Colombo and Mount Lavinia

Before every offshore departure: check local maritime and weather warnings; obtain the named wreck, bottom depth, current and visibility briefing; confirm a competent buddy, ascent/descent method, SMB, reserve gas, no-decompression limit, lost-buddy protocol and boat pickup. Do not enter confined wreck interiors without appropriate overhead training and explicit controls. A site listed at 35 m to 40 m is not made recreational merely by an Advanced certificate.

Ask the operator to demonstrate a functioning oxygen supply, crew emergency procedures, communications, first aid and vessel-return plan. For restricted or archaeological wrecks, request proof of proper authority. Do not collect artifacts or damage attached corals. The Sri Lanka Sub Aqua Club explicitly warns some wrecks require Navy permission or are off limits. For snorkel/freedive, DAN highlights water movement, boat strikes and breath-hold blackout risks.

The SLTDA scuba-diving guidance prohibits recreational dives exceeding 30 m (section 4.1e), limits Discover Scuba Diving to 12 m, and requires emergency planning and oxygen. Operator descriptions of deeper wrecks do not override these limits. Confirm the operator's authorized area and a compliant profile before booking.

Call 1990 for Sri Lanka's emergency ambulance service; the UK Foreign Office also identifies the Colombo General Hospital Accident Service at +94 11 269 1111. This guide cannot establish ambulance-to-dive-boat response time. Health advice

A Sri Lanka Navy notice dated October 1, 2026 confirms a recompression facility at its Trincomalee naval dockyard. That is not evidence of an immediately available Colombo chamber, civilian treatment slot, a transfer route or referral acceptance. Before deep diving, ask the operator and dive insurer to identify the actual receiving hospital, specialist, chamber eligibility, communications and medical evacuation method. For suspected DCS give emergency oxygen as trained, seek immediate medical assessment and do not fly. DAN flying guidance suggests at least 12 hours after a single no-stop recreational dive and at least 18 after repetitive/no-stop diving; deeper/decompression exposures demand a longer interval and clinician advice.

Wreck surfaces and attached life deserve the same no-contact treatment as a natural reef. Observe from outside unstable structure, avoid fin damage to soft coral and fans, take nothing from wrecks and do not use the hull as an anchoring or collecting opportunity. Historic or security-sensitive wrecks can have additional restrictions and are not public-access free-for-alls. Club wreck restrictions

For beach visits, do not assume clean coastal water simply because a spot is scenic. Sri Lanka MEPA explains its monthly selected-beach monitoring for bacterial contamination and water condition. This page does not publish a recent safety result for each Colombo or Mount Lavinia entry. Respect local warnings, keep litter out of waterways and report pollution using official channels.