The Mixen Hole (50 42 40N; 00 46 15W) off Selsey East Beach is an example of an underwater archaeological site being a Roman Quarry. Apparently divers are able to view historical remains that provide for an interesting alternative & fascinating wall dive experience 21-28m which you can ‘skydive’ down to the bottom. You can also apparently have an exciting drift dive along a 6-8m shelf.

It is thought to be part of a riverbed from Roman times (max depth 29m) – Mixen Hole is said to have huge rounded stones on the seabed believed to be balls used with an ancient catapult or marl concretions from the Ice Age. (Well I saw loads of round looking things so that must have been them!).

Some dive reports have suggested that the viz/dive was reminiscent of a salty Gildenburg! And there’s not a lot of marine life. Others say its just a 20m high mud cliff, with approx 5m of limestone-ish (more likely blocky chalk,) but its difficult to tell underwater!

It is a strange place – different currents going on but once over the 5/7m ledge you can sky dive to the bottom at 22-26m. There’s a claying thing going on which for some reason is no good when trying to cling onto a ‘rock’ with a crab hook – funny that!

It was like spider crab city on the first part of the dive, there were also small edible crabs, and a few lobsters and velvet swimming crabs in the ledges and amongst the rocks. I think there were some Ballen Wrasse (big white solitary fish) Gobies or Blennies the ones with a continuous dorsal fin that appear to sit on their bottom fins staring at you.

Weird dive in a way as we had the current over the interesting bit and slack over the bland bit.