• Weather first: reef boats and offshore trips can cancel with strong wind or swell. Build buffer days in your itinerary.
• Currents and pickups: drift dives and blue-water ascents require surface signaling. Carry an SMB and know how to deploy it.
• Tropics: during warmer months in northern Queensland, follow marine stinger warnings, use stinger suits when recommended, and know basic first aid steps.
• Cold water: in the south and Tasmania, cold stress can increase risk. Use suitable exposure protection and shorten dives if you are shivering.
• Boats and traffic: always surface with signaling, and follow local practices for dive flags and shore entries.

In an emergency, call Australia's emergency number and follow local operator procedures. Major coastal cities and some regional hubs have hospitals and hyperbaric capability, but remote islands and offshore reefs may require air evacuation.

If you dive regularly or travel to remote areas, consider a dive-specific insurance policy and know how to contact a diving emergency hotline. Keep your passport details, allergies, and insurance numbers accessible offline.

Australia's reefs and temperate ecosystems are managed through marine parks, zoning, and wildlife interaction rules.

• Look, do not touch: avoid contact with coral, kelp, and wildlife.
• Buoyancy and fin control: especially in shallow lagoons where reefs may be within 1 m to 3 m of the surface.
• No-take means no-take: do not collect shells, coral, or marine life in protected zones, and follow anchoring rules.
• Wildlife interactions: keep respectful distances and never chase, feed, or restrain animals.

Choose operators that use moorings where available and brief guests on local regulations.