Sussex Coast (Brighton, Eastbourne and Selsey)

Before Departure

• Give the operator accurate certification, recent-dive history, depth and decompression limits.
• Check the marine forecast, observed wave conditions and the operator's final go or no-go message.
• Confirm shot time, expected slack, current direction, lost-line procedure, surface-marking system and recall signal.
• Analyze gas, label cylinders and verify that the chosen mix fits maximum operating depth and contingency exposure.

In the Water

Use a torch even by day, maintain close buddy contact and avoid penetrating unstable wreckage unless specifically trained and equipped. Carry at least one accessible cutting tool. Deploy the DSMB early enough for surface cover to track the ascent, but follow the skipper's procedure around a shotline. On drift dives, remain with the agreed group marker. Abort for cold, excessive current, lost visibility, equipment problems or a missed slack.

After Surfacing

Signal clearly, protect against wind chill and report any omitted decompression, rapid ascent, neurological symptom, unusual breathlessness or chest pain immediately. For a suspected diving injury, call 999 or the British Hyperbaric Association helpline and follow specialist direction rather than self-driving to a chamber.

Royal Sussex County Hospital serves the Brighton cluster, Eastbourne District General Hospital has a 24-hour emergency department, and St Richard's Hospital in Chichester is the principal local emergency option for Selsey. These hospitals are not a substitute for diving-medicine coordination. The British Hyperbaric Association Diving Accident Helpline, 07831 151523, is available 24 hours and can direct assessment and chamber referral. In a life-threatening or coastal emergency, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard when maritime rescue is involved. Keep oxygen, first-aid capability, diver details and a written dive profile available for responders.

Sussex Marine Conservation Zones protect chalk, rock, sand, mud, mixed sediment, peat and clay habitats as well as features associated with native oysters, seahorses and reef communities. Divers should use precise buoyancy, avoid contact with chalk and fragile growth, secure gauges and lights, and never collect wildlife. Do not disturb cuttlefish courtship or egg-laying.

Underwater heritage requires equal care. Do not remove artifacts, tie into fragile structures, force entry or move ammunition. Protected wreck zones can require a licence, and intrusive work at a scheduled monument can require Scheduled Monument Consent. Any recovered wreck material must be reported within 28 days. At Pagham Harbour and Medmerry, obey reserve restrictions, stay away from bird islands and breeding groups, and do not launch prohibited water sports.