Washed by the water of two mighty oceans, the rugged coastline of southern Africa tapers off into a submarine world of enchanting beauty, a natural playground for an astonishing diversity of living creatures. This silent region, isolated for so long from the adventurous spirit of man, now draws to its depths thousands of divers, seeking its peace, its multicolored splendour, and its ancient secrets buried beneath the waves. By snorkelling or scuba diving, you too can become an explorer of this magical 'underworld'.
Snorkelling
Skin diving or snorkelling, one of the fastest growing sports in southern Africa, requires only that you are reasonably fit, that you can look after yourself in the water and that you can afford the basic gear. Is is best that professional instructors evaluate your fitness and ability (swimming certain distances both in and under water, and using survival techniques to stay a float), and tech you to recognise your limitations.
Standard snorkelling gear consists of a mask for clear vision, fins for easy propulsion and a snorkel. If you are diving in the colder waters of southern Africa, you will probably need the protection of a wetsuit. The suit allows a thin layer of water to seep between the nylon lining and the diver's body, and this quickly warms to body temperature. In particularly cold water, wear a three-piece wetsuit: a vest, with hood attached, under a zip-up jacket (and optional extras of rubber gloves and rubber booties, worn inside your fins).
The wetsuit's buoyancy is counteracted by a weighbelt, which fastens with a quick-release buckle. Take great care in choosing your diving equipment: your mask, in particular, should cover your eyes and nose comfortably, and should provide you with a broad field of vision. The tempered glass should be firmly encased in a rubber or silicone frame. The snorkel's mouthpiece should fit comfortably under your lips and between your teeth. Fins, whether they have foot pockets or open straps, should fit like shoes.
A diving knife is an important accessory; be sides its usefulness as a tool (for instance, in prising perlemoen off rocks), it Should save your life should you become entangled in line or mesh underwater. Make sure your knife has a rugged, stainless steel blade about 15cm long, and a strong plastic handle with a stainless steel pommel at the end. If you want to join the growing ranks of spearfishermen (restricted to skin divers), you will need a reliable speargun.
The spear is attached either directly to the gun or to a reel beneath the shaft by means of a heavy nylon cord, and is powered pneumatically, by tough rubber, or by a organism out of the water (from rock lobster to redbait), you should familiarise yourself with local regulations governing seasons and quotas; if in doubt, consult your nearest Sea Fisheries or Nature Conservation office.
Scuba diving
Developed by one of the world's great pioneers of the deep, Jacques Yves Cousteau, scuba equipment enables a diver to breathe underwater. Scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) gear generally consists of one two compressed-air cylinders, and a demand valve that controls the flow of compressed air from the cylinders to the diver. Important accessories for scuba diving are an adjustable buoyancy lifejacket (ABLJ), a depth and pressure gauge, and a waterproof watch to record the length of time you have spent underwater.
Scuba diving is for the fit and the adventurous, and it requires proper training. Diving shops will generally refuse to fill your tanks or tent you equipment without proof that you have completed a recognised diving course. The South African Underwater Union has established certified scuba diving courses which you can enrol for at any affiliated club (in Cape Town, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth and on the Witwatersrand). Courses in scuba diving are also offered by the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), where subjects include diving, equipment and planning, as well as physics and physiology, and rescue and resuscitation.
Diving precautions
Diving is fun, but it can be dangerous unless you observe some cardinal rules.
Illustrated Guide to the Southern African Coast.Pages 288-289. AA The Motorist Publications (Pty) Limited for The Automobile Association of South Africa. 1988. ISBN 0 947008 47 0
Snorkelling
Skin diving or snorkelling, one of the fastest growing sports in southern Africa, requires only that you are reasonably fit, that you can look after yourself in the water and that you can afford the basic gear. Is is best that professional instructors evaluate your fitness and ability (swimming certain distances both in and under water, and using survival techniques to stay a float), and tech you to recognise your limitations.
Standard snorkelling gear consists of a mask for clear vision, fins for easy propulsion and a snorkel. If you are diving in the colder waters of southern Africa, you will probably need the protection of a wetsuit. The suit allows a thin layer of water to seep between the nylon lining and the diver's body, and this quickly warms to body temperature. In particularly cold water, wear a three-piece wetsuit: a vest, with hood attached, under a zip-up jacket (and optional extras of rubber gloves and rubber booties, worn inside your fins).
The wetsuit's buoyancy is counteracted by a weighbelt, which fastens with a quick-release buckle. Take great care in choosing your diving equipment: your mask, in particular, should cover your eyes and nose comfortably, and should provide you with a broad field of vision. The tempered glass should be firmly encased in a rubber or silicone frame. The snorkel's mouthpiece should fit comfortably under your lips and between your teeth. Fins, whether they have foot pockets or open straps, should fit like shoes.
A diving knife is an important accessory; be sides its usefulness as a tool (for instance, in prising perlemoen off rocks), it Should save your life should you become entangled in line or mesh underwater. Make sure your knife has a rugged, stainless steel blade about 15cm long, and a strong plastic handle with a stainless steel pommel at the end. If you want to join the growing ranks of spearfishermen (restricted to skin divers), you will need a reliable speargun.
The spear is attached either directly to the gun or to a reel beneath the shaft by means of a heavy nylon cord, and is powered pneumatically, by tough rubber, or by a organism out of the water (from rock lobster to redbait), you should familiarise yourself with local regulations governing seasons and quotas; if in doubt, consult your nearest Sea Fisheries or Nature Conservation office.
Scuba diving
Developed by one of the world's great pioneers of the deep, Jacques Yves Cousteau, scuba equipment enables a diver to breathe underwater. Scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) gear generally consists of one two compressed-air cylinders, and a demand valve that controls the flow of compressed air from the cylinders to the diver. Important accessories for scuba diving are an adjustable buoyancy lifejacket (ABLJ), a depth and pressure gauge, and a waterproof watch to record the length of time you have spent underwater.
Scuba diving is for the fit and the adventurous, and it requires proper training. Diving shops will generally refuse to fill your tanks or tent you equipment without proof that you have completed a recognised diving course. The South African Underwater Union has established certified scuba diving courses which you can enrol for at any affiliated club (in Cape Town, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth and on the Witwatersrand). Courses in scuba diving are also offered by the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), where subjects include diving, equipment and planning, as well as physics and physiology, and rescue and resuscitation.
Diving precautions
Diving is fun, but it can be dangerous unless you observe some cardinal rules.
- Most importantly, never dive alone; always dive with a friend, where each is responsible for the other's safely.
- Before entering the water, rehearse any signals you might need underwater. Check your own equipment thoroughly, and check that each other's harnessing straps and buckles are fitted properly, and that the cylinders, valves, regulator and pressure gauge are in good working condition.
- Observe entry and exit points in the sea before a dive, nothing whether the tide is coming in or going out, and at what point it is likely to be when you finally exit the water. Also note the size and strength of the swell.
- Do not hyperventilate (breathe in and out deeply a number of times) before a dive; this may extend the time you can stay submerged, but it could also lead to loss of consciousness and then to drowning. In the water, always follow the advice in the letters scuba: Stay Calm Underwater, Breathe Always. Panic is your worst enemy.
- As you descend, equalise the pressure in your ears by pinching your nose and blowing air against your closed nostrils. If at this stage – or any other – you have any doubts about the visibility, depth, currents or your standard of fitness, abort the dive.
- Be on the lookout for underwater hazards. Should you get caught in a rip current, go with it, and then ease out of it gently at right angles to the direction in which it is flowing. Should you see a shark, and it seems to be showing an interest in you, back off from the area and leave the water as quietly as possible, without creating a disturbance that could increase its interest. If it actually heads for you, face it and give it a bang on the snout with your speargun or diving knife. Remember that your best defence is to keep calm in the water.
- When you have been in the water for a while, assess how you feel. If you are tired or cold, or feel at all faint, tell your friend and leave the water immediately. Exhaustion is a small step away from drowning. If you get into difficulties and are battling to keep your head above the water, release your weightbelt immediately; the buoyancy of your wetsuit will keep you afloat. Always surface from the bottom in a spiral, giving yourself a 360° view of possible obstacles. Ascend slowly: a too rapid ascent using scuba gear could cause nitrogen bubbles to expand in your bloodstream, leading to the 'bends', a painful and possibly fatal affliction of the joints. Also breathe out as you ascend, to prevent air from expanding in your lungs and rupturing the lung tissue.
Illustrated Guide to the Southern African Coast.Pages 288-289. AA The Motorist Publications (Pty) Limited for The Automobile Association of South Africa. 1988. ISBN 0 947008 47 0
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