Scuba diving is rapidly gaining popularity all over the world, however it is a sport that comes with a certain amount of inherent risk. Every dive you take is different from the last, and anything can happen anytime. These factors are part of what makes diving such a fun and fascinating pastime, but they’re also some reasons why it’s a great idea to ensure you have the right insurance products. Whether you’re planning to travel, purchase top of the line equipment, or open your own dive-related business, there are insurance plans available to suit your needs. Let’s take a deeper look.
Life and Health Insurance
Two types of insurance no diver should be without are health insurance and life insurance. Be sure to select a product that covers scuba diving activity; if a policy has clauses stating that coverage will be denied in cases of accident or death caused by participation in risky sports or activities, it’s probably not the right policy for you. Dive travel insurance can supplement standard policies, providing for airlift to medical facilities if needed, and covering treatment for barotrauma. Educating yourself about life and health insurance is the best way to ensure you select the product that’s right for you; while this is time consuming, the peace of mind you’ll receive afterward is well worth the effort.
If you plan to dive beyond depths of 50-75 feet, consider selecting an additional premium as part of your insurance package, and be sure to read competing policies carefully. Look for a company that has products tailored for recreational divers, ice divers, cave divers, commercial divers, technical divers, and scientific divers – these corporations have the expertise to provide solid insurance you and your loved ones can count on. Some details to consider when looking into life and health insurance include:
- Depth limitations
- Cover for family
- Equipment insurance
- Air lifting
- Chamber coverage
- Cover on the type of accidents, both diving and non-diving related
- Limits on lifetime and per occurrence
Equipment Insurance
Dive gear is expensive technical equipment and as such, it is subject to theft, breakage, and malfunction. Just as it’s a smart idea to insure your home and other belongings including vehicles, it’s a great idea to insure your dive equipment. After all, most divers invest thousands in dive gear, and insurance allows you to protect your investment.
Scuba Diving Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is one of the most important products any diver can buy! This type of insurance typically covers various aspects of travel, plus it often provides for medical treatment if needed, filling any gaps left by other insurance policies. There are a number of different types of scuba diving travel insurance available, so it’s a good idea to do your homework when making a selection.
Insurance for Recreational and Technical Divers
The coverage you need will vary depending on the type of diving you do.
For recreational divers, policies are usually simple and straightforward. Diver insurance varies according to each individual’s needs. Rates vary, and may increase as time passes; if you want to insure a family rather than an individual, it is often possible to get a substantial discount, depending on a variety of factors.
Remember that it’s important to stay within the limits of your training while diving – not just for your own safety, but so that any accident you may have is covered by your insurance policy. If you stray into deep water or an overhead environment and are neither certified nor equipped, any accident you have there might not be covered, which would leave you responsible for paying costs incurred during rescue attempts, treatment, and hospitalization.
For technical divers, it’s vital that you are completely open and honest with your insurance carrier while working out the terms of your policy. If your interests and specialties change, be sure to have your policy updated. This will ensure that any claims filed go as smoothly as possible – which in itself is worth the cost of higher premiums.
Dive Insurance Carriers
There are two major scuba diver insurance carriers:
DiveAssure: A young company designed just for divers, DiveAssure specializes in dive travel insurance as well as in diving accident insurance. You can get multi-trip dive and travel coverage, which is an option many other companies do not offer. There are no restrictions on depth or gas mixture, and post-diving accident coverage is available. This provider offers various levels of coverage, and they have a “no issue” policy for trip cancellation.
DAN (Divers Alert Network): DAN is a non-profit scuba diving network formed by divers for divers. This well-established association offers trip insurance, equipment insurance, and dive accident coverage; you can select whichever products you need so you’re not paying an extra premium for coverage you are not using. Various plan levels are available, with the standard plan offering coverage to a depth of 130 feet as well as coverage for DCS and arterial gas embolism. The master and preferred plans cover dive accidents at all depths, with allowances for all types of complications which commonly occur in underwater environments.
Each of these specialty insurance companies has something good to offer, and each works well for a specific sector of the scuba diving community. By reading policies carefully, asking questions prior to making a final decision, and comparison shopping, you’ll find that getting the insurance you need is a relatively simple and straightforward process. Take the time to cover yourself. Even if you never need to file a claim, you’ll enjoy better peace of mind knowing you’re protected.