7-8 days for Aliwal Shoal/Protea Banks/Sodwana Bay

[GTT1]

I'm planning 7-8 days diving vacation on South Africa at the beginning of October. I'm want to dive with pelagic fish, but I also love reef dives and diving with big school of fish. I've dived a lot all over the world so I have quite high diving standards .
Are 8-7 days enough for Aliwal Shoal/Protea Banks/Sodwana Bay? or should I focus only on Aliwal Shoal/Protea Banks or Sodwana Bay? How many days would you spent in each place?

 

[ocdiver1]

With that little time you would only be able to reasonably do one of the other (Sodwana Bay or Aliwal/PB). Sodwana Bay is quite remote, maybe 5-6 hours drive from Durban, and if you are going to invest the time in driving there, i'd either make it the only stop on this trip or save it for another. Aliwal and PB are qiute close to each other, maybe an hours drive between the two. I've even stayed in Umkomaas (for Aliwal) and just driven over and back to Shelly Beach (for Protea Banks) for a day or two worth of diving before. I've never been diving in the area In either area in October, however, so maybe someone who has that experience can give some seasonal input that helps you make your final decision.. In general, Protea Banks will be by far your best bet for pelagics, with Sodwana Bay and Aliwal offering varied reef diving.

 

[DivealotZA]

The short answer is yes.

The question is, how tired are you willing to get?

you could do 3 days Aliwal, hop into your car and drive up to Sodwana (+- 6-7 hours) and dive there for 3 days...

Sodwana will probably not live up to your standards for big pelagic life (although sometimes you may get lucky) but there are some wonderful reefs there.

If you do go, our favorite reefs are Bikini, 7 mile, Ribbon and Stringer.

Aliwal would be more where you'd like to spend your time and try get some awesome shark dives in.

Sodwana I'd either dive with Sodwana Bay Lodge (try get Jerry as your Skipper - he's the best there is) or Coral Divers.

For Aliwal I've only dived with Blue ocean scuba - they were pretty decent and a while back Crystal divers which were also pretty good.

I'd say it's worth the 6 hour drive to Sodwana and Back...but don't expect to be "refreshed" after your trip

I've just come back from Sodwana yesterday, you can see some photos here, but again - no big life : https://flic.kr/s/aHsm4LLwqC

Whichever you choose, I'm sure you will get some decent diving either way

 

[jfe]

I can honestly recommend Reef Teach in Sodwana, they give very good info prior to every dive concerning the dive sight, marine life expectations etc. Accomodation is very good and overall great experiences with them every time I've been there and took groups there. Your 8 days will be too short spend there.

 

[AlMitch]

No ways!! That's a blast from the past! My wife and I did our Open Water with Reef Teach more than a decade ago and they were amazing! I'm stoked to hear Brian and Corila are still going strong.

The Fish Id course we did with them is still bearing fruit!

What I would suggest is 5 days diving at Sodwana and then 3 days at Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Game Park for your Big-5 fix!