Diving in the UK?

[shinek]

You guys are bringing back memories for me from way back. As an expat who hasn't dived (dove?) in the UK in a lot of years, I am encouraged by these comments. Perhaps I should include a little diving expedition next time I get back to the old country.
As a 16 year old, I knew I was hooked after my first dive, in a creek, in borrowed gear, an ill fitting wet suit and about 8 inches of visibility ...... fantastic, I loved every minute of it!
I was originally trained by BSAC in Chichester and we did a lot of dives off the coast of Selsey and Bognor. Sadly, I am talking pre-BCDs, although Fenzys were around (horse collar type with a pony bottle attached, Fenzy was the manufacturer) but you had to be on the cutting edge to have one of those.
Do people still dive the Mixon Hole or the Mulberry Harbours out there? Also, we spent weekends down in the Weymouth, Portland area. Is HMS Hood still diveable in the harbour entrance there? That was a fun dive, but a little hairy when the current started to pick up.
Ah, the memories come flooding back. Enough of the old fart talk, hook up with someone in the UK and get out and dive.

[Finless]

Do people still dive the Mixon Hole or the Mulberry Harbours out there? Also, we spent weekends down in the Weymouth, Portland area. Is HMS Hood still diveable in the harbour entrance there? That was a fun dive, but a little hairy when the current started to pick up.
Ah, the memories come flooding back. Enough of the old fart talk, hook up with someone in the UK and get out and dive.

The first few Google replies:-

MIXON HOLE

Divernet | UK Features (General) | Summer superdiveslobsters are rare in these parts but can be found at Mixon Hole At the bottom, the seabed is covered in shells. The biomass to produce such a covering is ...
http://www.divernet.com/cgi-bin/arti...mer+superdives... - 87k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Castaways Sub-Aqua ClubWe dived the Mixon Hole, only just getting there in time for slack. All the books say that the Mixon is one of the best dives in England, ...
www.castawayssac.org.uk/tripreports/brac1198.htm - 8k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

NAS adopted wreck: The Mixon Hole, Selsey BillAn adopted site does not need to be a 'wreck' and the Mixon Hole off Selsey Bill is a case in point. Some believe this site to be an old Roman quarry. ...
http://www.nasportsmouth.org.uk/proj...ites/mixon.php - 5k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Events CalendarMixon Hole The area around Selsey Bill was dry land 2000 years ago and the site ... The Mixon Hole, as the dive is called, is more like a basin now and is ...
http://www.e-aquanauts.co.uk/wd/cgi-...d=11832&user_i... - 24k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this


Mulberrys

Diving on the Outer Mulberry: BMLSS InformationOuter Mulberry. Jane Lilley reports from a dive off Sussex. The 1944 invasion of France included the use of floating Mulberry harbour units. ...
www.glaucus.org.uk/mUlberry.htm - 17k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

UK DivingType : Phoenix unit (Mulberry Harbour component), Built :. Shipyard : ... When to Dive Best time to dive the wreck, relative to high wate ...
www.ukdiving.co.uk/wrecks/wreck.php?id=265 - 24k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

BSAC Diving Gallery - top of the mulberry harbour unittop of the mulberry harbour unit ... an awesome dive with top at 35m and bottom at 50m - huge holes and covered with anenomes, fan coral, rose coral, ...
gallery.bsacforum.co.uk/showphoto.php?photo=365&limit=recent - 18k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this




HMS Hood

[PDF] Portland Harbour, Wreck of HMS HoodFile Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
would be granted to dive on the former HMS HOOD, sunk as a blockship in the South Ship. Channel in 1914, until the condition of the collapsing structure, ...
http://www.bsac.org/uploads/document...ccess/hood.pdf - Similar pages - Note this

NAS ProjectsInterestingly, considering the recent ban on diving HMS Hood imposed by the Portland Harbour Authority (PHA), the survey also shows that the upper parts of ...
http://www.nasportsmouth.org.uk/proj...nd_map2004.php - 17k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

[shinek]

Finless, thanks for this, it refreshes the pictures in my mind. Not surprised diving on the Hood was stopped, it was a tough enough dive 20+ years ago, I can only imagine what time and tide have done to her since. Interesting to see the side scan sonar pictures in one of the articles though. Very cool.
As for the Mixon Hole and Mulberry Harbours, glad to hear they're still going strong. I recall getting geared up in the rain on a cold Sunday morning in the car park and then launching the rib from the beach at Selsey, so the description given in one of those articles was particularly entertaining for me.
Hopefully I'll get back there to dive them again at some stage.
Thanks again.

[Finless]

Finless, thanks for this, it refreshes the pictures in my mind. Not surprised diving on the Hood was stopped, it was a tough enough dive 20+ years ago, I can only imagine what time and tide have done to her since. Interesting to see the side scan sonar pictures in one of the articles though. Very cool.
As for the Mixon Hole and Mulberry Harbours, glad to hear they're still going strong. I recall getting geared up in the rain on a cold Sunday morning in the car park and then launching the rib from the beach at Selsey, so the description given in one of those articles was particularly entertaining for me.
Hopefully I'll get back there to dive them again at some stage.
Thanks again.

No probs. Glad you got some happy memories of the good old 'recession bound', chav and hoody infested UK.

[Cath Darton]

Hi - what a good question and some good answers all of which I will support. the Mulberry's is probably my favourite dive, especially as it is near to me - and the James Egan Layne is always good - just to mention 2 of the best out of many more.

To those looking at this thread might be interested in a website I have put together tell you about all the dive charter boats (I think!) running in the UK. The site will tell you min booking number, season the boat runs, whether boat has lift etc. www.divesearch.co.uk

If you need accom there are now plenty of listings for the south coast and southwest coast boats - no excuses not to plan some trips now - summer's coming...

Cath