Dive Accident and Dive Travel Insurance
Exploring underwater is thrilling, but having insurance is essential for financial protection and peace of mind if unexpected events occur. Securing the right protection and coverage requires understanding the risks and your own specific needs. There are two types of insurance that you should carry- Dive Accident and Trip/Travel Insurance. Dive Accident helps cover us in the event of a dive related accident where Trip or Travel Insurance covers trip interruptions, delays, non-dive related medical expenses, etc.
DIVE ACCIDENT INSURANCE
Diver Accident Insurance is designed specifically for divers. Chamber treatments are not typically covered by medical and travel insurance. Dive Accidents can be catastrophic for the diver and the bank account.
Policies typically cover:
- Ambulance transportation to hyperbaric chamber
- Hospital charges
- Hyperbaric Chamber Treatments
- Loss of diving equipment if gear is lost or damage as a result of a covered diving accident.
Read the policies carefully to select a policy that fits your needs and budget. You will find coverages that you can purchase annual policies or for a specific trip. Local divers need to purchase a policy that covers us at home and on an international trip.
DIVER ACCIDENT INSURANCE PROVIDERS:
Both providers offer different tiers of coverage and you can
- DAN Accident Insurance
- Available to DAN Members and covers Montana residents for local and international diving.
- Dive Assure
- Offers coverage for most other states and internationally. They also offer coverage that bundles dive accident and dive travel coverage.
Adventure Scuba strongly recommends that all divers carry Diver Accident Insurance when participating in any store diving activity. We provide DAN Student Diver Accident insurance with our PADI Open Water course. This covers the student diver for 6 months or upon certification, which ever occurs first. If you are getting certified on a trip, you will want to purchase coverage to continue the coverage after you are certified.
TRAVEL & TRIP INSURANCE
As divers, we travel to sites around the world and have substantial dollars invested in the trip and our gear. Travel & Trip insurance help protect that investment with life happens. Trip insurance is a short term policy for a specific trip. For divers that make multiple trips, a Travel policy may make more sense. It provides coverage for 12 months.
These policies cover things like trip interruptions, illness, cancellations due to a death, loss of employment, etc. For example, your trip is cancelled due to a hurricane or volcano eruption- you would be covered- as long as you purchased insurance before the hurricane was named and the volcano is erupting. You should purchase your coverage at the time you book the trip and read the policy carefully to make sure it covers you properly. For example, some trip insurance policies do not cover dive related claims. For example, your luggage with your dive gear doesn’t arrive and you need to rent or replace- are you covered?
Tips for Calculating Your Travel Insurance Trip Costs
Trip costs are pre-paid costs only. You’re protecting the trip expenses that you stand to lose if you must cancel the trip last-minute. You don’t need to include any planned expenses — things like restaurant meals, attraction tickets you haven’t bought yet, etc. Also, trip costs do not include items you buy for your trip, such as clothing or toiletries.
Include costs you’re obligated to pay, even if you cancel. If you’re going on a cruise or booking a tour, you may pay a deposit upfront, then pay the rest later. But read the fine print: If you cancel the trip, are you still on the hook for the full amount of the vacation? If so, then you need to ensure the entire trip cost.
You only need to insure your non-refundable trip costs. Your trip cancellation benefits reimburse you for prepaid costs that won’t be refunded by the original travel supplier. If, for example, your plane ticket is fully refundable, then you’d need to get the refund directly from the airline instead of filing a travel insurance claim.
Sources of Travel Insurance:
We hope that you never have to make a claim with an insurance company. But, you will feel betther knowing that you have insurance in place to take care of it. Give us a call if you have questions about insurance.
