Safety

How safe is it to cage dive with sharks?

Very. Shark cage diving has in recent years become one of the most popular extreme sports. The prospect of being in a cage within centimetres of those powerful jaws and razor sharp teeth is enough to send icy chills down anyone's spine! The adrenaline rush, however, is mostly based on mankind's irrational fear of the Great White Shark. Movies such as Jaws and the likes have subconsciously brainwashed people into believing these apex predators of the ocean are mindless man eating monsters that will hunt, mangle and devour anything. Thankfully, the truth is far different from the stereotype and people learn this every day on our trips.

Come and live your dream

We know that we work with your dream . . . and Marine Dynamics is the best geared in the industry to make it happen!  Shark cage diving with us will make you overcome this fear of sharks and help you to understand their beauty and grace. The experience puts you in their territory and the safety of the activity allows you to be an observer to learn what Great White Sharks are really like. 

Safety Precautions

Those who want to experience that chilling, thrilling, face to face encounter with these mysterious animals can relax: The expert team of Marine Dynamics has the best gear, is highly qualified and the most experienced in the business to give you that ultimate WOW adventure of a lifetime under extreme safe and secure conditions. The crew will instruct you during the entire trip, so let their expertise guide you throughout your exhilarating time.

• The Slashfin is custom built for superior safety and stability and our dive master skipper and crew have more than 30 years' combined experience of the sea conditions in this area. We do operate in the "Cape of Storms", so all our trips are strictly weather permitting.
• Every trip is preceded by a introductory safety briefing. You are not allowed to jump overboard or to feed, stroke or scare the sharks to "bond" with them - no matter how friendly or companionable they may look! 
• Before we launch, all passengers are fitted with comfortable inflatable life-jackets. Safety is of the utmost importance and we have made the wearing of these jackets compulsory while the boat is moving. This has been designed for your own safety and for the comfort of all of our guests. Should you jump overboard to test the water, you will be floating and thus we can quickly haul you back to safety. Don't give us any ideas about trying out a new decoy! 
• We also have a lid covering the top of the cage, which prevents any accidental intrusion by a shark. Even if you open the lid, it is highly unlikely that a shark would want to snuggle up with eight goggle-eyed aliens!
• The cage is made of a 25mm stainless steel frame and covered with 6mm stainless steel security mesh. It will have to be a miniature shark to get through that mesh!
• Our boat, Slashfin, carries a medical kit and oxygen, and a life raft for 60 people. This is above-standard mandatory emergency precautions.
• We adhere to all safety regulations set forward by SAMSA, the South African Maritime Safety Authority, and DEAT, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

Stick to the rules!

Before the trip, all clients receive a safety briefing explaining the rules and safety precautions aboard Slashfin.  The rules are simple: slow and steady into the cage (no jumping!) and don't try to touch the sharks (yes, you will be tempted).

Like in most extreme sports or activities, there are risks involved in shark cage diving. However, any accidents that have thus far occurred during diving excursions were the result of boat-based incidents and not shark-related.