Why All Divers Should Carry Dive Insurance
No one wants to experience an emergency, but in a high-risk sport like scuba diving, accidents happen and it is important to be prepared for them. It does not matter if you are diving local or international, it is important to always carry dive insurance. There are two companies that most divers use; Divers Alert Network and Dive Assure. As with any insurance policy, make sure to read the fine print, but both companies provide assistance to divers outside their normal medical insurance.
Many State side medical insurance companies do not cover dive accidents, and this can become very costly if an accident occurs. A small yearly investment in dive insurance can save you tens of thousands of dollars in the long run.
Dive insurance matters because a rare diving accident can require highly specialized and extremely expensive care that ordinary health or travel insurance may exclude or inadequately cover.
It can protect you against:
Hyperbaric-chamber treatment for decompression sickness or arterial gas embolism.
Emergency evacuation, including transport from a remote dive site to an appropriate hospital or chamber.
Dive-specific medical expenses, which may fall outside standard insurance's activity limits.
Medical repatriation when adequate treatment is unavailable locally.
Depending on the policy, damaged or delayed equipment, missed diving days, trip interruption, disability, or repatriation after death.
Do not confuse TRAVEL INSURANCE with DIVE INSURANCE. They are two different things. Some travel insurance covers diving but you have to look at the policy carefully to see the exact coverage and it is temporary, covering you only when you travel.
Standard travel insurance may exclude scuba diving, impose certification or depth restrictions, cover only recreational dives, or provide limits too low for evacuation and repeated chamber treatments. Specialized insurance is therefore especially valuable for liveaboards, remote destinations, deep or technical diving, and international trips.
Before buying, check the actual policy wording for:
Maximum depth and permitted diving activities
Hyperbaric treatment and evacuation limits
Geographic coverage and excluded destinations
Pre-existing-condition rules
Certification, supervision, and gas-mix requirements
Whether payment is arranged directly or reimbursed later
A 24/7 dive-medicine emergency line
Whether trip cancellation and dive-gear protection require separate coverage
The practical distinction is: dive-accident insurance protects you when the diving itself causes an emergency; dive-travel insurance protects the financial investment in the trip. Some policies combine both, but coverage varies substantially.
Keep in mind, it is important to dive within your limits, and insurance companies will hold you to this. If you are an open water diver, and dive below 60 feet where an accident occurs, your dive insurance may not cover you. Dive insurance companies are becoming increasingly more strict on dive limits and certifications.
THERE IS ONLY ONE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR DIVING – YOU. DIVE WITHIN YOUR LIMITS.
