Day 11 – An Unscheduled Pause

12 November

Today didn’t go quite as planned. From early morning, things just seemed to fall behind schedule. A few small delays quickly added up, and by the time we hit the road, we were already running late. Traffic didn’t help either.

Our plan was to dive at Menai Bridge in Anglesey. It’s a shore dive we’d been looking forward to, known for its interesting underwater scenery and marine life. But by the time we arrived, the tide had already turned. The Menai Strait is famous for its strong currents, and diving outside slack tide simply isn’t safe.

We stood by the water, hoping that somehow we would be able to dive. But deep down, we knew what needed to happen. It wasn’t an easy call to make, but safety always must come first. With some disappointment, we decided to call the dive and move on.

It was a tough moment, but it reminded us of an important truth, diving isn’t just about what happens underwater. It’s about good judgement, patience, and respect for the sea.

The upside of the day was catching up with David from Porthkerris Divers in Cornwall. David’s a senior instructor and our colleague, with a huge amount of experience, and it was great to spend some time chatting about diving. He’s travelled and dived all over the world, but he still says that his most memorable experiences have been here in the UK. He told us about the time he saw a pod of thirty bottlenose dolphins during a safety stop on one dive, and about all the fascinating submerged wrecks that he has explored. Read David’s story here.

It’s interesting to hear that, even after seeing so much of the world, David still feels drawn to UK diving. Many people learn to dive here but only continue to dive when they go abroad. David’s passion for home waters reminded us how special the UK’s coastline really is. It’s beautiful, unpredictable, and full of surprises.

Not the day we planned, but still a day well spent, with another good reminder of what this journey is really about.

Reflection

Reaching this point in The Great Scuba Drive feels like a real milestone. The days have started to blend together, long drives, changing weather, new dive sites, and plenty of stories along the way. But days like today remind us that adventure isn’t always about what you see beneath the surface.

Calling the dive at Menai Bridge wasn’t easy. We’ve already covered so much ground and met so many passionate people who share our love for diving. Every dive, every delay, and every conversation has taught us something new. This journey has shown us that the best adventures aren’t always the ones that go perfectly to plan. Sometimes the most meaningful days are the ones that don’t go as expected.

Since we didn’t dive today, all the photos in this post are from earlier in the summer at Porthkerris, Cornwall.