INLAND DIVING, NEAR JOHANNESBURG.
The popular inland dive spots frequented by NUC are Bass Lake, Marico Oog, Miracle Waters, Wondergat, and Bass Lake.
Al l are, on average, a 1 – 2 hour drive from Johannesburg, and they are often used as training venues, as well as being a viable alternative for divers who cannot get to the coast often enough!
MARICO OOG
Marico Oog is a natural spring close to the towns of Groot Marico and Zeerust. The water is crystal clear with lilies growing in abundance, and floating on the water surface. The water is so clear one can see the full moon from underwater on a night dive. One enters the water from a deck surrounded by reeds, and dives between the lilly fronds to the centre of the ‘oog’, situated at a depth of about 14 metres. A training grid is suspended at a depth of 5 meters. The ‘oog’ resembles a water nymph’s playground with the sun shining through the curling underwater roots of the lilies and soft moss growing on the bottom. A fence through the middle of the ‘oog’ bears testimony to a feud between the two farmers on whose land the site is situated!
There are two rondavels for rent, rolling green lawns to camp on, and it is a highly recommended dive site. At present no facility to refill dive cylinders is available. A trip to Marico Oog usually involves sundowners on the pont on the ‘oog’, and a mampoer tasting on one of the nearby farms.
MIRACLE WATERS
Miracle Waters is situated close to Brits and is primarily used for training purposes. It is an old granite quarry and the maximum depth is approximately 30 metres. The water is reached by walking down easy declines. Various items of interest have been submerged in this flooded quarry. These include an aeroplane, a desk and telephone, a bus, a yacht, a toilet and a helicopter. Most divers have the requisite photograph of themselves driving the bus, sitting behind the desk, and on the toilet, as part of their collection....
Containers have been outfitted as accommodation and the ablution facilities are of a good standard. Refills are available on site, and there are good facilities for braaing and picnicking, and Brits is close enough for a meal if you do not want to braai.
WONDERGAT
Wondergat, a collapsed sink hole between Lichtenburg and Mafeking, has been the scene of many a great NUC diving week-end. The depth varies with the level of the surrounding water table. The ‘bottom’ is usually at about 38 meters, and, only if you have the necessary qualification, you may enter the cave, going as deep as 60 meters. It is this unique feature, combined with rash decision making on the part of some divers, that has also given Wondergat its darker reputation.
Serviced campsites, and good ablution and cylinder refill facilities, make this a pleasant dive site for a weekend away from Johannesburg.
BASS LAKE
This abandoned and flooded quarry, situated near Meyersdal, is one of the original training venues, dating back to ‘the early years’. The owners are constantly upgrading the site, with numerous large lapas, a shop, and cylinder refill facilities. One may also overnight at this site. Numerous objects have also been submerged in the quarry, and the maximum depth is about 28 meters. It is considered as the training venue ‘du jour’.
