DISA - Cape Town & Western Cape
Dropping onto the DISA is a deep dive, sitting at 58 metres, definitely one for experienced tech divers with the right gas mix. This steamship went down in '67 after tangling with the trawler Lupin, and she's surprisingly intact for a wreck of her age and depth. You’ll find her upright, with a good chunk of her 47.9-metre length still well-defined, offering plenty to explore if you’re comfortable with the penetration. Even though the original cargo is long gone, the wreck itself has become a bustling apartment block for local reef fish and the occasional shy dogshark. We’ve seen everything from colourful nudibranchs clinging to the superstructure to schools of hottentot darting in and out of the hold, making it a proper deep-water exploration with a healthy dose of marine life.
- Location
- Cape Town & Western Cape, South Africa, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- -33.876667, 18.331112
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 58m
Marine Protected Area: Robben island Marine Protected Area
Best Time to Dive in Cape Town & Western Cape
The warmest water temperatures in Cape Town & Western Cape occur in January, averaging 18.9°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 18.9°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 18.9°C (air: 20.8°C)
- February: 18.9°C (air: 20.7°C)
- March: 18.9°C (air: 19.5°C)
- April: 18.9°C (air: 17.3°C)
- May: 18.9°C (air: 15.8°C)
- June: 18.9°C (air: 15.0°C)
- July: 18.9°C (air: 13.2°C)
- August: 18.9°C (air: 13.2°C)
- September: 18.9°C (air: 13.9°C)
- October: 18.9°C (air: 16.5°C)
- November: 18.9°C (air: 17.8°C)
- December: 18.9°C (air: 19.3°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Cape Town & Western Cape
- 13th Apostle (cave)
- ADELFOTIS - 15m (wreck)
- A Frame - 5-20m (reef)
- A-frame Cape Town (pinnacle)
- A-frame Cape Town (reef)
- ALBACORE - 60m (wreck)
- Albatross Rock (reef)
- ALCESTIS - 31m (wreck)
- Alpha Reef (wall)
- AMERICA - 12m (wreck)
- Ammunition Barges - 9m (wreck)
- Andre se Gat - 15-30m (cave)
- AN HUNG NO.1 - 2m (wreck)
- Ankers (reef)
- Anvil Rock (pinnacle)
Nearest Dive Centres to DISA
- Alpha Dive Centre - ["PADI","NAUI"]
- Alpha Dive Centre - Strand
- Bellville Underwater Club - ["CMAS","IANTD"]
- Best Kiteboarding Africa
- Blue Flash
- Cape Town Dive Centre - PADI
Marine Life in Cape Town & Western Cape
Home to 271 recorded species including 176 reef fish, 45 sharks & rays, 28 whales & dolphins, 5 hard corals, 4 other, 4 octopus & squid.
Notable Species
- Tuna (Thunnus alalunga) - Reef Fish
- African Weakfish (Atractoscion aequidens) - Reef Fish
- California Yellowtail (Seriola lalandi) - Reef Fish
- Elf (Pomatomus saltatrix) - Reef Fish
- Rig (Galeorhinus galeus) - Sharks & Rays
- Allison's Tuna (Thunnus albacares) - Reef Fish
- Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) - Reef Fish
- Stripy (Katsuwonus pelamis) - Reef Fish
- Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) - Reef Fish
- Jac (Helicolenus dactylopterus) - Reef Fish
- Salema (Sarpa salpa) - Reef Fish
- Angel (Brama brama) - Reef Fish
- Ribbonfish (Lepidopus caudatus) - Reef Fish
- Cosmopolitan Spurdog (Squalus megalops) - Sharks & Rays
- Shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) - Sharks & Rays
- pearl-side (Maurolicus muelleri) - Reef Fish
- Gaper (Champsodon capensis) - Reef Fish
- Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) - Sharks & Rays
- Bronze whaler (Carcharhinus brachyurus) - Sharks & Rays
- Common brittlestar (Ophiothrix fragilis)
Recommended Packing List for DISA
Based on average water temperature of 18.9°C.
- Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 19°C water
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories