Scuba Addicts dive centre and lodge in South Africa

Scubaaddicts Dive Lodge - South Africa

HOLIDAY PACKAGE - FROM £1395

Experience SharkWeek South Africa at ScubaAddicts in Umkomaas where owners Craig and Shona aim to get divers up close and personal with as many shark species as possible. Close to Aliwal Shoal, the Lodge and Dive Centre are conveniently located, with sea views from every room.

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

6 nights’ accommodation
Ensuite Room with balcony
Wi-Fi
Flights & Transfers
Continental breakfast
10 shark dives / 2 per day

KEY HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

Eight room beachfront resort
Pool and chill out area
Pizza and braai (barbeque) nights
Lounge with satellite TV and dining area
Nearby world-famous shark diving sites
Combine with Big-5 Safari and Moz SharkWeek

ScubaAddicts vision is to deliver first class scuba diving adventures for qualified divers. The owners Craig and Shona, along with the dive team, will be your hosts and guides for the duration of your stay. They have been arranging scuba diving holidays in South Africa and Mozambique since 2002 so their extensive knowledge of shark diving will ensure you have the best experience possible.

The ScubaAddicts Lodge & Dive Centre in Umkomaas is a purpose-built beach front resort and dive operation ideally placed to access Aliwal Shoal, Protea Banks, and the best tiger shark spots in South Africa, whilst being just 45 minutes away from Durban airport. The on-site dive centre means no daily transfers, you can just wake-up, roll out of bed and go shark diving!

The Lodge has eight rooms, all of which can be made up for single occupancy, twin or double. Each has an en-suite with shower and a private balcony offering stunning, unobstructed ocean views across miles of sandy beaches to the Indian Ocean and Aliwal Shoal, a dive area rated as one of the top shark diving sites in the world! The swimming pool and surrounding sun loungers are the perfect place to relax and enjoy the sunshine, and there is also a comfortable lounge with satellite tv and a dining area. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available for all guests. The chill out areas and braai (bbq) are where divers gather to enjoy mouth-watering home cooked food under the stars, whilst sharing stories from their day.

Umkomaas is a small coastal town on the south coast of KwaZuku Natal, it is the diving mecca of South Africa. The quaint little village has a nice selection of restaurants and coffee shops overlooking the ocean, and there is also a local Nature Reserve and Golf Course. For those looking for an experience of a lifetime we offer combination tours to include diving in both Mozambique and South Africa along with a Big-5 Safari. This 3-night safari gives you the chance to experience Africa's wildlife. You will enjoy 2 days on Open Vehicle Safari in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Reserve and a Hippo and Crocodile River Cruise in St Lucia, South Africa.

Ocean View Rooms

Facilities

Balcony
En-suite Facilities
Double or Twin beds
Wi-Fi
Sea View

All rooms are ensuite and have a private balcony with stunning views overlooking miles of sandy beaches, the Indian Ocean and the Aliwal Shoal.

ScubaAddicts offer a bed and breakfast package, you will be supplied with a continental breakfast whilst enjoying lovely sea views. Breakfast comprises of cereal, yoghurts, fruit, toast, orange juice, tea, and coffee.

Evening meals can be organised as a group or individually and paid for locally with the average lunch cost of around £3 and dinner £7-10. The resort has pizza nights and braai (barbeque) nights and as well as dining out at local restaurants if you wish, but we do strongly recommend the good old home cooking.

Tea and coffee is available throughout the day and evening, water, soft drinks, wines, beers, and ciders are available to purchase from an honesty bar.

SharkWeek South Africa with ScubaAddicts gives you the chance to get up close and personal with some of the world's greatest predators…… SHARKS!

During your stay, you will dive some of the best shark diving sites in the Aliwal Shoal. You can hope to encounter many species of shark found around these waters including tigers, bulls, hammerheads, oceanic blacktips, ragged tooth, dusky, and guitar sharks. The main focus during your stay is to dive with as many shark species as possible! The reefs are also home to a huge variety of other marine life including whales, dolphin, turtles, manta, devil rays, eagle rays, ribbon tails rays, eels, game fish, and many species of reef fish.

When organising the two most important elements of your stay, the diving and the food, Craig and Shona are the perfect hosts by creating an intimate diving and dining experience for sole travellers, couples, friends, or small groups. All divers arrive on the same day so you will dive with the same group for the duration of your stay, along with the fantastic dive team who have many years of experience in the area. Full briefings on underwater behaviour take place at the onsite dive centre before getting kitted up and onto the RIB ready for your adrenaline filled launch from Umkomaas River through rolling surf!

Diving is generally carried out in the morning as windier afternoons make launches more difficult, and most are drift dives in the blue often with strong currents. There is a great selection of dive sites, all up to 30 minutes away, and diving courses are not offered as the diving package is for qualified divers only. There are a maximum of 8 divers per boat plus a dive guide.

South Africa is described by Jacques Cousteau as having some of the best dive sites in the world and is an absolute must for shark lovers. Along with many shark species there are beautiful reefs, caves and crevices, and a couple of wrecks, add to this a plethora of soft corals and sponges attracting over 1200 species of fish, turtles, rays, sharks, and whales. It offers divers sightings from the smallest nudibranch up to huge whales on launches, and sometimes even whale sharks. Rays, eels, dolphins, octopus, scorpion fish, frog fish are just a few of the reef visitors you are likely to see, but its the sharks that usually brings people to this part of the world.

Diving is generally carried out in the morning as windier afternoons make launches more difficult, and most are drift dives in the blue often with strong currents. The depth of dives will vary from 8m to 30m. From March to August there are calmer seas and it is warm and dry, whilst from September to February the sea is calm in morning and choppier in the afternoon. December to February is the hottest time of year.

Average temperatures in Summer (Sept-May):
Air 27-34c / Sea: 24-26c

Average temperatures in Winter (June-August):
Air 18-26c / Sea 20-24c

Daily flights are available from the UK with several airlines either direct to Durban or via Johannesburg.

You will fly into Durban International Airport and then be transferred to the resort; the transfer takes around 45 minutes.

The flight time is 12 hours direct (BA) or with one stopover of approximately 2 hours in Johannesburg.

Your VISA will be issued on arrival in South Africa and is free of charge.

The rand is the currency in South Africa
The time difference is GMT + 2 hours
Resort facilities include free Wi-Fi, satellite TV and a laundry service
Cylinders and air-fills, weight belts and diver permits are all included in your package
Local excursions are available and can be booked on arrival
Rooms are available as single, twin, double and triple and are serviced daily
International and DIN are available
Nitrox is not available
Yellow fins and hoods are not permitted
Full length wetsuits are obligatory
Please follow this link for up to date health advice and details of any vaccinations that are required before travel
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa/health