Dive Trip/Travel Insurance?
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outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
I have written very detailed posts about Dive Assure vs DAN. You want Dive Assure with liveaboard rider if you’re doing a liveaboard or just the regular plan if not. Dive Assure covers missed dives due to medical inability to dive...a head cold would count. In general, it is more encompassing and inclusive coverage than DAN’s for the same price or less. I’ve compared many times.
Please do a search on my posts on this matter. Here is the fine print for the benefit with Dive Assure.
If a head cold, you’ll likely need to see a doc to confirm this and have them give you official medical evidence.
————
In all cases any claim for lost diving whether it be for mechanical, weather, medical or any other condition that restricts You from participating in the activity of diving is strictly limited to the following conditions and must be fully documented to support the reason(s) for curtailment of 10.1. Deluxe Passport: 10.1.1. Medical inability to dive as certified by medical evidence and has been diagnosed after departure from origin or during the period of a covered trip in the case of an annual policy. $100/diving day; $500 in all. 10.1.2. Diving days lost as a result of weather conditions as supported by marine and weather forecast (required) not enabling diving/sailing per captain's discretion (Excluding limited visibility conditions). Coverage: 50% of Dive Boat trip cost divided by number of diving days with a maximum of $150/diving day and total of $450. 10.2. Elite Passport: 10.2.1. Due to medical inability to dive - up to $250/diving day max. $1,000. 10.2.2. Diving days lost as a result of weather conditions as supported by marine and weather forecast (required) not enabling diving/sailing per captain's discretion (Excluding limited visibility conditions). Coverage: 50% of Dive Boat trip cost divided by number of diving days with a maximum of $200/diving day and total of $1,000 10.3. Exclusions: Any If within the previous 8 hours the use of alcohol and/or any type of illicit, non-prescribed drugs will invalidate any and all claims under this section.
Please do a search on my posts on this matter. Here is the fine print for the benefit with Dive Assure.
If a head cold, you’ll likely need to see a doc to confirm this and have them give you official medical evidence.
————
In all cases any claim for lost diving whether it be for mechanical, weather, medical or any other condition that restricts You from participating in the activity of diving is strictly limited to the following conditions and must be fully documented to support the reason(s) for curtailment of 10.1. Deluxe Passport: 10.1.1. Medical inability to dive as certified by medical evidence and has been diagnosed after departure from origin or during the period of a covered trip in the case of an annual policy. $100/diving day; $500 in all. 10.1.2. Diving days lost as a result of weather conditions as supported by marine and weather forecast (required) not enabling diving/sailing per captain's discretion (Excluding limited visibility conditions). Coverage: 50% of Dive Boat trip cost divided by number of diving days with a maximum of $150/diving day and total of $450. 10.2. Elite Passport: 10.2.1. Due to medical inability to dive - up to $250/diving day max. $1,000. 10.2.2. Diving days lost as a result of weather conditions as supported by marine and weather forecast (required) not enabling diving/sailing per captain's discretion (Excluding limited visibility conditions). Coverage: 50% of Dive Boat trip cost divided by number of diving days with a maximum of $200/diving day and total of $1,000 10.3. Exclusions: Any If within the previous 8 hours the use of alcohol and/or any type of illicit, non-prescribed drugs will invalidate any and all claims under this section.
Dogbowl
Contributor
Practically speaking, if I get a cold on the first day of a liveaboard and miss all dive days, since there’s no doctor on board, how would I prove I was sick? Wait till I get home, see a local doctor and get a note?
With respect to diving lost due to weather, I suppose the captain of the liveaboard could provide me with forecasts to support his decision not to dive?
These insurance policies sound good on paper but sometimes not easy to make a claim.
outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
I guess you’d have to see a doctor after getting off a liveaboard wherever that may be. You could try to look up archived or historical marine and weather or captain will have something. This is their “fine print” which isn’t as limiting as I would have imagined so you may end up having flexibility on what qualifies and what doesn’t as support or evidence. I haven’t had to make a claim for this or anything yet and hope to keep it this way. This benefit for missed diving days is not additional and is included in the regular plan which DAN doesn’t seem to cover or provide. In short, this benefit is just one small one out of all that are available. It’s not the MAIN reason for purchasing but I still think in general it’s worth having (dive travel or general travel insurance on top of dive accident insurance) depending on one’s sunk, non refundable costs. There are also other larger benefits that aren’t necessarily covered by credit cards or other plans.
Dogbowl
Contributor
Just pondering whether I should spend another $300 on the DiveAssure plan with liveaboard rider. Already bought DAN accident insurance. Already have emergency travel insurance from work and credit card. Already got a free Dive Assure plan from Diviac.com with no liveaboard rider. It would be overkill to buy the plan with liveaboard rider on top of everything I already have. They won’t let me add liveaboard rider to the plan I got for free from Diviac.com. I guess I have to live with that and cross my fingers I don’t get a cold.
outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
Make sure you check your credit card and work travel insurance coverage’s fine print. As for avoiding colds...hand sanitizers, frequent washing of hands, no touching face! Also, take multi-vitamins and carry some cold eeze zinc lozenges...a pharmacist recommended this to me because they have been clinically proven to reduce duration and/or intensity if you do get one or can also help prevent one.....
I couldn’t dive last May when in Mexico, checking the dive insurance I found I needed a doctor’s note confirming the condition. Maximum claimable was US$25 per dive (8 dives lost), but the cost of the doctors visit was going to be US$250 and not clear if claimable.
I’ve subsequently checked all the dive insurance providers available in the U.K. and found these limits are the norm. Therefore, loss of dive insurance isn’t worth it. I still take insurance because repatriation or/and a chamber ride could bankrupt me.
I’ve subsequently checked all the dive insurance providers available in the U.K. and found these limits are the norm. Therefore, loss of dive insurance isn’t worth it. I still take insurance because repatriation or/and a chamber ride could bankrupt me.
outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
I wanted to post an update. I put a deposit down for a liveaboard/trip in October 2019 and as always, I am interested in purchasing dive travel insurance with a liveaboard rider from Dive Assure. I have purchased many policies from them before but this one was a bit different. Unfortunately, Dive Assure's online system does not allow you to purchase coverage this far in advance; they only allow you to purchase coverage for trips up to 18 months in advance. I shared with them that this poses to be a problem because many liveaboard operators publish schedules and accept bookings 2-3 years in advance and even have sailings selling out this far in advance. It is even more crucial because they are the only insurance provider (to my knowledge) that extends specific liveaboard coverage. In order to receive trip coverage for financial default, the fine print stipulates that you must purchase coverage within 14 days of initial trip payment in order to receive that benefit. In addition, trip cancellation is also an issue. That is where the 18 month window poses to be a problem. Airlines in financial trouble are not unheard of - even in Europe. My travels take me back to Indonesia this time and that is always a worry, along with the other companies I am paying money to.
I e-mailed customer service to explain my situation. Their standard response was that I would not receive financial default coverage because it would not be purchased within 14 days of initial trip payment (my first deposit). I replied that I did not think I should be penalized for this because their online system does not allow purchase of it, not because I did not want to purchase it within that time frame. I asked if I could purchase coverage via phone instead. They said that they would look into it and respond in a timely manner. Since I was close to the 14 day window, they said that when approved, either way, it would count as though my policy were purchased within the 14 day window. Communication was excellent and they kept me updated.
I just received an e-mail this morning confirming that they are able to register me for coverage manually. However, they are only able to extend trip cancellation coverage starting at 18 months prior to departure. This would allow me to have coverage for financial default but if I need to cancel my trip between now and the 18 month before departure mark, I would not be covered. Once I am within the 18 month window, trip cancellation coverage would become active. It isn't ideal, but this is a compromise that I am willing to accept. I have excellent credit card coverage for trip cancellation which covers this "hole" but I thought this experience was really interesting and I wanted to share it with others who are considering dive travel insurance/liveaboard riders with Dive Assure. I think if I did not have such good credit card cancellation coverage, this would not have been acceptable. The take home message is if you are purchasing a trip that is more than 18 months from now, you can call or e-mail to have an exception made with caveats.
I hope this helps someone else.
I e-mailed customer service to explain my situation. Their standard response was that I would not receive financial default coverage because it would not be purchased within 14 days of initial trip payment (my first deposit). I replied that I did not think I should be penalized for this because their online system does not allow purchase of it, not because I did not want to purchase it within that time frame. I asked if I could purchase coverage via phone instead. They said that they would look into it and respond in a timely manner. Since I was close to the 14 day window, they said that when approved, either way, it would count as though my policy were purchased within the 14 day window. Communication was excellent and they kept me updated.
I just received an e-mail this morning confirming that they are able to register me for coverage manually. However, they are only able to extend trip cancellation coverage starting at 18 months prior to departure. This would allow me to have coverage for financial default but if I need to cancel my trip between now and the 18 month before departure mark, I would not be covered. Once I am within the 18 month window, trip cancellation coverage would become active. It isn't ideal, but this is a compromise that I am willing to accept. I have excellent credit card coverage for trip cancellation which covers this "hole" but I thought this experience was really interesting and I wanted to share it with others who are considering dive travel insurance/liveaboard riders with Dive Assure. I think if I did not have such good credit card cancellation coverage, this would not have been acceptable. The take home message is if you are purchasing a trip that is more than 18 months from now, you can call or e-mail to have an exception made with caveats.
I hope this helps someone else.
K
KeithG
Guest
I have experience with both issues:
1) My insurance company is very clear that they need receipts that detail the amount of money you spent on any claimed item. Missed a dive on a LOB? Then I need to produce a receipt for the cost of THAT dive. Oops, a LOB is an All Inclusive. How much does a dive cost? In order to make a claim you need a receipt from the LOB operator for the cost of a dive.
The issue is that the insurance company needs a third party (not you!) to establish the free market price of the service that was not provided to you.
2) My insurance company covers all trip interruptions for any reason. BUT: once again they will only pay (up to their daily limits for interruptions) based upon my submitted receipts. Note that trip interruption insurance is not about paying you for things you missed - it is about paying for things that allow you to continue your trip (or get home).
A simple example is you are on a cruise ship and slip and fall and smack your melon. You get sent to the local island hospital and the cruise ship leaves without you. My trip interruption insurance will fly me to the next island the next day to catch up with the cruise ship. They will not pay for my missed supper, but will pay for any meal that I can provide a receipt for (up to their daily limits).
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