Aland Archipelago

Before departure, ask the operator for current commercial authorization, named legal dive area, guide qualifications, personal experience prerequisites, planned maximum depth, gas management and underwater duration. The enacted Aland act distinguishes permitted recreational and technical leadership and sets reporting obligations. The operator explicitly forbids wreck penetration and moving or retrieving artifacts. Review overhead and collapse hazards without entering structures. Plan for a deep chill of around 4°C, possible thermocline, limited visibility, entanglement, shipping traffic and fast wind changes. Require surface oxygen, radio/phone coverage, safe pickup arrangements and a clear emergency plan. Do not present any named wreck as available without the specific permit. Check post-dive altitude and flight intervals using current dive-medicine advice.

The Aland public-health service (AHS) runs the central hospital in Mariehamn. For life-threatening symptoms or suspected decompression illness, call 112 immediately, state that it may be a diving injury and follow emergency instructions. For waterborne maritime rescue, the official tourism website also publishes +358 294 1000. DAN Europe maintains a diving emergency line at +39 06 4211 5685, to contact after activating local response. Do not assume an on-island hyperbaric chamber or fixed evacuation time: neither was independently established. Ask the operator about its current evacuation agreement and oxygen/transport capability. Medical guidance; DAN emergency contacts.

Aland's maritime heritage legislation protects wrecks and artifacts. Do not penetrate, remove or disturb wreck material. The public Baltic Sea wreck record notes special restrictions for the Champagne galeas and military submarine S-2. Avoid anchoring on structures or dropping equipment onto sensitive remains. Respect seasonal bird nesting and landing restrictions and private jetties across the archipelago. Around beaches and rocky shallows, minimize vegetation damage, take litter away and avoid any suspicious cyanobacterial water. Authorities should be notified of newly found protected heritage or evidence of damage as the governing act requires. See local public-access rules.