Before Entering

Match the site to certification, recent cold-water experience, mobility, and actual visibility.
Check official closures, protected zones, route direction, parking, lake level, and storm warnings.
Use an altitude-capable computer or approved altitude procedure at roughly 395 m elevation.
Test cold-water regulators and carry true gas redundancy when required by the site or plan.
Display the international Alpha flag and remain clear of harbor approaches and shipping lanes.

In the Water

Keep excellent trim and avoid the fine sediment.
Use a hard depth limit on walls that continue beyond recreational range.
Carry primary and backup lights, even by day on deeper walls.
End the dive for freeflow, severe cold, lost visibility, separation, or activated storm warnings.
Freedivers use trained one-up, one-down supervision and never hyperventilate.

Before Entering

Match the site to certification, recent cold-water experience, mobility, and actual visibility.
Check official closures, protected zones, route direction, parking, lake level, and storm warnings.
Use an altitude-capable computer or approved altitude procedure at roughly 395 m elevation.
Test cold-water regulators and carry true gas redundancy when required by the site or plan.
Display the international Alpha flag and remain clear of harbor approaches and shipping lanes.

In the Water

Keep excellent trim and avoid the fine sediment.
Use a hard depth limit on walls that continue beyond recreational range.
Carry primary and backup lights, even by day on deeper walls.
End the dive for freeflow, severe cold, lost visibility, separation, or activated storm warnings.
Freedivers use trained one-up, one-down supervision and never hyperventilate.

Emergency medical care is available in regional cities, but hyperbaric capability and acceptance can change. A local operator identifies Helios Spital Uberlingen as a regional chamber contact, yet travelers should not rely on that listing without real-time confirmation. For suspected decompression illness, arterial gas embolism, drowning, chest symptoms, confusion, weakness, severe vertigo, or loss of consciousness, call 112. DAN Europe can then support triage and chamber coordination. Keep oxygen, first-aid equipment, exact site access details, and the diver's profile ready for responders.

Water around 10 m can be only 4°C to 6°C even after a warm surface interval. Use suitable exposure protection, cold-water regulators, and conservative gas plans.

Cold-water freeflow is a credible hazard. Advanced sites and permit conditions may require two independent regulator systems. Practice shutdown and gas-sharing procedures before a demanding wall dive.

Some walls fall well beyond recreational depth, natural light fades quickly, and fine sediment can produce a near-zero-visibility exit. Maintain horizontal trim, avoid the bottom, and use redundant lights.

The lake surface is about 395 m above sea level, exceeding PADI's 300 m altitude threshold. Use altitude-capable planning and avoid assuming sea-level tables apply unchanged.

Lake Constance is a drinking-water resource and a major habitat for fish, aquatic vegetation, and migratory waterbirds. Avoid reed beds, spawning areas, marked nature-reserve zones, and wildlife disturbance. The Markelfinger Winkel reserve uses mapped water-use restrictions to protect birds, so follow signs and current official maps rather than relying on an old site description. Maintain neutral buoyancy above sediment, never remove historic objects or animals, and do not feed fish. Clean, drain, dry, and where appropriate disinfect equipment before entering another freshwater body to reduce invasive-species transfer.

Contact	Rôle	Téléphone	Disponibilité
European Emergency Number	Police, ambulance, fire, and water-rescue activation	112	24/7
German Police and Water Police	Police emergency and urgent navigation or water incident support on the German shore	110	24/7
DAN Europe Emergency Hotline	Diving medical advice and recompression coordination after local emergency services are activated	+39 06 4211 5685	24/7
Helios Spital Uberlingen	Regional hospital contact cited by a local operator; verify current hyperbaric status through 112 and DAN	+49 7551 94770	Hospital contact; chamber availability not guaranteed
Landkreis Konstanz Teufelstisch Authority	Permit information for the Teufelstisch exception process, not an emergency line	+49 7531 800-1234	Government office hours

Lake Constance (Bodensee)

Sécurité et conservation

Principaux risques

Sécurité plongée

Before Entering

In the Water

Sécurité et conservation

Principaux risques

Sécurité plongée

Before Entering

In the Water

After the Dive

Sécurité snorkeling et apnée

Vie marine et zones protégées

Contacts d'urgence