Hiva Oa and Tahuata

Before Departure

• Verify the skipper's local forecasts, swell direction, current, known safe return and cross-channel conditions; ask whether a revised itinerary or cancellation is possible.
• Ask the licensed dive provider for credentials, recent experience requirements, briefing language, boat passenger capacity, oxygen, communications, diver count, evacuation procedure and permitted dive-site location. Its standard marine exploration requires Open Water certification; a supervised first dive marketed through the FAQ is a different service.
• Hiva Oa Order 384 CM, Article 10.E: scuba is generally prohibited within regulated mooring/stationing zones (ZMR), with the specific exceptions stated by the order. Swimming and snorkeling from a vessel moored in these zones are restricted to its immediate proximity. This is not an all-island ban, nor a Tahuata-wide rule. No reviewed spot coordinates can prove an advertised route is outside a zone; the operator must verify chart boundaries and current authorizations. Regulation
• Do not enter underwater caves, arches with an overhead, advanced technical environments or other forbidden sites on ordinary Open Water qualifications. Operator promotional copy is not clearance.

In and After the Water

• Expect possible chop, exposed boat entries, current, swell and changing visibility. Use an appropriate boat protocol, a personal computer, a safety marker and conservatively agreed depth and gas limits.
• DAN recommends at least 12 hours after one no-decompression dive, at least 18 hours after repetitive no-decompression dives, and 24+ hours suggested after mandatory decompression, with longer periods safer. There is no exception for a domestic 11:00 flight. If illness symptoms arise, avoid flying and seek emergency evaluation. DAN
• Divers who also snorkel/freedive should request competent medical/safety advice on the sequence and avoid breath-hold exertion shortly after compressed-gas exposures. Never freedive alone or hyperventilate.

Atuona has a local medical center, listed by Hiva Oa municipality on +689 40 92 73 75. This is remote primary medical support, not proof of a local recompression chamber, specialist intensive care or immediate medical evacuation. An operational chamber on Hiva Oa or Tahuata was not established by reviewed sources. A serious decompression, trauma or drowning emergency may require coordinated maritime or air transfer and time-dependent care. Ask the dive operator to demonstrate its oxygen kit and evacuation protocol, and obtain insurance specifically covering scuba, medical transport and hyperbaric treatment with any depth/activity limits. Call 15 for medical emergency, 16 for maritime rescue/JRCC, or 112 as appropriate. Record your hotel, boat, exact departure and arrival contacts before leaving coverage. Atuona medical center | Municipal emergency numbers | JRCC

Te Henua Enata, The Marquesas Islands is a UNESCO mixed World Heritage property, with Hiva Oa-Tahuata included within the recognized serial landscape and marine setting. This does not override domestic law, operator licensing or community rights. Hiva Oa's 2026 anchoring order regulates boat mooring/stationing and restricts scuba and other uses within identified ZMR boundaries. Observe reef-friendly buoyancy, avoid touching or standing on coral, carry out waste, do not anchor on living reef, and do not pursue, touch, feed or promise sightings of mantas, turtles, sharks or marine mammals. Request consent for landings, walking on private/customary land, and photographing residents, sculpture or sacred sites. Do not equate a cruise call or itinerary advertisement with permission for cave entry or wildlife interaction. Check the current environment agency protected species guidance, UNESCO listing, and responsible maritime advice.