The Great Scuba Drive, Day 1: Cornwall to Surrey

Join Rico Anselmi and Sophie Shields as they take on The Great Scuba Drive — an ambitious month-long diving road trip from Cornwall to Scotland.

From freshwater lakes and historic quarries to dramatic coastal sites and wild northern lochs, the duo are exploring the best of UK diving while documenting every moment along the way. Their mission is to showcase the beauty, challenge, and community spirit of cold-water diving — and inspire others to dive into the adventure.

And we’re off! The Great Scuba Drive officially began at 9am on the 2nd of November. With good luck wishes ringing in our ears and more hugs than we could count, we set off from Porthkerris, winding our way through the narrow Cornish lanes to begin our journey from Cornwall to Scotland. Excitement bubbled over, mixed with just a touch of apprehension as this was the start of something that we had been planning for months.

Our first stop was a beautiful campsite near Dorking in Surrey, a drive that should have taken around seven hours. Unfortunately, the traffic gods had other plans. Endless roadworks slowed our progress and then came the real challenge, a full closure of the M3 motorway close to the M25 junction, due to a multi-car pileup.

Following the diversion signs, we soon found ourselves on a road that was far too narrow for our vehicle and caravan. After several tense moments, we had to admit defeat and had to try to carefully turn around. Turning a car towing a caravan, on a slope, on an impossibly narrow road seemed to be impossible. What could easily have become a disaster on the very first day was averted by Rico’s calm head and expert driving, a true masterclass in logistics, problem-solving, and sheer nerve.

More than two hours behind schedule, we finally rolled into Henfold Lakes. The site owners were absolute stars, kind, patient, and genuinely concerned for our wellbeing as we updated them along the way. Their warm welcome and understanding made all the difference after such a long day, and we’d highly recommend this campsite to anyone passing through Surrey.

After settling in, we headed out for a meal at The Parrot Pub in Forest Green before turning in for the night, grateful that Day 1, despite its challenges, had ended safely, and that our adventure was truly underway and we are so excited to see where it takes us.