diving
Top 10 Dive sites Clifton Rocks and A-Frame Kate Jonker, Indigo Scuba - Gordon’s Bay
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Clifton Rocks: A group of granite boulders at the southern end of Clifton’s Fourth Beach give name to this dive site which is easily accessed from the shore. Clifton Rocks is best dived in summer when theSouth Easterly winds bring clear water to this part of the coastline. To reach the entry point, drive down The Ridge road and park in the last car park you find. The path down to the entry point is next to house number 93. Entry and exit is from the large, sloping rocks a little further down the point. Once in the water, swim on the surface towards the huge boulders to your left or descend and make your way there under water. Clifton Rocks is typical of the dive sites in the area, with huge granite boulders that have been eroded away by water movement causing overhangs, caves and gullies. There are quite a few swim-throughs (some quite small) and kelp forest which are fun to explore. Depth of this dive site ranges between 7 and 14 metres. The dive can sometimes be quite surgey in the shallower areas and in the narrow channels between the rocks. Marine life here includes kelp forests, colourful sponges and anemones, sea urchins, nudibranchs, and if you look closely you might spot some tiny bobtail squid hiding in the coarse sand. Water temperature ranges between 8°C and 14°C and a warm wetsuit with gloves and a hoodie is advised. Clifton Rocks are located in a marine protected area and a dive permit, purchased from any post office, is required to dive here. A Frame: A-Frame is a shore dive, suitable for divers of all levels. Situated just south of Simon’s Town on the western side of False Bay, it is best dived in winter when the North Westerly winds have
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Vol 7 2012
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