Sicherheit · Destination Guide
Tide-timed wrecks, kelp-clad pinnacles, and wild Atlantic days around Lundy's grey seals
Lundy combines advanced marine conditions with sensitive wildlife and protected heritage. The safest plan uses an experienced local skipper, conservative personal limits, clear surface-signaling procedures, and a schedule that accepts cancellation. The conservation baseline is equally direct: take nothing, do not manipulate animals for photographs, maintain distance from hauled-out seals and nesting birds, respect the No Take Zone, and confirm the legal status of every wreck before diving it.
Strong tidal streams make site-specific local knowledge essential. Several pinnacles, wrecks, and gullies are slack-water objectives, while drift routes require a rehearsed DSMB and separation plan. Typical visibility of 5 m to 12 m can fall after plankton or rough weather. Cold water, swell, and a long crossing increase fatigue before the first descent.
Boats may be far from immediate harbor shelter and island landing is not guaranteed. Keep warm clothing, medication, food, water, and seasickness management accessible. Share emergency contacts, certification, medical declarations, and next-of-kin details with the operator. Freedivers must use trained direct supervision and never substitute a boat lookout for one-up, one-down in-water safety.
Iona II and Gull Rock require protected-wreck licensing. HMS Montagu may be dived without that visitor licence but remains a Scheduled Monument, and removal is prohibited. Stay at least 100 m from hauled-out seals, never touch or feed them, and avoid flash or behavior designed to trigger an approach.
Lundy has remote-island constraints and no visitor recompression chamber. The official dive guidance identifies Plymouth as the nearest recompression location. In a suspected diving injury, call 999 or 112 and request ambulance or Coastguard coordination as appropriate; do not attempt to drive or sail the casualty to a chamber without emergency-service direction.
Give first aid within training, administer the highest available concentration of oxygen, record the dive profile and symptom timeline, preserve computers and gas information, and keep the casualty lying or positioned as advised unless airway or breathing needs dictate otherwise. A normal-looking dive computer does not exclude decompression illness.
Visitors should carry insurance that explicitly covers the planned depth, cold-water boat diving, evacuation, recompression, trip interruption, and equipment. Mainland emergency assessment is available in North Devon, but specialist transfer decisions belong to emergency clinicians and Coastguard services.
Strong tidal streams and narrow slack windows
Several signature sites become unsuitable outside the intended tidal phase. Use a skipper with current local knowledge, follow the agreed separation procedure, and deploy a DSMB as briefed rather than improvising from a generic tide table.
Atlantic weather and crossing disruption
Wind and swell can cancel transport, move the departure port, prevent an island landing, or force sheltered sites. Keep refundable or flexible mainland arrangements and verify the latest operating message before travel.
Cold-water exposure
Water remains cold year-round, with the annual low historically around late winter and the high in late summer. Use exposure protection already proven in similar conditions and end the session before shivering, task loading, or dexterity loss erodes safety.
Remote medical and recompression logistics
Lundy has no visitor hyperbaric facility. Official diving guidance identifies Plymouth as the nearest recompression location, so emergency response begins with UK emergency services and Coastguard coordination rather than self-transport.
Lundy's protected seascape includes an east-coast No Take Zone and broader Special Area of Conservation and Marine Conservation Zone controls. Do not remove or add animals, plants, shells, geological material, or wreck objects. Spearfishing is prohibited throughout the protected area. Use established moorings where directed and keep anchors or shot lines outside the 100 m Knoll Pins buffer.
Maintain at least 100 m from seals hauled out on land, pups, and nesting seabirds. Do not touch, feed, chase, follow, surround, corner, or use toys to solicit seal contact. Keep cameras out of an animal's face and avoid flash. Slow vessels near wildlife and follow warden instructions, signed route closures, and seasonal climbing restrictions.
Perfect buoyancy before approaching fragile walls, secure gauges and cameras, avoid fin contact with kelp or invertebrates, and take all waste back to the mainland or designated island facilities. Record unusual wildlife through the island logbook or a suitable citizen-science platform without disclosing sensitive nest or haul-out locations irresponsibly.
Das solltest du nicht tun
Geh nicht ins Wasser, wenn strong tidal streams and narrow slack windows. Prüfe lokale Briefings, bevor du dich festlegst.
| Kontakt | Funktion | Telefon | Erreichbarkeit |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom Emergency Services | Police, ambulance, fire, or HM Coastguard activation | 999 or 112 | 24/7 |
| HM Coastguard | Marine distress, search and rescue, and evacuation coordination | VHF Channel 16 or DSC; 999 or 112 by telephone | 24/7 |
| Lundy Warden | MPA rules, wildlife disturbance, and on-island conservation incidents | +44 1237 431831 ext 225 | On-island operational hours; use 999 or 112 for emergencies |
| Lundy Shore Office | Sailing information, transport operations, and visitor logistics | +44 1271 863636 | Office hours; recorded sailing information is published for the evening before departure |