For easy Society Island reefs, standard tropical dive planning is usually enough: check currents, boat traffic, depth, and no-fly timing. For Tuamotu passes, ask direct questions about tide timing, entry style, maximum planned depth, surface marker procedure, boat pickup, lost-diver protocol, and minimum certification. Carry your own SMB and computer, stay close to the guide, and do not chase sharks, dolphins, or mantas into current. If you are not comfortable with fast drifts, choose Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Huahine, or Tikehau before Rangiroa or Fakarava.

The main hospital and the recompression chamber are in Tahiti. Main islands may have clinics or pharmacies, but outer atolls can have limited advanced care and evacuation can be weather or flight dependent. Bring prescription medication, seasickness treatment, a basic first-aid kit, and travel insurance that explicitly covers scuba, freediving, emergency evacuation, and remote-island medical transport.

French Polynesia combines territory-wide ocean protection, local marine managed areas, a shark sanctuary, and strict rules for marine mammals and other protected species. In practical terms: do not feed wildlife, do not touch coral or animals, avoid standing on reef flats, use moorings when available, support operators that brief protected-species rules, and respect any rahui or no-take zones. Whale approaches are regulated by distance, vessel behavior, guide authorization, and seasonal controls.