Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Windtoy Reef

The dive site Windtoy Reef is an offshore rocky reef in the Off-Whittle Eastern Reefs area of False Bay, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

-34.24038318.586511 Windtoy Reef: S34°14.423', E018°35.191', northeast of Whittle Rock. The name "Windtoy Reef" refers to the large shoals of juvenile windtoy fish seen over the higher rocks of the reef during the first recorded exploration dive in August 2026.

Maximum depth is about 40 m on the surrounding sand. The top of the shallowest point is about 24 m. Average depth of a dive is likely to be about 35 m. The site has been surveyed by multibeam sonar to a resolution of about half a metre.

The reef comprises a relatively small area of high profile outcrops and large boulders surrounded by lower profile reef and relatively small boulders and rubble.

Geology: Pre-Cambrian granite, probably of the Peninsula pluton. Jointing appears to be fairly closely spaced.

The site is exposed to wind from all directions, and swell from both southwest and less often, from southeast, so should be dived when the forecast is for low swell in the bay, and light to moderate winds Good conditions may occur at any time of the year, as may bad conditions. This is an area which sometimes has red tides, or lesser algal blooms following a period of strong sunshine, resulting in poor visibility in the surface waters. The depth of the murky water will increase over time and strength of sunshine. There may be clearer water at depth, but it is not reliably predictable.

The sites are only accessible by boat, usually from Simon's Tow,Gordon's Bay Old Harbour or Harbour Island marina.

Anchoring is not recommended. The site is on unpredictable holding ground, and there is a good chance that the anchor will either drag or foul, possibly both, and a rope rode may chafe through during a dive. This is a site where only the suicidally foolhardy would dive from an unattended boat, as it may not be possible to swim back to the boat on the surface due to current, and besides dragging or fouling, the anchor tackle will do undesirable and unnecessary ecological damage. Leave the boat in the charge of a competent person who will be able to pick up stray divers and call for help in an emergency. If for some reason you really must dive from an anchored boat, a distance line to either the anchor cable or directly to the boat will improve the chances of getting back safely.

No known site-specific hazargs.

No special skills recommended

Other offshore dive sites of False Bay:

• -34.22701518.609881 GB Reef
• -34.22798318.6381672 SATS General Botha
• -34.2337318.587723 Bill Liltved's Reef
• -34.239418.5807834 Off-Whittle Ridge
• -34.24743318.56195 Whittle Rock
• -34.24818.5813336 Bruce's Mark
• -34.24961718.5906837 Stef's Reef
• -34.2518518.5429678 Western Deep
• -34.2519318.57159 Midway Ridge
• -34.2525518.57848310 Sandy-top Ridge
• -34.25295518.6082711 South Island Reef
• -34.2539518.5687712 Billy's Reef

• -34.25511618.55188313 Josh's Reef
• -34.25901718.56616714 Wreckless Ridge
• -34.2682818.58061715 Southwood's Corner
• -34.27158318.54538316 Lonehill Reef
• -34.27356718.56681717 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