East London sits on the Indian Ocean where water temperatures stay warm through summer and cool but comfortable through winter, ranging from around twenty degrees in the cooler months to twenty-four degrees at the peak of summer. The area offers a mix of shore and boat diving across nine sites, from sheltered spots like Orient Beach pier and Cove Rock tidal pools to offshore pinnacles and the wreck of the SS King Cadwallon. Three Sisters Reef draws divers to its deepwater ledges where ragged-tooth sharks are known to congregate in caves. Reef life includes hard and soft corals alongside species such as nudibranchs, octopus, cuttlefish, and anglerfish, with sites suited to beginner and intermediate divers.
Monthly water temperature across East London's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Water temperatures peak in late summer around twenty-four degrees and drop to around twenty degrees between late winter and early spring, meaning a three-millimetre wetsuit suits most of the year and a five-millimetre adds comfort in cooler months. Visibility is generally better at offshore sites than at shore entries, and some divers favour the cooler months for reef work at sites like Three Sisters.
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Water temperature around East London ranges from about 20°C in August to 24°C in February, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
In the warm season (about 24°C) a 3mm full suit is comfortable in East London; in the coldest months (about 20°C) step up to a 5mm suit.
Fin maps 9 sites in East London (4 scuba diving sites and 5 snorkelling spots).
8 more sites to explore
