Gullmarn and Lysekil

Before the Dive

• Match the entry, maximum depth, gas mix and thermal protection to your certification, recent experience and operator instructions; ask for a refresher or drysuit orientation if needed.
• Plan for strong temperature gradients, cold-water task loading, variable visibility and an earlier turnaround if conditions worsen. Published surface temperatures are not a bottom temperature forecast.
• Use a buddy and a communicated shore/boat plan. A surface marker, navigation and light may be important near traffic and poor visibility. Never enter marked fairways or dive under ferry routes.
• Confirm public or private entry permissions, local signage, parking and conservation restrictions. At Jordfall avoid private boatyard infrastructure; Fossen access may depend on the campsite season.
• For freediving, require qualified close supervision, appropriate rescue competency and no solo breath holds or hyperventilation. Do not treat a snorkeling partner as trained depth-freediving safety.

When Something Goes Wrong

Call 112 for immediate medical or maritime rescue in Sweden; mariners may use VHF channel 16 where available. Oxygen first aid and surface support should follow provider training. Suspected decompression illness requires urgent clinical assessment even when symptoms are delayed. Do not attempt unaided evacuation to a hospital or fly soon after an incident without clinical advice. Swedish Maritime Administration and Sahlgrenska hyperbaric unit describe the response system.

Emergency number 112 dispatches ambulance and rescue resources; 1177 offers non-emergency Swedish medical advice. The Sahlgrenska University Hospital Ostra hyperbaric chamber in Gothenburg states 24-hour emergency hyperbaric readiness, but admission and transfer must be coordinated by emergency clinicians. There is no verified local Lysekil hyperbaric chamber or fixed transfer duration. Obtain a dive-specific insurance policy that covers recompression, retrieval/evacuation and the activities and depth planned. Eligible European visitors can check EHIC public-care rules; an EHIC is not a substitute for rescue/diving insurance.

Gullmarn is a designated nature conservation area and Natura 2000 habitat managed under Vastra Gotaland County rules. The sill fjord supports sensitive benthic communities, including sea pens, anemones and soft-sediment organisms described by Havets Hus. Keep buoyancy neutral, avoid stirring mud, never collect specimens or feed wildlife, and do not anchor on fragile beds. Respect posted restrictions and research installations. Special requirements may apply to particular islands including Lilla Borno, where camping and fires are restricted; check the full official decision rather than relying solely on general visitor text. No Kosterhavet park permit or rule should be automatically applied to this separate region.