The dive site Offshore Barges is an offshore recent wreck in the Simon's Town area of False Bay, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand

This is one of the closest 40 m wreck dives to a convenient launch site in False Bay

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

Position

1 North Barge: S34°12.473' E18°30.950'.

2 South Barge: S34°12.483' E18°30.936'.

This site is in the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area, proclaimed in 2004. A permit is required.

Name

The name "Offshore Barges" is a description of the main features of the site.

Depth

Maximum depth is about 40 m, and the top of the wreckage is about 38 m.

Visibility

Visibility is variable and unpredictable. This is a site where visibility can be very poor in a band a few metres above the bottom, while quite a bit better above 30 m. The reason for this is not known.

Topography

The rather wasted wreckage of two rectangular steel barges on a flat sand bottom.

Geology: Sand bottom with shell.

Conditions

The site will usually be at it's best in early winter, but there are also occasional opportunities at other times

This is an area which sometimes has a dark band of murky water below 30 m, caused by unknown circumstances, possibly seasonal, resulting in poor visibility.

Get in

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

Access to the site is by boat. The site is about (distance) km from Miller's Point slipway or (distance) km from Simon's Town jetty.

See

Marine life

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

There is an unusually high density of horse mussels and small white whelks in the sand near the wrecks.

Stay safe

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

Hazards

Cold water is possible. Strong winds may develop over a short time. Nitrogen narcosis may be expected on air and Nitrox dives. If there is a current there is a risk of being carried away from the wreck if you do not descend and ascend on the shotline or anchor cable.

Skills

Competence and certification to dive to 40 m is expected. The ability to deploy a DSMB is strongly recommended. Training and competence in the use of other equipment that may be used is necessary. The charter skippers will generally only take divers that they know are capable or are under direct supervision of an instructor.

Equipment

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

A DSMB and reel are highly recommended in case of being separated and off the wreck. There is seldom much current, so an upline is not required. A light is also strongly recommended as it is frequently quite dark due to overcast conditions and poor visibility above the thermocline.

Nitrox can increase no-stop time, and Trimix will reduce the severity of nitrogen narcosis. A dry suit will be warmer both during the dive and while travelling there and back, specially in winter. A fairly large cylinder will be required, and either a pony cylinder or isolation manifolded twins will give the peace of mind of an independent backup gas supply.

Nearby

Other offshore dive sites of False Bay:

• 1 Choirboys Reef
• 2 Seal Island
• 3 Drop Zone
• 4 East Shoal
• 5 Moddergat
• 6 Sterretjies Reef
• 7 York Shoal
• 8 SAS Fleur
• 9 Steenbras Deep - South Pinnacles
• 10 Blue Flame Pinnacles
• 11 SATS General Botha
• 12 Off-Whittle Ridge
• 13 SAS Bloemfontein
• 14 Whittle Rock
• 15 Bruce's Mark
• 16 Deep South Whittle Reef
• 17 Anvil Rock
• 18 SS Lusitania
• 19 Rocky Bank

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of wreck dive sites in the False Bay 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