Diving at Fisherman's Beach

The dive site Fisherman's Beach is a shoreline rocky reef in the Oatlands area of Simon's Town on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand

Aerial photo showing location of the dive sites at Froggy Pond (top) and Fisherman's Beach (bottom). (photo CDS&M)

See also: Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay#Understand

Position

1 Fisherman's Beach: S34°12.357’ E018°27.497’

The next cove south of Froggy Pond. It has a much longer beach.

This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is required. The site is entirely inside the Boulders Restricted Zone.

Name

No record has been found for the origin of the name "Fisherman's Beach". It is not even popular as a fishing spot.

Depth

Shallow. The 10 m contour is over a hundred metres from the shore.

Visibility

Visibility is not very good as it is shallow and the surge lifts the fine sand, but it is usually well illuminated.

These rocks half way along Fisherman’s Beach are a bit shallow, but are encrusted with marine organisms.

Topography

Granite boulders of various sizes on mostly sand bottom with some reef. None reaching surface at fairly low tide.

Geology: Late Pre-Cambrial granite of the Peninsula pluton.

Conditions

Very sheltered area, usually only dived if other local sites too rough. It is a relatively safe entry end exit even when too rough to be worth diving, as it is very shallow and wave action will make the surge unpleasant. The site is exposed to wind and waves from the south east, and may be good in north westerly or south westerly winds. The site is reasonably protected from south west swell.

Facilities

Roadside parking bays on far side of road

Get in

View of the northern end of Fisherman’s Beach. The rocky point is between Froggy Pond and Fisherman’s beach

This site is normally a shore entry dive.

Parking on inshore side of main road. Easy entry anywhere along the beach.

See

Marine life

See also: Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay#The marine ecology

Kelp and invertebrates on boulders.

Routes

Swim out to kelp forest on boulders to south of main beach. Area repays careful examination of encrusted rocks.

Stay safe

See also: Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay#Stay safe

Hazards

No site specific hazards recorded.

Skills

No special skills required. Suitable for novice snorkelers.

Equipment

See also: Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay#Equipment

No special equipment recommended.

Nearby

• 1 Windmill Offshore
• 2 Windmill Beach
• 3 Outer Windmill
• 4 Froggy pond
• 5 D-Frame
• 6 A-Frame
• 7 Insanity Reef

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Seaforth to Froggy Pond area

Other regional dive sites:

• Dive sites of Table Bay and approaches,
• Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast
• Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches
• Dive sites of False Bay east coast
• Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area