Dive Review of
Tofo Scuba/Hotel Tofo Mar in
Africa/Tofo, Mozambique

 Cocos, Malpelo, Galapagos, Red Sea, Carribbean, French Polynesia, Truk,
Palau, Red Sea... 

Dive Conditions

Stay with group.  

Very bumpy boat trips for your housings.  Forget about rinse tanks, or even
clean water - and not just on the boat!  

Overall Rating

Last year I met a couple on the Ocean Rover liveaboard who could not stop
raving about their experiences in Mozambique, and Tofo in particular.  They
spoke of countless whale sharks and mantas.  I came with very high
expectations.
The whale sharks were there. Plenty of them.  But we only encountered them
on the snorkelling excursions. In one two-hour trip we had six in-water
encounters with at least three different specimens.  Many other trips
conducted during our stay were similarly successful.  No inwater
encounters.  Marcus Trerup (muckes@freesurf.ch), an independent Swiss
'scuba concierge' who works with local operators, and who introduced
himself to us at the airport as we departed, suggested that the local
operators avoid sites where this might happen because they are concerned
that they may have a problem controlling inexperienced clients. Marcus said
that clients who are prepared to pay for exclusive boat charters and can
persuade the dive centres of their proficiency may be able to persuade them
otherwise...
Visibility was very poor.  3m-6m (10ft-20ft) was the norm.  We did arrive
at equinox. According to Marcus, visibility is better outside of full moon
and no moon (about 2 weeks in the month.) What can be seen are relatively
uninteresting topography (5-9ft coral reefs above a sandy floor) but
teeming with life: from harlequin shrimps, nudis and leaf-fish to
spectacularly huge morays, sea snakes, and massive potato cods.  We saw
mantas on a couple of dives and snorkelled with one after a dive. The soft
and hard corals are mostly healthy, but if you are looking for colourful
gardens, go to Raja Ampat.
Diving is South African style.  Hard-bottomed ribs launched through the
surf from the beach (clients are expected to turn the boat towards the
ocean, push it into the surf, and then jump in.) Trips are an uncomfortable
10-60mins in open boats through choppy waters.  
The two main dive centres operating in Tofo are Tofo Scuba
(www.tofoscuba.co.za) and Diversity (www.diversityscuba.com). We dove with
Diversity on the first day and then switched to Tofo Scuba. Diversity is
managed by Mark, an Englishman and has recently been acquired by a
Portuguese man who is apparently largely absent.  I found the staff there
somewhat unfriendly and was put off by Mark's insistence that my companion,
an Open Water diver, would not be permitted to dive the more interesting
deep reefs even if he completed a Padi 'Deep Diver' specialty unless he
signed for the full AOW course.  
John and Nikki, who run Tofo Scuba, were more accommodating. They  keep a
happier crew of young enthusiastic, mostly South African trainee Dive
Masters. Carlos, one of the first Mozambican native dive masters is a great
critter-spotter. Their crew will also load and unload the dive kit into the
boat, something that Diversity insisted on their clients helping with.
Unlike Diversity, their centre is right on the beach with a pleasant deck
where one can enjoy great breakfast and lunches including superb, freshly
baked muffins.
John will blend Nitrox. The extra bottom time that buys after most other
divers ascended, was well worth it. 
Unfortunately fresh water and electricity are very intermittent in Tofo,
and don't count on everyone having generators. The air conditioner in our
room, one of 3 units in the whole village, was largely ornamental. Tofo is
mainly a backpacker resort. It also attracts lots of Teutonic divers
looking for an alternative to pricy Maldives and the crowded Red Sea. US
based visitors are advised to use a South African agent to help with
logistics. Flights to Inhambane are tricky to book. I strongly recommend
www.mozambiquetravelservice.com.  

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