Cape RADD
Cape RADD
5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Cape RADD (Research & Diver Development) is a marine research field station based in Simons Town, South Africa. The field station is run by a small team of dedicated scientists. Cape RADD offer Citizen Science experiences to the public which introduces a new way to experience the ocean environment. Join our scientists on a snorkel or scuba dive and help collect valuable data while enjoying the beautiful underwater ecosystem of Cape Town. Swim through lush kelp forests, with playful seals, or alongside the prehistoric sevengill cow shark. After the experience you can show off your sightings to your friends on our FishMap. Stop counting your dives and make your dives count!
Cape Town, South Africa
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
30 reviews
Excellent
30
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
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Timm Hoffman
1 contribution
Sept 2020
Mike was a great guide and taught us a lot about the underwater environment. He was relaxed but super aware of the weather conditions and knew how to manage a small group safely in a professional and responsible way. He drew us in to the fascination of the kelp forest and showed us interesting things that he came across under water. Being in the water can be a rather strange experience but I felt safe with Mike. As my confidence grew I explored more and more the things that I saw and thought were interesting. The pre-dive briefing and the debriefing after we had completed the dive were super informative and unhurried. It was a very positive experience for someone who has not snorkeled for decades.
Written 14 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for this great review Timm. Thanks so much for joining us, it was a pleasure to meet you and take you out. I hope you join us again one day, perhaps with some of your students.
Written 15 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Paul Bennett
Philadelphia, PA5 contributions
Mar 2021 • Family
We did a Citizen Science SCUBA dive with Cape RADD off Simon's Town that was superb. Our focus was to spot, identify, and count benthic shysharks, of which there are four species: pyjama shark, puff adder shark, dark shyshark, and the leopard shy shark. There were four of us, including my two teenage daughters who are studying marine biology, guided by Cape RADD founder and marine scientist, Mike. We did two shore dives just south of Simon's Town on a beautiful late summer day. On the first dive we didn't see any sharks—just two wonderful octopuses. But, on the second we spotted all four species, which was epic, and added that to the database Mike keeps for scientists far and wide.
Mike is a great teacher. He kicked things off with a super informative presentation about the marine environment and various species we might see, which gave us a solid context for the dive. We are all advanced divers, but Mike still went through all the safety checks. And we never went any deeper than 10m (30ft)—so totally suitable for open water certified divers.
The best part of the day was swimming through the kelp forests in False Bay, which is otherworldly and one of the most stunning environments on the planet. We love the film My Octopus Teacher, which was made a short distance away. This experience was like diving into that film. Highly recommend for anyone who loves the sea.
Mike is a great teacher. He kicked things off with a super informative presentation about the marine environment and various species we might see, which gave us a solid context for the dive. We are all advanced divers, but Mike still went through all the safety checks. And we never went any deeper than 10m (30ft)—so totally suitable for open water certified divers.
The best part of the day was swimming through the kelp forests in False Bay, which is otherworldly and one of the most stunning environments on the planet. We love the film My Octopus Teacher, which was made a short distance away. This experience was like diving into that film. Highly recommend for anyone who loves the sea.
Written 13 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wow, what a fantastic review. Thank you for your time in writing this and for joining us for our shark research initiative. We really do appreciate the support and spreading the word of our word.
Until next time!
Mike
Written 31 May 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
naomi f
Ascot, UK39 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
I went on a False Bay expedition with Cape Radd and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. Ideal if you do not want to get wet and still see the wildlife below the water as well as on top. We saw a seal catching and eating a Pyjama shark. Mike Barron was our marine biologist and explained in great detail what we saw or might see and why the oceans provide such diversity. Mike put a Bruv camera below the boat with bait and we could watch the footage. There were opportunities to jump in for a dip if you wanted and two on our trip did saying how warm it was. The breakfast we had in the harbour before setting off was much needed and delicious. I really enjoyed the boat trip too, seeing all the caves and wildlife around the peninsula. I will be back for sure next time I visit Simons Town. Thank you and I look forward to seeing the film footage from our trip on you tube. Jessie and Mike could not looked after us better.
Written 5 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review. We are glad you enjoyed the false bay expedition and look forward to welcoming you back soon!
Written 27 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ryan
Vertou, France14 contributions
Nov 2020 • Family
Absolutely brilliant experience that hits the sweetspot between education and sheer fun. Better than any big game safari in my books and the fact that my 12 year old gave it “20 out of 10” tells you all you need to know. If you are starting out then sea conditions can be tricky by the guys at CapeRadd always seem to have a plan that makes the most of what’s available. We look forward to coming back - often!
Written 27 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jenna
1 contribution
Dec 2019
My last adventure for the year was to go snorkeling among the kelp forests with Cape RADD! The morning started off with an introduction to the False Bay's marine ecosystem and how to identify different types of marine life that we were likely to encounter on our snorkel. And then it was time to go snorkeling! Not having explored the ocean much, I was feeling quite nervous, but our guide, Dylan Irion from Cape RADD, did a great job of explaining what we were going to be doing and how to use the snorkeling equipment...and the nerves disappeared, and the fun began! Whilst exploring the kelp forests, we saw lots of different kinds of fish and were even fortunate enough to spot a few pyjama sharks hiding out in a small cave! There was so much to see, and Dylan did a fantastic job of pointing out various things to us. The experience left me amazed at the diversity of life that exists within the ocean, and that we so easily take for granted. This was an interesting and fun experience that I would highly recommend!
Written 9 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your wonderful review Jenna. We are so glad you enjoyed the experience and welcome you back anytime to help collect more awesome data!
Written 27 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Flint
Manchester, England, United Kingdom2 contributions
Feb 2023 • Solo
I took part in a citizen science snorkel with the Cape Radd team in Simon’s Town and had a great time. Becky our Guide was very knowledgeable and was able to answer everyone’s questions- as a marine biologist she knew exactly where to find something interesting to show us throughout the snorkel and made the experience top fun- High Fives all round!!!
Written 1 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
André
2 contributions
Feb 2021 • Couples
The citizen science snorkeling trip is a must do experience for residents and tourists of Cape Town alike. The Cape RADD team are extremely helpful, friendly and informative and the snorkeling is amazing. You will get a chance to experience the beautiful marine biodiversity of Simons Town whilst doing so in a safe and educational manner. After this trip you will definitely want to keep on going back and contribute in a positive way to the marine environment!
Written 22 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Top banana, thank you for joining us and supporting our work.
Written 31 May 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Beckie G
Cape Town Central, South Africa3 contributions
Nov 2022
I had the most amazing citizen science scuba dive looking for a few species of Shysharks. The entire experience from top to bottom was outstanding! The hub is a buzz of vibey activity and full of cool information on Cape Radd and the Western Cape's incredible ocean systems. Great people, great information, great gear, great diving, great hot chocolate! :-) Wouldn't hesitate to do it all over again - in fact - I plan to!
Written 28 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Naidine
Cape Town, South Africa1 contribution
Aug 2024 • Solo
Despite the conditions of the ocean, I still managed to see so much. The marine guide made sure to make this experience as fun and informative as she could. She answered all my questions, and showed me so much about the life in False Bay. Would recommend this experience to everyone, 5/5.
Written 17 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liz
1 contribution
Aug 2020 • Friends
As someone who is really passionate about conservation, I wanted a way of ‘doing my bit’ and learning more, particularly with marine conservation. The Citizen Science day was a fab opportunity to learn more. The guys who run the course are fab. Easy going and knowledgable. Had a great day and would certainly recommend.
Written 15 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks So much for taking the time to give us a Review! We are so glad you loved the trip and we hope to see you with us out in the water again one day!
Written 21 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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