England, South East
An introduction
From the Thames Estuary to the Isle of Wight and the Solent, the South East corner of England comprises the coastlines of the counties of Kent, East and West Sussex, and Hampshire. Its diving devotees will tell you that the area includes some of the finest diving to be found anywhere in the world. When you consider some of the dive sites around this part of England's coastline, it's difficult to disagree.
The Kent coast begins at Gravesend in the Thames Estuary, and includes the towns of Margate, Whitstable and Ramsgate as well as the main English Channel ports of Dover and Folkestone, and runs as far as Broomhill Sands, near Rye.
Sussex begins at Rye and the coastline includes the holiday towns of Hastings, Brighton, Littlehampton and Bognor Regis. The port and harbour at Chichester marks the border with Hampshire, where the coast continues west towards Portsmouth, the Solent and the Isle of Wight, where this overview ends and the South West area begins.
When Diver magazine asked renowned wreck expert Kendall McDonald to choose his top 100 UK wreck dives, the South East provided six of the top 50 names, including the no. 3 wreck, Moldavia. The six wrecks listed were:
Moldavia: Launch from Littlehampton. A 9505 ton P&O liner, in 45m
Position: 50 23 13N; 00 28 72W
Duke of Buccleuch: Launch from Littlehampton. A 3099 ton 4-masted iron steamer
Position: 50 29 50N; 0026 03W
Argonaut: Launch from Rye. A 3274 ton Iron Steam yacht, in 32m
Position: 50 48 55N; 00 50 53W
Alaunia: Launch from Eastbourne of Bexhill. A 13,405 ton Cunard liner, in 36m
Position: 50 41 05N; 00 27 28E
Shirala: Launch from Littlehampton. A 5306 ton British liner
Position: 50 40 92N; 00 35 17W
War Helmet: Launch from Littlehampton. A 8184 ton British Steamer
Position: 50 37 38N; 00 36 50W
The presence of so many renowned dives should not give the impression that the South East is only about advanced, technical diving. In addition to these superb sites, the Second World War provided any number of interesting wreck dives, including the Mulberry Harbour (also known as the Far Mulberry or just The Mulberry) where many aspiring divers have had an early taste of wreck diving, in non-challenging conditions, amongst clouds of fish. The Mulberry can be found at 50 44 38N; 00 42 19W. This dive is probably the best site on the south coast for those who like to see lots of fish.
In the same area there is the unusual wreck site, of HMS Hazardous (50 45 10N; 00 51 47W). This ex-French, late 17th century warship, was captured by the British Navy, and used to fight the French, before sinking in a gale in 1706. Its remains were discovered several years ago, by local divers, and it is now a protected wreck. However, divers can still visit the site, but only on pre-arranged escorted dives, via Wittering Divers (telephone: 01243 672031)
Moreover, the south-east coast is not only about wreck diving. Over many years erosion has pushed back the coastline. In Roman times much of, what is now, coastal water was dry land. To the east of Chichester Harbour, around the area of Selsey Bill, there are the remains of a Roman road, settlements and workings.
Mixon Hole (50 42 20N; 00 46 20W) and the nearby Roman Quarry (50 42 40N; 00 46 15W) are but two examples of underwater archaeological sites. Here divers are able to view historical remains that provide for an interesting alternative dive experience.
The vast majority of the diving along the South East coast is from boats, whether that be inflatables, RIBs or hard / day boats. If you don't have access to your own boat, and need a good reference for dive sites and boats / skippers in Kent, this can be found at the unusually named http://www.divingsussex.co.uk/Kent%20Dives.htm while sites and boats for East and West Sussex and Hampshire are available at http://www.divingsussex.co.uk. Details of dive shops for air fills and gear purchases are available on the same sites.
The Straits of Dover, and the English Channel generally, are one of the World's busiest areas for commercial shipping. When using your own boat, take care to remain outside of the main shipping lanes as much as possible. If you need to cross or use the shipping lanes, be aware of, and follow, the "one way" system and have regard for the fact that large craft generally have limited manoeuvrability and thus have right of way.
The South East, in addition to being a superb diving coast, is also one of the main holiday areas of England, with the towns of Brighton, Hastings, Littlehampton and Bognor Regis being a particular focus. For divers this is both a blessing and a curse. Holidaymakers require accommodation and as a result, the range on offer is considerable, from the very basic to the extremely luxurious. The downside is that the holiday season largely matches the main diving season, and so some advance planning is required to ensure that campsites, rooms or hotels are available when required for dive trips.
Useful reference points for finding and booking accommodation in the area include e-mailing enquiries@tourismse.com or by visiting the Visit Southern England website at http://www.southerntb.co.uk/Consumer/Placestostayindex.htm
Car parking in popular spots is another factor to be taken into consideration when diving in a holiday area during peak season. Demand for parking spaces is likely to be heavy. This may well mean an early start, to ensure spaces. However, consideration for other car park users, by not spreading kit around / not getting changed in the open and so forth, will reflect well on divers generally. It will also prevent expensive dive kit being squashed and broken by being run over.
BSAC branches are a source of local assistance and knowledge. Details of SouthEast branches can be found on the BSAC member's site at http://bsac.org/branches/seast.htm. When you are planning your trip, information regarding weather and sea conditions can be found at http://www.ybw.com/weather/home.html and http://www.btx.co.uk/buoys.htm
UK DIVE GUIDES
Books and guides to help you plan, and to take with you - buy on-line.
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Selsey
SUSSEX - Our Haven, Newhaven! by Richard Nokes
SUSSEX - Eastbourne by Dave Beading
Littlehampton by Steve Jones
Diving From Copperhead II, Littlehampton by Simon Nash
Diving From Girl Grey, Brighton by Steve Jones
Beachy Head, Ville de Bordeaux and Irisbrook by by Gavin Blackwell
East Kent
The white cliffs of Dover
Littlehampton
Inflatables ready to go
The Needles, Isle of Wight
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