Insurance As An Instructor

[boulderjohn]

You do need to have the liability insurance, but you don't have to wait to see if you get hired by a shop to make a choice. When I got my DM certification, I got the full independent DM insurance. I was soon after that hired by the shop that trained me, which made me eligible for their cheaper version. No problem. I was able to switch at the next quarter.

BTW, although I am eligible for the cheaper shop insurance, I prefer to go independently. I sometimes have instructional opportunities outside of the shop, and I like to keep those options open.

 

[Colliam7]

From what I understood above is that if you work for a dive school, they probably have the liability insurance and the employees won't need any.

Here's where things may vary by region. Certainly, In the US, shops have liability insurance. That is true. And I suspect that is true globally. But, shops have to add individuals to their policy, in order for them to be covered, and that does not necessarily come without an individual surcharge. So, while you may not need individual / personal liability insurance, you may need to be prepared to pay to be added to a shop's policy, IF the shop is willing to add you.

 

[Tug]

Here's where things may vary by region. Certainly, In the US, shops have liability insurance. That is true. And I suspect that is true globally. But, shops have to add individuals to their policy, in order for them to be covered, and that does not necessarily come without an individual surcharge. So, while you may not need individual / personal liability insurance, you may need to be prepared to pay to be added to a shop's policy, IF the shop is willing to add you.

I know locally (MA, USA) a number of the shops cover the insurance for the entire shop. They found that it's easier to add/subtract staff that way throughout the year and always knew that they were covered. Of course this could just be a local thing here.

 

[Wookie]

I know locally (MA, USA) a number of the shops cover the insurance for the entire shop. They found that it's easier to add/subtract staff that way throughout the year and always knew that they were covered. Of course this could just be a local thing here.

That became pretty common in the US about 6 or 8 years ago when insurance doubled. I taught independently for a number of shops and on the boat, but when insurance went through the roof, I dropped my independent insurance and just kept the boat policy, so now, if I teach, it's only for the boat.

 

[flyboy08]

Some good and bad info here!

First off, you need professional liability to protect your ass when you get sued. Even just for the sake of defense costs being brought into a frivolous claim! Second, if the dive shop you work for tells you you are covered under their policy, request a certificate of insurance naming you as an additional insured. Without such, your on your own if the claimant names you personally in a suit....and if they have a lawyer, you can guarantee this will be the case. Even if the shop added me, I would still try to purchase my own coverage above those limits offered on my own.

We're talking professional liability here, not health benefits

 

[flyboy08]

I find it hard to believe that underwriters charge per DM at the shops? It more like X amount for whatever limit the shops decides to purchase on an annual basis.....and the limit could be on a per occurrence basis and not capped during the policy year.

That's like charging the airlines for every pilot they add.....lol

 

[CapNemo]

Thanks! Where can I find that forum?

And to will either be Asia, Egypt or the Caribbean, NOT Europe. I guess I won't need liability insurance then?

If you plan to work in Asia, I know there is no specific requirement for liability insurance in Thailand, as you cannot be prosecuted for liability within Thailand under Thai law. This may or may not be similar for other SE Asian countries.

Citizens from other nations can still prosecute you after an accident, however this would be under the law of their home country and they would have to wait until you left Thailand (or were extradited).

Most instructors working in Thailand still cover themselves with liability insurance, however it is not a requirement to work.

 

[Diver0001]

Hi there, I've seen a few more threads on insurance, but mots of them are pretty old, so here's my question ..

I've recently done my IDC and I'm looking to find a job as an instructor. I'll clearly need proper insurance, but which one should I get? Clearly my first thought was DAN, but when I try to find insurance with them it will only allow me to join if I'm from the USA or Canada?! Where's the option for the rest of the world?

Then I found the Dive Card Professional by AquaMed. Anyone using this, and if so is it any good? And how about other options?

And what insurance would I need? From what I understood one would need extra liability insurance if you work in Europe?

Mike,

A lot of people have Aquamed in Europe. I think they're based in Germany. All PADI pros that were using PADI insurance were moved to Aquamed when PADI stopped selling insurance directly.

I've never had to make a claim so I'm not sure how they act when you actually need them but I have the feeling that they're OK. It's certainly good enough if you want to work as an instructor in the Netherlands.

R..

 

[Crowley]

From my experience (I've worked in Thailand, Indonesia, Egypt and the Caribbean:

DAN is actually several different companies under one umbrella - DAN Asia-Pacific, DAN Japan, DAN Europe, and DAN America. As a UK citizen I registered with DAN Europe - but you are covered wherever DAN is present, and furthermore, you can use the local contact centre - so if you are a European working in Thailand you can contact DAN Asia Pacific if you need their services. There is an extra premium for working in North America, but otherwise you are fully covered for liability purposes.

I was not aware that DAN America would not cover liability. This would, however, only apply to US Citizens. As a European it doesn't apply to me - if I were to work there then I would be covered.

I've had to deal with both DAN AP and DAN Europe in emergencies and found their service to be most excellent, although in Thailand and Egypt I also had the benefit of being personally acquainted with a senior representative for the area (but dealt with the company also by phone, which was fine)

PADI require their instructors to be insured in order to maintain active status, and you need to be personally insured in order to do so. Thailand may be an exception, but only regarding your active status, and many employers require you to be insured regardless. In any case, only a very foolish dive professional would not take out personal insurance cover.

(Note: I also have to disagree with the post above suggesting you cannot be prosecuted in Thailand under Thai law. As a foreigner in Thailand you can be prosecuted for anything. I also know for a fact that an instructor working in Thailand can be prosecuted under other countries' laws - my local DAN representative was involved with such a case during my last year in Thailand involving a Japanese diver suing a divemaster after being put on Oxygen with suspected decompression sickness. The diver didn't like it, and the case was brought because the DM (Australian, I think), despite having training in O2 provision, did not have a dedicated O2 provider certification. I actually don't know the outcome of the case as it was still ongoing when I left Thailand, but my understanding is that this in part led to PADI subsequently introducing their O2 provider certification)

All of the centres I've worked for had dive centre insurance, but I was still required to have my own personal cover. It is highly unlikely that any dive centre in a tropical resort would pay for this.

I know Aquamed is popular - they covered a lot of my non-UK European customers (mostly German, Austrian and Swiss) when I was working in Egypt. Most of the instructors I knew in Egypt were covered by DAN due to the presence of the local office. I have no direct experience with Aquamed so can't comment directly, but I have no particular reason to think they did not provide a quality service.

Hope that helps,

Cheers,

C.