Who carries dive accident evacuation insurance?

[Wookie]

Got a call today from an old friend asking how many folks come with dive evacuation insurance. I was listening to our side of the conversation, and heard lots of very strange stories/excuses that we get to justify not carrying some kind of dive accident insurance, and I'm shocked, expecially considering the cheap price of insurance. I realize that this poll will be skewed because of the number of folks on SB who are avid divers, but I thought I'd throw the question out anyways.

Do you carry some kind of dive accident insurance (DAN, DiveAssure, etc.)?

 

[Darnold9999]

A fair number of Southeast Asia liveaboards require it. On a Mike Ball liveaboard I did almost ten years ago they signed you up for DAN in the waiting room before bording the plane to Lizard Island from Cairns if you were not insured.

 

[Insta-Gator]

Wookie, do you get a lot of folks on the Spree that don't usually go to the islands or other countries to dive? I wouldn't consider leaving the country to dive without DAN. I suspect the air ambulance back to Miami is not a cheap plane ride. We have some friends who will not purchase DAN insurance because they say they have plenty of medical insurance. Does their insurance cover them on the islands, does it cover chamber rides, dos it pay for chartered jet ambulance service, does it reimburse you for trip interruption, etc.? I think not. Without DAN, I don't go.

 

[aceupmysleeve777]

I have always carried it and now know of two people that didn't and had to pay out of pocket one of which will be paying until he's dead. On our trip to the Maldives you had to have DAN or another UK's insurance. They said on other boats or doing land based when someone gets bent and doesn't have DAN or the other UK company's before they take you into the chamber they run a credit card for $5000 no matter what insurance you have and that's just the start.

 

[Wookie]

Wookie, do you get a lot of folks on the Spree that don't usually go to the islands or other countries to dive? I wouldn't consider leaving the country to dive without DAN. I suspect the air ambulance back to Miami is not a cheap plane ride. We have some friends who will not purchase DAN insurance because they say they have plenty of medical insurance. Does their insurance cover them on the islands, does it cover chamber rides, dos it pay for chartered jet ambulance service, does it reimburse you for trip interruption, etc.? I think not. Without DAN, I don't go.

We have less than 50% who carry the insurance. A helo evacuation from Fort Jefferson to Key West is $80,000, and you have to get permission from NPS to land the helo at Fort Jefferson. If Fort Jefferson does not have a EMT on staff at the time (they don't always have one), you are not allowed to use the dock to transfer the victim from the Spree to the helo. At that point, the boat goes home. There are no refunds if the boat goes home, BTW, unless the boat broke, or it's a crewmember who is bent.

 

[Insta-Gator]

So, if Johnny Smartbutt decides to get foolish and Spree heads home, all the divers are screwed? Well, at least the ones without trip interruption insurance.

 

[Wookie]

So, if Johnny Smartbutt decides to get foolish and Spree heads home, all the divers are screwed? Well, at least the ones without trip interruption insurance.

We would not head back to the Dry Tortugas again. That fuel was burned. We would continue the trip, in the Florida Keys, likely on the wrecks. Every case would be looked at on a case by case basis, and no one would leave disgruntled, but it may be for a voucher for another trip. Refunds ONLY are issued in the event of a failure of the boat or if the crew cause the failure. Something within my control.

You chould hear how mad folks get, and the excuses they come up with not to buy DAN insurance, the most common one being that their instructor's insurance will cover them. I have very few folks bring their instructor, BTW...

 

[Skittl1321]

I have DAN, but my AD&D insurance through work also has medical evacuation insurance.

 

[TMHeimer]

I put "no, rolling the dice". Haven't been far afield enough to even think about it. Maybe in the future. In fact, I've never even heard of that type of insurance other than DAN.

 

[Wookie]

I put "no, rolling the dice". Haven't been far afield enough to even think about it. Maybe in the future. In fact, I've never even heard of that type of insurance other than DAN.

I think I remember you diving the Oriskany, or at least the Gulf Coast in the redneck riveria. Do you know where the nearest chamber was? Talahassee, a 2 hour ambulance ride away. Pensacola has no chamber.

You know DAN insurance

PADI offers a range of dive-related insurance to PADI certified divers through Vicencia & Buckley Insurance Services. PADI diver protection plans include Silver ($54/ yr), Gold ($75/yr) and Platinum ($99/yr). The plans provide $50,000, $100,000 and $275,000 of dive accident coverage, respectively.

NAUI makes its three policies available to every diver: Standard Diver Plan ($30/yr); Deluxe Dive and Travel Individual Plan ($60/yr); and Deluxe Dive and Travel Family Plan ($90/yr). After a $250 deductible, these policies provide medical dive accident coverage of up to $50,000, $300,000 and $500,000.

A newer player, DiveSafe, Inc., administered by Willis Recreational Dive Programs, offers coverage to certified members of SDI, TDI, ERDI, IANTD, YMCA, NASE, WASI, ACUC, SSI and PDIC. The considerable appeal of DiveSafe is simplicity. It sells only a single policy ($60/year) with no depth limit or exclusions for tech diving, deductibles, options or preapprovals. The maximum lifetime limit is $100,000 for dive accidents.

The newest insurer, DiveAssure offers Gold ($75/yr), Platinum ($115/yr) and Diamond (starting at $155/yr) plans. The plans are open to all certified divers and dive students. None have depth or mixed gas restrictions.

Diver’s Security Insurance, a division of Capital Investors Life Insurance Company, was formed by divers. Policy costs vary by coverage and a five percent deductible applies to all charges. You must have a primary health care plan.

Thanks to Ben Davison and UnderCurrent for their splendid article on Diving Accident Insurance in June of 2006, from which I cherrypicked the information and to SB member DocVikingo for doing the research and writing said fine article, so I don't have to.