Surf launches on a Zodiac make the dive exciting from the start!
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Blue Rush Shark Diving
The Company - Blue Rush Shark Divers
Dietmar Posch & Rafaella Schlegel are very experienced divers with a love for Photography and filming. Their passion is diving and love sharks. After visiting South Africa in 2003 they fell in love with the Tiger sharks in Aliwal Shoal and decided to move to South Africa to set up their shark diving business to fuel their passion for the sharks.
The boat launches from the protected River estuary in Umkomass and once everyone is on board and holding on tight the boat speeds through the estuary into and through the sometimes huge swells that pound the coastline. Once on the back line it only takes 10 minutes to the location. The current is studied and a suitable location is selected to bring the sharks to the boat. The wait could be from 2 minutes to hours but fortunately the boats do communicate with each other and work together to find the sharks.
Normally the first sharks to arrive are black tip reef sharks sometimes by the dozens. These sharks are relatively harmless and beautiful to photograph.
Once the Tiger Sharks arrive the crew waits for a while until the sharks are comfortable with the boat and the surroundings. If the divers enter the water too soon then the Tiger sharks may become uneasy and leave. The average is two or three Tiger sharks per dive but some times there are exceptions. On one dive in July there were 18 Tiger sharks in the water and the divers had a thrill of a dive although somewhat unnerving!
The key is to keep your eyes on the Tiger sharks at all times when close and they will keep a respectible distance. You may have the option of either freediving with the Tiger Sharks or Scuba. Freediving (snorkelling) is exceptional as the sharks to come very close and sometimes a gentle push with the hand is needed to tell the sharks who is boss.
The typical visibility is from 5m to 40m and water temperature between 22 and 28 Celsius. Wind and swell conditions are usually quite favourable at this time and daytime temperatures range from 20 to 38 Celsius.
Price
R1650 per person
Itinerary of the day
7:00
Meet at the crew house for a light breakfast
7:30
Kit up for the dive (rental gear is available)
8:00
Leave for the River Estuary
8:30
Launch the boat in the safety of the estuary (Most of the year) then run out through the surf-line. Please note that the launch is weather dependent and it is up to the skipper to call off the trip for safety reasons. This must be respected as the launch through the surf in Umkomass is one of the most dangerous in South Africa. Once you are through the backline then it is an easy 15 minute ride out to the dive site.
9:00
Start chumming the water. You will notice on most days as soon as the boat arrives onsite the Black tip sharks come to the boat. The standard time to chum is approximately 45 minutes but it could take much longer to attract the tiger sharks. On most days the dive will only take place once a Tiger shark has been spotted around the boat and it looks comfortable.
10:20
Kit up ready for the dive and slowly slip into the water with the sharks
10:30 - 11:30
The dive does not require much energy as divers will just remain neutral buoyancy at 5-8 meters therefore it is normally a 60 minute dive.
12:00
Return to the beach
Including
1 dive
Tank, boat, weights
Light snack and refreshments served on boat
Not Including
Diving Gear - Additional Extra
Requirements
PADI Scuba open water with at least 20 dives. Surface Snorkelling also excellent (Snorkelling Experience)
What to bring
Sea-sick tablets & dive card
Dive gear
Nerves of steel
Number of divers on the boat
Minimum 4 - Maximum 8
The Boat
Blue Rush have a beautiful black & red 8m semi rigid Zodiac with 2 x 85hp 2 stroke engines on the back. The boat is very spacious and easy to dive from.
Post Holiday feedback Form
REVIEWS
Fantastic Dives and very well run. Raffaella is a star and alerted me when a Tiger Shark decided to have a close look at my fins. Amazing experience!
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