Why are so many Insts not signing up students on Free DAN insurance?

[DandyDon]

This keeps coming up on threads with newbies. "Ocean dives completed; should I get DAN?" At least this lady is planning on it, but why are the Inst not signing up students on the free student plan?

You will be happy to know that I just completed my certification last weekend with 4 open water walk-in dives from La Jolla Shores in San Diego, CA. I have my temporary card and expect my permanant one shortly. I'm leaving for the Sea of Cortez in 9 days and can't wait for warm water!! Still it was a fabulous experience... being TRAINED by a PRO! Now I want to join DAN.

Your Instructor took you to the sea without a DAN membership?

Good grief! It's free for students.

Well, now is a very good time to join. Do it online, print out temporary card: DAN Divers Alert Network I suggest the middle insurance plan if not the top plan. The bottom one is only $10/yr cheaper than the middle one but has shortcomings.

:medal: Congratulations on your C-Card and have a great trip - just don't go without DAN. Time to start posting in New Divers forum.

BTW, if you check Accidents forum, you'll see some hot threads about students dying during DSD and even OW classes. Rare, but shouldn't they be covered by this free insurance? What is with these Insts? They don't know how to turn on a computer? I didn't when I joined Scubaboard, but I learned.

 

[fisheater]

As I recall, the free student DAN membership ends when you get certified. Then, the student needs to make the decision to join DAN, i.e., buy a membership.

They all should. But, we know they all don't.

 

[Thalassamania]

I suspect that many instructors have not recovered from the past Executive Director and his antics.

 

[tc]

Not sure why they wouldn't. It's free, provides financial protection for the student in the event of an accident.

May even afford a bit of protection for the instructor, shop, agency, divemaster and boat. My reasoning- in the event of an accident a student would be less likely to sue if they don't suffer a financial loss from the accident.

 

[tc]

Oh, and in case there are any OW students reading this- If your instructor has not signed you up for the free DAN student insurance- ASK them to do so!

Here's a link for it- DAN is My Buddy : Student Membership Program

 

[vladimir]

As I recall, the free student DAN membership ends when you get certified. Then, the student needs to make the decision to join DAN, i.e., buy a membership.

They all should. But, we know they all don't.

We know that not all do.

 

[vladimir]

I suspect that many instructors have not recovered from the past Executive Director and his antics.

The stench of self-dealing, dishonesty, corruption, and general CEO-ness by Peter Bennett has certainly taken much of the appeal out of DAN for me. But I'm still a member because coverage is required by many dive operators.

Old news, but an interesting read for the curious:

http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid:18878

 

[DandyDon]

The stench of self-dealing, dishonesty, corruption, and general CEO-ness by Peter Bennett has certainly taken much of the appeal out of DAN for me. But I'm still a member because coverage is required by many dive operators.

Yes he was a great embarrassment to an otherwise fine organization, but I still have DAN membership and insurance because I think it's a very good idea, not just required.

But would that be a justification for Insts not bothering to sign their students up for free DAN coverage during training, then taking them into the ocean without it...?

 

[vladimir]

No Don, and you are correct, his past bad behavior should not reflect on the organization now, as he is long gone. However, when a non-profit converts to a for-profit, it necessarily loses some of the goodwill automatically due an altruistic enterprise. For-profit companies are judged by return on equity rather than on the good they do. I am unclear on where the line is between DAN, the non-profit that solicits donations and DAN, the for-profit that pockets my premiums. I think it is deliberately misleading to have two organizations that should be distinct sharing the same name.

Nevertheless, if you don't have $100k or so lying around that you're willing to risk on a decompression and evacuation (it would probably be a good bet, by the way), then you should probably have DAN insurance or some equivalent.

ps. It's awfully late in Texas, isn't it Don? Get some sleep.

 

[DandyDon]

Yeah, I know two divers who would have died outside of the US had they not had DAN to fly them back to the states for treatment. One of them just might have had the bucks and some do actually have personal insurance that will reimburse do dive accidents outside of the US - but funds from those sources could not have been accessed at the time needed. DAN got them home and they lived. All of that is really beside the point.

I just would like to see Insts do the very little bit of work to get these students covered for free before they take them into the ocean.