Weather

You get a full refund, or we move you to another date. Your choice, not ours; there is no third option where you lose money because the wind came up.

We make the call 48 hours ahead wherever we can, so you are not driving to the harbour on a maybe. Occasionally the sea does something the forecast did not and we call it on the morning; that is rarer than people expect, and the refund terms are identical.

The skipper, and the decision is final. They are the person legally responsible for everyone aboard, and they have turned down days that looked fine from the car park.

We would rather move your booking than run a charter nobody enjoys.

Wind speed and gusts, swell height and period, and the forecast trend across your departure window, scored against the class of boat you are on. A day that is comfortable on a 10-metre boat can be unworkable on a 6-metre RIB, so the threshold moves with the vessel.

We watch it from about a week out and firm it up at 48 hours.

For cruising, October through April: longer days, warmer water, and the summer light.

Summer also brings the south-easter, which is the wind most likely to move a booking. Mornings are typically calmer than afternoons, so an early departure is the safer bet in peak wind season.

For fishing it depends on the species. Tuna run October to June and yellowtail bite all year; see the deep-sea fishing charter for what is running when.

Take tablets an hour before departure, not when you start feeling unwell; by then they are much less effective.

If you are unsure how you handle the sea, book one of the bigger, steadier boats rather than a RIB and pick a sheltered charter. El Capitan across False Bay is about as forgiving as it gets. An eight-hour offshore fishing day is not the trip to find out on.