Noumea and the southwest lagoon

For scuba, insist on guide assessment of certification, logged experience, wreck exposure, drift currents, gas and surface marker use. Boulari and Dumbea may have powerful tides. Have a buddy plan, surface support, emergency oxygen, reliable communications and an appropriate boat rescue plan. The Dieppoise depth is approximately 26 m, but depth alone is not a certification rating. Do not enter wreck overheads without specific qualifications, operator permission and rescue support. Official pass/wreck description

For freediving, no solo breath-hold sessions: verify a trained rescue buddy/instructor, a safe line and breathing/medical assessment; a snorkel day does not certify a deep-water program. Freediving school

For surface swimming, observe Noumea municipal no-swim orders and supervised netted areas. A historic April 2026 shoreline restriction was time-limited, not proof of permanent closure; do not infer that an offshore island is safe simply because it is open. Do not recommend shore entry in untreated storm runoff or during stinger alerts. Current municipal guidance | April 2026 alert

Use dive training agency guidance for flight-after-diving intervals and decompression planning. Do not use an unverified chamber as justification for exceeding conservative recreational limits.

For a suspected decompression illness, severe barotrauma, drowning or other medical emergency, call SAMU 15, arrange emergency oxygen and transport under medical direction, and avoid improvised return-to-sea treatment. CHT Gaston-Bourret at Koutio/Noumea is the regional major hospital with 24-hour emergency services. For a marine incident, contact the sea rescue coordination service via 16 or marine VHF channel 16 if operational on the vessel. CHT emergency services | Official emergency numbers

Hyperbaric availability is not confirmed for every date. FFESSM documented a September 2024 staffing interruption and later restoration; the tourism FAQ describes a chamber at Medipole while Australian travel advice identifies the SCADEM-operated chamber. These descriptions are not a live clinical roster. Confirm operating status, accepting hospital, air evacuation options and onward-transfer constraints with the actual scuba operator and SAMU before diving. Additional overseas evacuation can be weather-dependent and costly. FFESSM historical notice | Tourism health FAQ | Foreign travel advice

Check the most recent security, road and medical advisories following the 2024 unrest; neither prior closure nor reopening statements prove current service availability. Australian advice | Tourism status

Province Sud regulates each area differently. Managed-use islands such as Amedee, Maitre, Canard and Tenia are not equivalent to no-entry/integral reserves, and Goeland Island has seasonal nesting/landing controls. Use the updated official map, live islet access notices, flags and operator guidance. Restrictions can govern fishing, anchoring, navigation, entry, landing, wildlife approach and equipment. The 2026 Guide du Lagon is contextual guidance, not a substitute for the operative legal map. Protected-area rules | Lagoon guide | Island alerts

Never stand on coral, touch or remove marine life, feed sharks, crowd turtle nests, disturb birds, or assume a customary-reef landing is open to the public. Seek local permissions for customary or private shoreline visits. UNESCO protection applies to distinct serial properties and is not universal access permission for the southwest city lagoon. Fauna protection | Local customs | UNESCO boundaries