Groundhog246
Contributor
taz22 once bubbled...
I don't know of anyone that would want to set foot on a charter boat that doesn't have at least a DM on board. In case of emergency what would happen and DM is the minimum level you need to have personal liability insurance in the scuba industry.
I do think we're in agreement here. But, as far as I can find there are no Federal or Provincial regulations specific to a dive charter. Federal regulations cover charter vessels, class them as commercial passenger carrying vessels. Liability insurance required for a charter vessel is $350,000 per passenger capacity and that's the limit you can claim.
If the charter boat only transports you too the dive site and back, does not provide gear and does not get in the water with you, guide you to the wreck, etc, then I think you would have a hard time establishing any liability for any scuba related incident. If a cab drove you to a bar and you paid him to wait outside while you partied for an hour, you got hurt in the bar, or on the sidewalk outside the bar, what would he be liable for? IF he is a DM or higher, then he will be assumed to be in charge of the dive and may face liability issues. (I was to an instructors wedding last summer. He had a guest who started suiting up to dive after having had a couple of beer. He firmly told the guest that he was not diving, since he would be held accountable for any diving accidents on the property, because he was the senior instructor present. The guests regs were locked away, to prevent him diving).
I would suggest very carefully reading the waiver you're presented to sign, before doing so. If there is no signed waiver/agreement, you've got a rank amateur on your hands and I would suggest you run, run away.
