The Sardine Run (Wild Coast)

Key Safety Points

• Listen to the skipper and guide. Entries and exits are time-critical.
• Carry an SMB and know how to deploy it cleanly in chop.
• Stay with your buddy and do not chase animals.
• Dress for cold water (often 14°C to 20°C) and wind chill on the boat.
• Expect low visibility days (sometimes 3 m to 5 m) after a bait ball breaks up.

Boat and Surface Safety

• Keep hands and fins clear of ladders and motors.
• Sit down during transits and hold on. Impacts in swell can be hard.
• Never position yourself under diving birds.

Diving Conservatively

• Keep depth and nitrogen loading modest. You may do many drops over several days.
• If you feel cold, seasick, or stressed, skip a drop. The next opportunity may be better.

Medical Reality on the Wild Coast

Port St Johns is remote. Basic medical help exists locally, but serious injuries may require road transfer to larger centers and coordination with diving medicine specialists.

Diving Emergency Support

• Use the DAN Southern Africa emergency hotline for diving medicine advice and chamber referral.
• For sea incidents, contact the NSRI via the national emergency number (112 from a cellphone) or the NSRI Emergency Operations Centre.

Recompression and Higher-level Care

Recompression facilities and specialist care are more accessible in major cities such as Durban. Plan for the possibility that evacuation could take hours, and carry insurance that covers diving injuries and medical transport.