Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Finlay's Point offshore pinnacles

The dive sites Graeme's Spot and The Jambles, Finlays' Pinnacles and Carnaby Street Pinnacle are a group of sites on an inshore, rocky reef, in the Partridge Point area of the Castle Rocks marine reserve on the Cape Peninsula, near Simon's Town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

Understand

These sites are options for all levels of open water diver as there is enough reef above 18 m to keep you busy. They are also a pleasant alternative to other nearby sites, and could be used to reduce the ecological impact of frequent diving on the other sites of the area.

Position

S34°14.903' E018°28.917' Graeme's Spot 📍
S34°14.885' E018°28.890' The Jambles 📍
S34°14.985' E018°28.920' Carnaby Street 📍
S34°14.970' E018°28.780' Finlay's Pinnacle 📍

This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is required. The site is entirely inside the Castle Rocks restricted area of the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area

Name

Graeme's Spot refers to the skipper of the dive boat which first explored and reported the site in 2015
The Jambles is a reference to a rocky region of the same name in Jack Vance's novella "The Dragon Masters"
Finlays' Pinnacle is the offshore pinnacle closest to Finlay's Point.
Carnaby Street Pinnacle was named by the divers on the Pisces Divers boat who first recorded the site.

Depth

Maximum depth is about 24 m. and the top of the pinnacle at Graham's Spot is about 9 m. The pinnacles at Finlay's Pinnacle and Carnaby Street also reach to about 9 m shallowest depth. Average depth of a dive at any of these sites is likely to be about 18 m.

Visibility

Visibility is likely to be much the same as for the other sites in the area.

Topography

Graeme's Spot is centred on a fairly tall pinnacle with a narrow peak at a depth of 9 m. Some way to the northwest is an area of huge boulders with deep narrow gaps, overhangs, caves and swimthroughs, extending from a depth of about 21 m to 10 m on top, that has been called The Jambles. To the south there is another area of big boulders and a pinnacle that has been named Carnaby Street, and to the west of that there is a huge outcrop called Finlay's Pinnacle, as it is just off Finlay's Point. Most of the rest of the reef between and around these pinnacles is between 15 and 21 m deep.

Carnaby street is bordered by a large area of low boulder reef to the east and between it and Graeme's Spot. The slope to the south is steeper and there is a narrow sand tongue separating it from Atlantis Reef.

Geology: Precambrian granite corestones of the Peninsula pluton.

Conditions

Get in

Usually a boat dive. The site is about 2.9 km from the slipway at Miller's Point and 10.2 km from Simon's Town jetty.

It is possible as a shore dive if you are into extreme shorediving. The road is about 100 m above sea level, and the "path" down from the road is a steep gravel slope, partly overgrown by low bush, and slippery when wet. The entry point is fairly protected from the prevailing south westerly swell. This is the shore entry point for the inshore Finlays's Point site. The sites are 450 to 800 m from the entry point, and not visible from the surface, making good navigation skills essential. It is well worth the cost of the boat trip to go by boat.

See

Marine life

Photography

Unless you are very lucky with the visibility, Macro or extreme wide-angle lenses will give the best results. Artificial lighting is necessary with macro lenses.

Suggested routes

No specific routes have been recommended.

Stay safe

Hazards

No known site-specific hazards.

Skills

No special skills required, Enough of the site is shallower than 18 m for it to be suitable for entry level divers.

Equipment

No special equipment required. Nitrox can extend the no-stop time, and a DSMB is useful if you intend to surface away from the shotline, though most fishing boats stay further offshore to pass outside of the rocks at Partridge Point.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Finlay's Point to Partridge Point area

Other regional dive sites:

Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Finlay's Point offshore pinnacles - inshore dive site near Partridge Point on the Cape Peninsula east coast