What is Scuba Diving?

Just as the wave cannot exist for itself, but is ever a part of the heaving surface of the ocean, so must I never live my life for itself, but always in the experience which is going on around me. Albert Schweitzer

OK, so what is scuba diving? Basically scuba diving is going underwater and being able to breathe. It is that simple.

You have a tank of compressed air on your back and you breathe the air in through a regulator. With a tank on your back you are able to swim/float around underwater and enjoy all the beautiful sights. It really does open up a whole new world to you. After diving for so many years, I can’t imagine not seeing all the wonderful things we’ve seen underwater.

Scuba diving is a sport the entire family can enjoy from age 12 and I have had a 75 year old couple dive with me earlier this year.

There is much to learn when it comes to scuba diving however there are a few basics of scuba diving that are especially important. One of the very first basics of scuba diving that any interested scuba diver should know is that scuba certification involves a lot of classroom work and in-water practice before venturing out to sea.

Always look for a suitably qualified instructor or dive centre and if qualified still check with the locals before venturing out on your own.

We are very fortunate on the KZN South Coast to have Aliwal Shoal on our doorstep and only 45 minutes from Durban.

Aliwal Shoal is regularly voted as one of the top 10 Dive sites on the planet by the international diving community. The reason for this is it is uniquely situated where it is influenced by the warm south running Aghullas current which leads to a profusion of tropical fish and soft and hard corals as well as colder inshore currents which bring the Sardines and the Ragged Tooth sharks to its location in the winter.

Divers in the summer are often blessed with 30 metre visibility, warm water and a profusion of tropical fish species. This is also the best time to view some of the most famous residents of the shoal, namely the large Tiger Sharks. There is also a resident pod of Dolphins on the Shoal which have been studied since the late 1960’s. These playful creatures are often heard and seen by divers.

In winter the cold inshore counter current brings both the Humpback Whale migration and the Ragged tooth Sharks or Raggies as they are known locally. There can be upwards of 100 sharks present on the shoal and they are there to drop their pups. For this reason they do not feed during the winter so are very docile and slow moving. Due to this they often are seen trailing strands of Hydroids from their teeth giving them the appearance of having beards. If divers remain still and kneel on the sand they will have the sharks swim very close to them.

To experience one of the most amazing marine eco systems on the planet come and visit Aliwal shoal today.