Buy Dan Travel Insurance At Your Own Risk. Did You Know This?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Altamira

ScubaBoard Supporter
ScubaBoard Supporter
Messages
2,320
Reaction score
2,649
Location
TX
# of dives
200 - 499
You might be one of those folks that has routinely scoured the fine print in your DAN Travel Insurance policy with a fine tooth comb, in which case you can skip this post. For the rest of you, read on and be forewarned.
First, for you skim readers, I am talking about DAN's travel insurance, not their dive accident insurance (which I carry without complaint).

While doing in-depth comparative research on travel insurance policies for a couple of upcoming dive cruises to the Caribbean and Polynesia, I was flabbergasted to find this unbelievable little gem in DAN's Travel Insurance policy that could bite you in the butt.

"GENERAL EXCLUSIONS
1. We will not pay for any loss under this Policy, caused by, or resulting from:
i. you or your Traveling Companion .. scuba diving below 120 feet (40 meters) or without a dive master,..."

What that means is that if you are on a dive trip, and are not diving with a dive master, and take a DCS hit or have other serious medical issues, you are going to lose all non-refundable travel expenses that you might have thought were covered.

Since this is a DAN affiliated insurance program for divers, I could not believe what I was reading, so I called both DAN and CSA (the travel insurance partner) to make sure I was not misunderstanding the policy. Sure enough, while DAN's dive accident insurance policy (if you have it) will cover those expenses outlined in the dive accident policy, but the DAN Travel Policy will not cover any of your lost/forfeited travel expenses if you are diving without a dive master or below 120ft.

Then the representatives of both organizations tried to tell me that is the way most policies are written in the insurance industry, to which I raise the red BS flag. Unfortunately they did not know that I had already checked the plan details for travel insurance policies from Travel Insured International (through USAA), Travel Safe, and AIG, the first three that I checked before calling DAN. Each of those three insurance companies had depth restrictions close to recreational dive limits, but only required a dive master if you were not a certified diver, restrictions I consider reasonable.

Personally, I found it absolutely absurd that DAN would sign on to such a travel insurance program, and intend to show my disgust by buying my travel insurance from an agency that does not penalize me for not diving with a dive master when one is not necessary or required for my certification status. Wake up DAN!
 
WOW! Thanks for the heads up! I had planned to pick up DAN travel for a trip I'm planning this June. We don't usually bother with a divemaster anymore unless it's required (for example, Cozumel). Or there is some special circumstance making it seem like a good idea. Usually they seem to be in far too much of a hurry to swim across the reef for my liking.
 
Read the policy for yourself, and then call DAN. Maybe if they get enough irate phone calls, they will set up a travel policy for divers.
 
Last edited:
Interesting. I didn't know DAN had a Travel insurance program that was separate from/in addition to their dive accident coverage program. When we spend more than 30 days in the U.S. (out of Canada), we pay a ton of money to have our Blue Cross extended for another month or two. I have heard that for what you get, DAN premiums are very inexpensive. So, logically, regarding their Travel insurance program--it wouldn't make sense IMO for this to be very inexpensive when Blue Cross' is not at all. I guess I assumed people traveling had regular travel/emergency medical (non diving) as well as DAN for diver accidents.

Just to be sure I understand this-- So if you dive without a DM or below 120', DAN will still cover anything directly related to your dive accident, but their travel program won't cover any change in plans--flights/hotel/meals--that result from the dive accident. Is that correct?
 
Last edited:
Tom,
That is correct. If you have a dive accident while diving without a DM, and while using DAN's Travel Insurance, that policy will not cover your non-refundable travel costs related to anything on the travel policy such as trip cancellation, trip interruption, hotel expenses, etc. Essentially they will not pay for your lost expenses, and you paid a premium on expenses not covered. The pathetic thing about DAN's travel insurance program is that it does not cover dive situations that are very common for divers, yet gives the erroneous impression that because it is linked to DAN, it caters to divers. When in fact, the other three insurers that I mentioned offer coverages that do not penalize a certified diver for not using a DM. Of course, if you always use a DM, then there is no problem. But how many of us do that?
 
Elena and I travel with our own personal dive master! :D :D :D
 
Elena and I travel with our own personal dive master! :D :D :D

Great way to solve the problem Pete. But you still have to stay above 120ft if using DAN Travel insurance.
 
Out of curiosity, does a DM or instructor also have to be diving with another DM?
Regarding the loss of travel coverage, perhaps dive accidents below 120' or without a DM that results in changes in travel plans is not very common? Otherwise you'd think this would have appeared on SB years ago?
If I may ask, what is the cost of the DAN travel insurance--per week, month, etc.? For 2 extra months out of Canada emergency medical coverage for Blue Cross is about $500 CAD (around $400 US).
 
So, a Great Blue Hole dive isn't covered either, even though there's lots of DM in the water with you. Hmmm

Or at Truk/Chuuk

Or . . .

If a diver were to unintentionally slip to 121' . . .
 
Last edited:
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom