Best dive insurance (2022 update) | OutsiderView

We have chosen diveassure as the best combination of comprehensive dive insurance and travel coverage. read our in-depth breakdown.

Dive accidents are rare, but when one does happen, you need insurance to cover healing time and expenses. The average health insurance will not offer any coverage for diving accidents, so it is important to obtain additional insurance coverage. To choose the policy that’s right for you, we compare the top three options around the world below.

Reading: How much is dive insurance

Our top choice for frequent divers and travelers is diveassure. For those interested in a lower cost option with less travel coverage, Divers Alert Network (DAN) is the leading insurance provider. Lastly, for those who occasionally add scuba diving to their travel itineraries, Worldnomads offers excellent coverage for travelers.

first choice: safe diving

diveassure offers short-term and long-term plans that offer a high level of coverage for divers. their use of direct payments and additional inclusions for lost diving days sets them apart from the rest. with their additional travel coverage, they are an excellent option for divers who travel frequently to dive.

dive insurance only: dan

dan is a trusted and recognized insurance company that puts safety first. its coverage is comprehensive for all types of diving and has a lower price. their insurance policies are perfect for divers who want easy annual coverage with basic travel support.

travel and diving insurance: world nomads

world nomads offers high levels of travel insurance and optional cover for over 200 adventure sports. their dive coverage is excellent for vacationers and recreational divers who stay above 40 meters (130 feet). their plans will cover your vacation from start to finish.

frequently asked questions

Do I need diving insurance?

when unforeseen diving accidents happen, they often require expensive medical procedures. For the most common diving injury, decompression sickness, treatment costs between $100 and $1,000 per treatment. patients often need 10 to 60 treatments depending on the severity of their case 1. diving accident insurance covers these costs and helps with medical assistance when you are in a foreign country.

If you’re diving in your home country, dive insurance is still a necessity. regular insurance typically doesn’t cover you for diving-related accidents, leaving you to pay out of pocket. It is important to check what is and is not included in your current coverage.

Do I need diving insurance for diving courses?

For new divers taking courses, some dive shops offer short-term coverage for students. this costs extra, but requires little effort and is approved insurance for the location in which it is located. Many padi-certified shops offer dan coverage, while ssi shops work with diveassure. if you plan additional dives after completing your course, you will need to purchase your own insurance.

Is regular travel insurance enough?

Most travel insurance does not include coverage for riskier activities. Diving is often considered one of these activities and is covered at an additional cost. sometimes this is a flat rate that you can add to your insurance policy, but other times it will significantly increase your premium amount.

If you don’t add dive accident insurance, you won’t be covered for any diving-related accidents. If you choose to add coverage for diving, you should check the scope of coverage for dive depths, gas, and dive types.

what does diving insurance cover?

Dive insurance covers you for dives in your home country and abroad. If there is an accident, your insurance covers medical expenses, including hyperbaric treatments. any emergency transportation and repatriation are also covered. Different companies and plans will have a limit on how much they will pay for these expenses.

Dive insurance will also take care of any lost or damaged diving equipment. While traveling with expensive gear like BCDs and dive computers, you want coverage that will reimburse you for damage.

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It is important to keep in mind that most diving insurance will only cover you for accidents that occur during your dive. diving begins when you enter the water and ends when you leave. Any accident that occurs on land or in a boat before or after your dive is not covered unless otherwise stated. For this reason, if you’re traveling abroad, you’ll also want to purchase travel insurance. 2. Some companies offer a combination of travel and dive insurance.

how to choose the best insurance?

immersion depth

Travel insurance will limit the depth of your dive more than dive insurance. they are more conservative and will focus primarily on people who dive recreationally on vacation. this is perfect for many divers with advanced or open water certifications and new divers. you probably won’t go deeper than 130 feet (40 meters) or have to worry about diving without an instructor to guide you.

For frequent and more advanced divers, you’ll want dive-specific insurance that covers you for the depths you plan to go. this is a crucial factor to consider for technical divers planning to go beyond 164 feet (50 meters).

If you’re ready to dig deeper and progress in your diving career, read our guide to becoming a dive instructor here.

gas type

Similar to dive depth, many travel insurances do not offer coverage for special dives that require different types of gas. recreational divers need not worry about this as the dive shop will provide you with the normal air mix. Divers who dive nitrox, tec, or rebreather need to purchase dive insurance to cover all of their dives.

location

With travel and dive insurance, you should check which locations are covered. some offer worldwide coverage, while others only work in certain countries. When planning an international dive trip, remember to check that your insurance covers the destination. Planning a dive trip is overwhelming and there are many things to think about. read our complete guide to planning a dive trip here.

diving equipment

The diving insurance will offer different levels of coverage of the equipment for damage or loss. this coverage may only be for dive-related damage that does not cover you while in transit to the dive site.

Alternatively, travel insurance will cover you for baggage loss and damage while traveling, but not while diving. for this reason, and for comprehensive health coverage, you’ll want to purchase dive and travel insurance.

detailed product reviews

safe diving

diveassure has gained popularity among divers as it offers comprehensive coverage that rivals others in the industry. They work in conjunction with the Duke Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and provide excellent medical support. diveassure is also the insurance company of choice for dive shops and ssi students.

for advanced divers, diveassure has no limit on depth or type of dive. they also specifically include special dives in their coverage, such as cave diving and ice diving.

A benefit that only diveassure offers is coverage for dive days lost due to weather conditions. as the weather at sea is unpredictable, this is a great advantage for divers with limited dive time 3.

When you file a claim, you will receive direct payment to service providers. this saves you from paying out of pocket and waiting to be reimbursed later. many other insurance companies don’t offer this service and can get you the help you need without worrying about money.

diving plans

Three plans are offered, divesafe, dive&travel, dive&travel plus. each has short and long term plans for divers to choose from. each policy includes 24-hour emergency medical assistance and translation services during the trip. They also offer unlimited coverage for diving emergency medical costs in the divesafe and dive&travel plus plans.

divesafe’s annual plans will cover all local dives for those staying closer to home. divesafe plans also cover unlimited hyperbaric chamber treatments and unlimited medical expenses while you recover at home 4.

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Both travel plans include all divesafe benefits plus baggage, trip cancellation and flight coverage. while they also cover non-diving emergencies, this coverage is much lower than what most travel insurance companies offer. however, if the main reason for your trip is diving, the high coverage of diving exceeds this 5.

give

dan is one of the most popular and well-known dive insurance agencies in the world. have been in business for over 40 years and provide high-quality medical information and assistance to divers. they often conduct their own dive-related research and are padi’s recommended insurance agency.

To purchase a dan insurance policy, you must first be a dan member. The membership fee is $35 a year and it comes with additional benefits that members have access to even without an insurance plan. this includes travelassist, a 24-hour emergency hotline, and access to medical specialists for non-emergency consultations 6.

travelassist is similar to a basic travel insurance policy. The coverage you receive provides emergency medical coverage for diving and non-diving emergencies. not covered for non-emergencies, trip interruption or cancellation, or baggage loss during non-diving accidents. these benefits only take effect when you are within 50 miles of your home address.

give plans

Insurance policies you can buy in addition to membership come in three levels, teacher, preferred, and guardian. the price of the master plan is one of the lowest insurance costs in the industry. This plan covers you for diving accidents and equipment damage, with no depth or gas limits 7.

the preferred plan offers the same coverage as the master, but with higher payment rates. also includes coverage for non-diving accidents when traveling abroad. The highest level plan, The Guardian, offers additional coverage for other watersports accidents and search and rescue 8. This plan is for more advanced divers who can take on more risky dives and other water activities.

the plans only offer annual coverage. this is good for avid divers who travel specifically to dive and want the comfort of knowing they are always covered. those who only dive occasionally may feel this is unnecessary and would prefer the short-term policy option.

world nomads

world nomads insurance is first and foremost travel insurance. is one of the leading insurance companies for short-term travelers and backpackers because it offers good coverage at affordable prices.

Unlike diving-focused insurance, travel insurance guarantees greater coverage for the entire diving trip. this is great for people who plan to do more than dive while traveling. these benefits include trip cancellation and trip interruption or delay. coverage includes lost, stolen, damaged or delayed luggage, including diving equipment.

In addition, world nomads has the option to purchase travel insurance after your trip has already started. this sets them apart from other travel insurance companies and gives you more flexibility for the start and end dates of your trip 9.

plans of the nomads of the world

There are two plans to choose between the standard and the browser. recreational diving and lessons are part of the standard plan. the explorer plan covers the specialties of diving, free diving and commercial diving. this policy also includes all the other more than 200 adventure sports that the nomads of the world offer 10.

While the diving coverage is not as comprehensive as diveassure or dan, it is sufficient for those who only dive recreationally. also includes coverage for some specialty and commercial diving. Coverage for divers is for any dive that is within the limits of their certification and when taking a course with a dive instructor. if you dive beyond your limits or beyond 50 meters, you are no longer covered in the event of an accident.

beyond diving, the two plans are almost identical to the explorer plan which offers higher benefit rates 11.

conclusion

Dive insurance is a necessary part of diving and offers additional support and protection when diving at home and abroad. When choosing an insurance policy, consider all the activities you plan to do and decide if you need more coverage for diving, travel, and other adventure activities.

references

Source: https://amajon.asia
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