Diving at Lonehill Reef

The dive site Lonehill Reef is an offshore rocky reef in the Off-Whittle southern reefs area of west central False Bay, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand

See also: Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches#Understand, Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay#Understand

Whittle rock and surrounds 181022

Position

1 Lonehill Reef: S34°16.296' E18°32.723' A patch of reef southwest of Whittle Rock reef on the sand at about ? m, rising to ? m on top. Much of the reef is fairly flat and covered with moderate sized boulders with sand between them. Known depths between 39 and 43 m. Surveyed by multibeam in 2022. This site is not in a Marine Protected Area. A permit is not required.

Name

The name "Lonehill" was given because it is an isolated hill on a flat sand bottom.

Depth

Maximum depth at the edge of the surrounding sand is probably about (depth) m. and the top of the reef is about (depth) m. (Average depth of a dive is likely to be about 42 m.)

Topography

A large part of the reef is fairly low profile boulders and small outcrops with sandy patches between them.

Geology: Precambrian granite of the Peninsula pluton.

Get in

See also: Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay#Boat dives

Boat access only. The site is about 16.9 km from Simon's Town Jetty, or 10 km from Miller's Point slipway, which is the nearest point on land.

Do

See

Marine life

• 
  Noble corals
• 
  Pink noble corals
• 
  Soft coral
• 
  Decorator crab on sponge
• 
  Deepwater urchin and sponges
• 
  Soft coral and sponge

Photography

Macro with artificial lighting is most likely to give good results.

Stay safe

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

Hazards

Just the depth.

Skills

The ability to deploy a decompression buoy, and follow a decompression schedule appropriate to the dive profile, and this is a site where trimix is recommended for the deeper parts.

Equipment

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

This is a relatively deep dive. Carry enough of appropriate gases to allow safe decompression. A DSMB is strongly recommended, as is a suitable trimix for breathing gas.

Nearby

Other offshore dive sites of False Bay:

• 1 SATS General Botha
• 2 Off-Whittle Ridge
• 3 Whittle Rock
• 4 Bruce's Mark
• 5 Midway Ridge
• 6 Sandy-top Ridge
• 7 Southwood's Corner
• 8 Josh's Reef
• 9 Wreckless Ridge
• 10 Deep South Whittle Reef

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of reef dive sites in the Whittle Rock and surrounds offshore area

Other regional dive sites:

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