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Dorking Snorkelling Club Dorking, Surrey, England Branch 3081 of BSAC
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Snorkel Training at Pagham
Getting ready to dive the groynes The Site Pagham is a beach front just west of Bognor Regis near to Selsey Bill . It is a shingle beach with a steep incline to the sea. It is popular with Anglers, Sailors, Windsurfers and Snorkellers. This is a useful training site with the opportunity to gain experience of sea diving relatively close to home. Facilities Pagham Yacht Club We have club membership at Pagham yacht club where we can get drinks and snacks – their cheesy chips are a favourite, use their changing and toilet facilities, and have warm showers! There is a Car park along the track 200m to the west of the Yacht clubhouse. Base We usually set up camp 2-300m to the west of the Yacht Club near the first groynes. We carry equipment from the car park and set up here before briefing on the days plan.
Snorkel Diving There are three main opportunities at Pagham 1) Shore dive around the groynes – look out for crabs and small fish. We can also run training exercises from the shore. 2) Boat dive – practice entries and exits from the boat 3) The Mulberry Harbour – 1 mile out is a sunken World War 2 Mulberry Harbour . It makes an interesting dive, at low water, as it is in effect an artificial reef. Boat We launch the boat at the Yacht club area. This is a difficult launch and needs several people to help control the boat. Please be prepared to help if asked. Recovery uses the Yacht club winch and is hard work coming up the pebble beach so we’ll need all available members to help. Safety This is exposed Open water so safety must be paramount. Buddy pairs will keep together and the Dive leader will set areas of where to go and not go in the sea. We also need to be aware of the affect of the tide. The yacht club have races and are very busy so we keep away from their activity and race course. The area sometimes attracts Windsurfers , Kite surfers and jet skis so we need to be aware of them and ensure that we are not near them. There are usually several Anglers, so we have to watch out for fishing line. Diving the Mulberry at times other than low water can be hazardous because of the spikes of the concrete support structure sticking out , a potential hazard, and also on an incoming tide from low water . It is quite a useful training aid to show the effect of swimming against the tide in one direction, and then being helped by the tide in the other. It is also worth noting that the safety boat should be in as close attendance as safety permits to negate the effect of drift away from the mulberry by the safety boat.
Directions from Dorking Take A24 to Beare Green. At the roundabout take A29 from Burgh Green. Follow this until it reaches the A27 . Join the A 27 headed for Chichester . Follow A27 on the Chichester until reach By-pass. Continue until Second roundabout B2145 Vinnetrow Road and proceed towards the village of Runcton. At the mini roundabout turn left onto the B2166 Pagham Road. Continue along this road passing through Nyetimber and on into Pagham. Turn left into Sea Lane and on into Beach Road and then right into West Front Road. Continue along track for 200m . The yacht club car park is on the right.
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