This story started for me in 1998; I was at the world free diving championships in Sardinia, Italy, as the captain of the SA free diving team. While we were all there to focus on deep free diving, the word was that Umberto had shot a fish at 48m. I marked this as a notable achievement in my world

Picture the scene….World War II and hundreds of Japanese Kamikaze pilots are aiming their planes downwards towards the ocean locking onto a specific target. This is what the gannets remind me of as they dive from the sky into the ocean seeking their target, a sardine

At 7,000 tonnes it’s a big wreck, sitting upright and dipping from 20m at the stern to 42m at the bows. The wreck is just too big to explore in a single dive and as my buddy and I finned around the bridge area I knew it would need more than one dive to really cover the wreck

David Shaw set out to retrieve Deon Dreyer’s remains after ten years, from a depth of 265m at the bottom of the water filled Boesmansgat Cave in South Africa. He succeeded in his task, but the manner in which it was achieved set the scene for an incredible story of human endeavor and tragedy.

The SAS Pietermaritzburg (predictably always referred to as the PMB) was scuttled in 22m of water close to Millers Point in False Bay in 1994. It was an unusual end to an unusual surface career.

South Africa is blessed with a huge variety of shark species that frequent its waters. Much has already been written of the Great White population off Cape Town and the Tiger sharks that are to be found off the east coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal and equally the population of Ragged Tooth sharks and Zambezis (Bull sharks) there.

On Wednesday the 27th of May, the 10th annual Sodwana Shootout kicked off. This was always going to be the shootout to be at and always the one to remember. From humble beginnings to, arguably, the most challenging photographic competition in South Africa, the Shootout has grown up.

There is something insanely illogical about a border between countries. And nowhere is this more evident to me than in Africa. Take this weekend for example: Paul and I drove down from the city of big smoke (Johannesburg for those who don’t know) to the land of endless coastlines (very northern Kwa-Zulu Natal).

The Winter Shootout originated as the brainchild of SCUP (Scubanet Underwater Photography Club) in 2006. SCUP disbanded after running the event successfully for two years. Marius Klue and I took up the challenge and continued the competition so that all Underwater Photographers could continue to meet and compete with each other for some very exciting prizes at Aliwal shoal.

During my advanced course in early December I did a routine dive to the bottom of blue rock, 47m with about 70 seconds on the bottom. Upon surfacing I had blood bubbling up from a lung. Dammit I had popped an alveolus.That’s the problem with routine and complacency. I have done this identical dive so many times over the past 4 years.

You either love sharks or hate them but you cannot deny their purpose and their beauty. They are fascinating creatures yet stir up so much controversy. The Natal Sharks Board is one of the world’s leading shark institutions and one of the most controversial.

Being in the right place, at the right time often makes the difference between an average picture, and a good one. This image of sunlight streaming through a crack in the roof was taken inside a small cave at Jackfish Alley, a popular dive site near Ras Mohammed in the Red Sea, but exactly where the image was taken is less important than when the shutter was pressed.

Paul and I managed to squeeze in some freediving lessons with Trevor during his course in Johannesburg. Unfortunately due to other commitments we were unable to complete the course, but will do so when Trevor returns to Johannesburg for his next course.

I could not resist the invitation to dive on Blood Reef but I should have known better. Intrigued by the name I did some research and discovered that Blood Reef is situated a little over 500 metres behind the backline directly opposite the now-defunct whaling station on the Bluff in Durban.

Freediving has a long history in South Africa. Rooted in the spearfishing and crayfishing communities along our coastlines, freediving has developed a rich and deep culture and following.

In the previous issue of African Diver, we featured the annual Sodwana Shootout underwater photography competition. This issue we are excited to feature the inaugural Sony/Palm Resort Spring Shootout – another competition that looks set to become a feature in the annual dive calendar.

It’s summer in Cape Town. The beach at Camps Bay looks like a scene from Brighton as thousands of tourists pit their lily-white skins against the African sun. The result is always the same – sun: 1, tourists: 0. Summer time in Cape Town is hectic; there is no parking, and it can take you longer to buy an ice cream than to go and milk a cow and make it yourself.

The Sardine migration takes place every year between the months of May and July along the east coast of South Africa. Jean Marx take us through his experience of the migration this year.

The Sodwana Bay Shootout is an underwater photography and video competition that takes place ever year. The shootout is held at Sodwana Bay which is on the north east coast of South Africa.