Shetland Islands

Before Departure

• Verify recent drysuit, boat, DSMB and depth experience for every diver.
• Send certifications, medical declarations and gas requirements to the charter.
• Check oxygen capacity, first-aid equipment, VHF, position reporting and lost-diver procedures.
• Identify the day's nearest landing point and the route to Gilbert Bain Hospital.
• Confirm harbor notification, wreck designation and any licence before entering the water.

On the Water

Match the site to wind, swell, tide, traffic and the least experienced qualified diver. Use conservative gas reserves and carry a DSMB with spool. Cold can reduce dexterity and judgment before a diver notices shivering, so shorten run times and monitor teammates after surfacing. Treat every cave as an overhead decision: keep a clear exit, carry suitable lights and never cross the limit of training.

Suspected Decompression Illness

Stop diving, administer the highest practical concentration of oxygen, begin basic life support if needed and call 999 or 112 for the Coastguard or ambulance service. Give the exact position, dive profile, breathing gases, symptom timeline and oxygen remaining. The British Hyperbaric Association's Scotland diving-incident number is 0345 408 6008, but emergency services should coordinate transport rather than the group attempting an unplanned chamber transfer.

Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick is Shetland's remote and rural hospital for emergency and acute care. Its switchboard is 01595 743000. Call 999 or 112 for a serious or time-critical problem, and use NHS 24 on 111 for urgent advice that is not immediately life-threatening.

No public recompression chamber was identified in Shetland in the reviewed official sources. A diving casualty may need stabilization locally and transfer by sea or air to a chamber selected by the receiving medical and hyperbaric teams. This makes adequate boat oxygen, clear evacuation insurance and conservative post-dive flight or ferry planning especially important. Do not fly with possible decompression symptoms unless directed by the treating specialists.

Wreck Heritage

The Kennemerland, Wrangles Palais and Queen of Sweden are Shetland Historic Marine Protected Areas. Current council guidance encourages diving but forbids removal from the seabed. Other sites can be protected under the Protection of Wrecks Act or Protection of Military Remains Act. Military aircraft are automatically protected, and a controlled military site cannot be dived without authority. Report any recovered wreck material to the Receiver of Wreck.

Wildlife and Habitat

Follow the Scottish Marine Wildlife Watching Code from boat and shore. Let seals and cetaceans control the encounter, never pursue or block them, and avoid haul-outs, pups and resting animals. Keep clear of nesting birds, remain on paths at reserves, secure loose line and plastic, and do not anchor on archaeology or fragile reef growth. Use the charter's shot or approved mooring system and maintain trim over dead men's fingers and anemone-covered rock.