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1. Cape Town Dive Shop: Into the Blue
Located in downtown Cape Town. Best suited for scuba diving trips where you bring your own gear.
If you're only doing one or two dives without equipment, that's fine too.
Located at the downtown Cape Town.
Planning a dive trip with them is recommended.
Boat dive R650 / Shore dive R400 / 10 boat dives R3250 (excludes equipment, tank, and permit) Tank R160 / Night dive (shore dive) R400 / Single-month dive permit R45 Boat dive R650/ Shore dive R400/ 10 boat dives R3250 Tank R650/ Night dive R400
Shore Dives – a combination of reef, wreck, and kelp forest
Boat Dives – a combination of seals, reef, wreck and kelp forest
Drysuit: Course R3300, includes theory, confined water, and 2 open water dives — equipment rental not included. Drysuit rental R450/day
Drysuit: Course R3300. For rent R450/day
Wetsuit: 7mm sizes are limited. Men's size S is available, but women's size S is not.
Wet suit: 7mm for rent. Only size s for men not women. The size of small Asian women is not friendly.
If a 7mm wetsuit is unavailable, they can provide a 5mm full suit (short + long) with hood, boots, and 5mm gloves.
5mm long + short suit, hoodie, boots and gloves can be rent
Gear up yourself; the shop will take care of cleaning.
Gear up by yourself; clean up by the shop
They respond quickly and in detail, whether by email or Facebook message.
They're also very patient and will do their best to help solve any issues.
Given that afternoons after diving can be quiet and my main transport is Uber, dive shops in Simon's Town would be too far from the city centre — so I chose this one. Summers in Cape Town have long daylight hours, so after getting back from a dive at 3 or 4 pm, you can still stroll around the city centre or hike Lion's Head.
I chose this dive shop as it locates in the town so I can uber in.
After the dive, I can still hang around or hike Lion's head.
Dive into the blue replies fast and efficiency.
If you're working with a local dive shop, it's recommended to clearly communicate what you want to see and your preferences — they'll do their best to accommodate everyone's needs.
A request can be communicated.
2. Cape Town Dive Shop: Ollava
Located in Simon's Town. Best suited for those who plan to do only one or two dives and don't have their own equipment.
Recommend for those who only do few dives during the trip and not having own equipment.
Located in Simon's Town
Dive package: equipment, boat dive, and dive guide fee included
Dive package: equipment, boat dive, dive guide fee included
Bronze 1 day R1900 2 dives
Silver 2 day R3250 4 dives
Gold 3 day R4700 6 dives
The Gold package may not always run depending on group size. The most popular option is Bronze, which includes a seal dive.
Bronze, Sea lions are the most popular option while Gold may depend on the participant number
Boat dive R1200 / Shore dive R900
Boat dive R1200/ Shore dive R900
Drysuit: Course R3000 / Drysuit rental: not available (but size discussions are possible — they'll do their best to arrange something)
Drysuit: course R3000/ no rent
Wetsuit: Male divers who visited previously all wore 7mm. However, the shop told me that for my size they typically provide a 5mm short + 5mm long suit with hood.
No size for Asian women
They respond quickly, mostly by email. Their offerings are mainly package-based, which didn't quite fit my plans.
Feedback from previous guests was provided by PTT users azure27014 and imm — both were satisfied.
Response fast with email. Though the package doesn't fit my plan
People who had dive with them do recommend them a lot
3. Cape Town Dive Shop: Aliwalshoal
Located in Durban, which is far from Cape Town. Famous for large concentrations of sharks.
Locate in Durban which is far away from Cape Town. Famous for a school of sharks
Durban dive sites: Aliwal Shoal, Protea Banks
Dive sites: Aliwal Shoal、Protea banks
Offers accommodation. Package details and information are thorough and well-written.
Offers accommodation. Package and information are detailed.
Emails are replied to quickly with detailed information, and they're enthusiastic about helping you sort things out. Accommodation and service are exceptionally warm and welcoming. (PTT user imm)
Email replied with fast, plenty of information and happy to help.
Rated highly by my friend.
Information updated in 2017
Information updated in 2017
Further reading:
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a BlueTrend dive trip different from an unknown, no-name dive group?
Choosing us means full peace-of-mind protection and a smooth experience from start to finish. Every trip we run holds to three things.
First, full legal protection and a professional dive leader: we strictly follow Taiwan's travel regulations and provide complete travel-agency liability insurance, travel insurance, trip-inconvenience insurance and dive insurance. Every group is accompanied by a certified, foreign-language dive leader who joins you on both the dives and the land itinerary, liaising seamlessly with local dive shops and operators on your behalf to keep things running smoothly — the person our travellers trust most.
Second, fully licensed with secure payments: every payment goes into a licensed travel agency's account, with multiple safe payment channels (bank transfer, credit card and more) and a legal collect-and-remit receipt, so every transaction is open, transparent and protected, avoiding the fraud and dispute risks of transferring money privately to an individual.
Third, hand-picked quality we vet in person: every trip, dive site and partner shop is scouted on the ground by our own team, from the guides' professionalism and safety standards to the food, lodging, environment and service details on land, all vetted by us so you don't get caught out.
I want to sign up for a dive trip. Are there certification-level or logged-dive requirements?
Each dive site is different, so the entry bar varies. 'Bali Tulamben', for instance, is relatively beginner-friendly. 'Malapascua in the Philippines' is also beginner-friendly, but since thresher sharks tend to cruise between 20 and 30 metres, we recommend AOW certification with 20+ logged dives to enjoy this trip comfortably. For 'the Maldives' or 'Palau', we suggest AOW with 50+ logged dives for a more relaxed experience. If you're not sure whether your experience fits the trip you want, message us and our dive editors will assess it and help you find the trip you'll feel safest on.
Can I join if I'm signing up alone? How are rooms arranged?
Plenty of our travellers sign up solo! For rooms and beds, we prioritise pairing you with a same-gender traveller, and if you'd rather have your own space you can pay the difference to upgrade to a single room. For the diving, our professional leader will pair you with a suitable buddy, and with the happy vibe on our trips you'll quickly make a great group of dive friends. Many people sign up alone, make new friends, and end up organising the next trip together!
Does the trip fee include dive insurance, gear rental, taxes and instructor tips?
It depends on the trip, the destination's regulations and the local operators. Every BlueTrend dive trip has a detailed web page with a clear 'included / not included' list, transparent and with no hidden charges. All payments are collected by a licensed travel agency, with a standard-form contract for your protection.
I'm a new diver / haven't dived in a long time — will I fall behind the group?
Before you complete your booking, our team assesses a suitable trip based on your certification level and experience. Before departure, we strongly recommend taking time to refresh in Taiwan with an instructor, or a fun dive to get your feel back. On the trip itself, our professional dive leader groups and pairs everyone by experience, keeps a close eye underwater on travellers who need extra care, and steps in to help right away.
Will the photos and videos taken during the trip be shared with us?
During the dives, 'safety' is always the leader's top priority, so whenever it's suitable and safe the leader will capture great shots and record the best moments. During or after the trip, we compile a cloud album for all travellers to download, so you go home loaded with memories!
Besides your scheduled trips, can you arrange a private group charter or independent travel for me and my friends?
Absolutely! Besides group trips, we also arrange private group charters and independent travel. We can communicate, enquire and coordinate services with local operators based on your needs, saving you time and effort and taking the language barrier off your plate, to tailor the smoothest, most reassuring dive trip just for you. Contact our LINE support and our editors will arrange it for you!
