazing instructors 🙂 Doing my freediving instructor course with them. Super patient people and they have very adaptable teaching styles that will suit anyone. Very fun course!
Leroux Cloete
Best in the business, took my free diving to the next level and will recommend it to anyone looking to dive safer and improve their diving.
YB Naidoo
Gareth did such an amazing job with Mischka, he reads people extremely accurately and helps them accordingly. I seriously recommend Gareth and his team if you value patience and understanding. Thanks for the breathtaking experience guys, well done!
Boy de Jonge
Did my 4 day Open Water Course, both Gareth and Indi are very nice, highly qualified and know where to go for the best Cape Town dive spots. Highly recommend!
Jonathan Müller
Great communication. Great instructor. My son loved it.
Paradise42498870172
2023-11-09
Amazing diving and skill improving.
I had such an amazing time in Cape Town while being shown around with Apnea Addicts Freediving. We visited many dive sites via shore and boat. All while improving my diving skills on freediving courses.
GoPlaces67263033124
2023-11-07
Amazing
Charl and Brit are amazing instructors 🙂 Doing my freediving instructor course with them and they have very adaptable teaching styles that will suit anyone. Very fun course!
Passport38210741530
2023-11-07
Spear fishing trip
Beautiful waters and friendly cow sharks + friendly charles. Will recommend this to anyone. Gona come back again for sure.
Leroux C
2023-11-07
If you are a free diver this is a must!!!
Best in the business, took my free diving to the next level and will recommend it to anyone looking to dive safer and improve their diving.
Charl Marais
2022-12-31
Super Cool Diving!!
I was reccomended to this center for my diving, they are PADI IDC Freedive Instructor Trainer and Scuba Centre based in Simonstown. Working with one of the only PADI Freedive and Mermaid instructor-trainers in Southern Africa. The quality of diving and teaching that I did here was incredible, the life under the water was very cool!. Whether you are interested in scuba diving, freediving, snorkeling, boat tours or freediving – CTDC put together a personal package for you that suits your needs. A personalized experience with highly trained staff is what CTDC strives on!
Hayley C
2021-05-13
Amazing shore dives with great people!
I was recommended this dive shop by a local and it was the best choice I could have made! It’s a small company, so you get an intimate, personalized experience. Joe was a fantastic coordinator and extremely knowledgeable about the sites and marine life. Philippe was my dive buddy and helped me feel really comfortable and took great care of me on our dives. We saw incredible kelp forests, beautiful coral, nudibranchs of many kinds, swam through rock formations, and a friendly seal even came by and gave us a quick show. I’m so glad I chose to dive in SA, and I’m even happier I picked Cape Town Dive Centre. Thank you Joe and Philippe!!
Tarryn B
2021-05-07
PADI Open Water & Advanced Open Water courses – an unforgettable experience
When I finally decided that it was time to learn to scuba dive (something I’d wanted to do for years), I signed up for the Open Water Course with the Cape Town Dive Centre because of a friend’s recommendation. From the minute the Open Water Course started, I loved everything about it! My instructor, Joe, was fun but also incredibly efficient and an excellent teacher. The course was quite difficult and complex so I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with just anyone. However, because of the way Joe taught and helped us under the water, I felt totally safe and calm. By the end of the course I was totally hooked on scuba diving! So much so, in fact, that a couple of months later I returned to the Cape Town Dive Centre to do my Advanced Open Water Course. For anyone who intends on continuing to scuba dive after completing the Open Water Course, I would strongly recommend doing the Advanced Open Water Course too. This course really expanded my knowledge and improved my capabilities, ultimately making me a much more competent and confident diver – with much improved buoyancy and air consumption as an added bonus! So, if the above isn’t already clear, let me say this: I would highly recommend going to the Cape Town Dive Centre to start and/or continue your diving journey! All of the staff are friendly and super well qualified, and will go out of their way to accommodate you and any concerns you may have. You are bound to have a phenomenal experience – in the water and out of it!
Claude Visagie
2021-04-10
First scuba dive
What an amazing experience. Friendly instructors that are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Would recommend this to anyone visiting Cape Town and to all the locals!!
Andrew Scott
2021-03-09
PADI open water diver course
Just completed a PADI open water diving course with Cape Town Dive Centre. Was an amazing experience and loved every minute of it! Staff very professional and drilled us on every important aspect of the course. Great value for money and can really recommend it to anyone wanting to get into SCUBA
BoardingPass760957
2021-02-08
You haven’t lived if you haven’t tried scuba diving!
Our diving instructor Joe was already waiting for us with our gear when we arrived, which was great. He was very patient and helpful and made 200% sure we had all the basic skills mastered. I couldn’t complete my dive, but he continued with my son, who is now totally hooked on scuba diving. I’m giving the experience 4 out of 5 as it was too short, a 4-hour experience was advertised and it was under 2-hours from arriving to leaving (trying to get into the wet suits and the instructions was about an hour). I can wholeheartedly recommend this and trust me, you are in SAVE hands with these people, they know what they are doing and know how to handle emergencies. Thank you, Joe!