Diving the Mulberries

[Richie N]

I'm looking at planning a dive to the mulberries (off Bognor) and was interested in your thoughts about the necessary of diving them mid-tide, ie not on slack? and the main differences between the near and far mulberries in terms of any tidal issues?.

thanks,
Rich.

[MattS]

I'm looking at planning a dive to the mulberries (off Bognor) and was interested in your thoughts about the necessary of diving them mid-tide, ie not on slack?On the far mulberry it's possible. We often do it as a 2nd dive. Depends on choice of tides. I would not bother considering it too close to springs.

The shot is some distance from the wreck so you would have to be comfortable getting down and pulling yourself along a ground line with a cross current for about 20 meters (horizontal) or so. There is plenty of shelter inside the main structure but there is not a great deal of structure (roughly half of the wreck overall). There is a scour where the tide rips around the (NW?) corner of the main block and it's hard work in a current. Not much fun for novices. You would have no chance of getting to the cuckoo and bombardon (which are roped from the mulberry). You should be OK with divers drifting off accidentally provided they get their DSMB up quickly.

and the main differences between the near and far mulberries in terms of any tidal issues?.Never dived the near mulberry. I hear it is not up to much but each to his own.