Reefwander
Pink and white branching coral rising from an orange-encrusted rock, with yellow and red sponges around its base — Hermanus.

Hermanus · South Africa · Reef · Wall

Preekstoel

A sheltered ledge and small wall used for dive training

Area photo: Peter Southwood · CC BY-SA 3.0

Preekstoel is a Hermanus reef with a flattish ledge topping out at about 8 m and a small wall below it that drops to around 15 m. It is sheltered enough to be dived in almost all but the worst conditions, and it is a popular spot for dive training.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Preekstoel: typical dive 8–15 m (26–50 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit8 m15 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

No published position for this site — the map shows Hermanus and its other sites; operators know the mooring.

The dive

The top of the site is a flattish ledge at about 8 m, and from its edge a small wall drops to around 15 m below the surface. Hard and soft corals grow over the reef with a large variety of sponges, among them giant orange wall sponges and barrel sponges. Cape octopus, shysharks, pipefish and starfish live on the ledge and the wall.

Marine life and season

  • Octopus & cuttlefish
Month-by-month season rating for Preekstoel
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGood

Season follows Hermanus: Boats run year-round, weather permitting, so no month stands out; June to December adds southern right whales seen from shore.

Sources

  1. Diving Services offered by Scuba Africa, Hermanus — Scuba Africa
  2. Hermanus Dive Spots — South Africa Online

More dive sites in Hermanus

Big smooth boulders scattered over sand patches

to 9 mbeginner

Two pinnacles on a narrow ledge where surge bubbles between the rocks

to 23 mintermediate

Pinnacle

A pinnacle that nearly breaks the surface above a steep wall

to 26 madvanced

Broken reef threaded with sand gullies, divable from shore or boat

to 17 mintermediate

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