Diving Abroad: The Ultimate Guide to Diving Insurance
July 24, 2024
Your dive is booked, and your gear is ready, but before you plunge into the depths, have you checked your health insurance terms and thought about diving insurance? Diving, while exhilarating, is not without its risks: decompression sickness, unexpected encounters with marine life, etc. Beyond dive safety tips, having appropriate insurance can provide the peace of mind you need to fully enjoy your passion. However, not all insurances are created equal for this "extreme" sport, so we have explored various options for you.
Health Insurance Limitations for Divers:
- Health Insurance and Diving-Specific Risks
Scuba diving exposes divers to well-known specific risks, such as decompression sickness, barotrauma, or injuries caused by marine life. To expect compensation in case of an accident, these risks require specialized health coverage.
For instance, decompression sickness, although rare, requires costly and specialized treatments often not covered by standard insurance, especially for diving abroad. These accidents occur when gas bubbles form in body tissues due to a rapid ascent. Treatments generally involve hyperbaric chambers, an intervention that can cost several thousand euros.
Generally, diving accidents can have severe repercussions, potentially leading to disability, which is not necessarily covered by your basic health insurance. Hence, the necessity of a contract that protects you against the financial risks associated with scuba diving.
- Liability and Personal Accident Insurance.
In the European Union, liability insurance is often mandatory for scuba divers. It covers incidents and damages caused to a third party or environmental harm. This specific diving liability insurance can be associated with a license (e.g., FFESSM), subscribed through specialized insurance like DAN or DiveAssure, or obtained via the host structure of the diver. The coverage that protects the diver for their bodily injuries is personal accident insurance (AIA).
- Domestic and International Diving Insurance.
Divers need to be aware of the differences in health coverage between their home country and abroad. Local health insurance typically does not cover sports activities abroad or imposes strict limits. Choosing international insurance that includes guarantees for "sports and extreme sports," or a specialist diver’s insurance with travel options, is essential for adequate protection when diving abroad.
Temporary Scuba Diving Insurance
Travel diving insurance is temporary coverage specifically designed for divers during their trips. These insurances offer adapted guarantees: hospitalization costs and medical care, emergency evacuations, full assistance (search costs...), disability and death, and equipment coverage. They can be subscribed for short periods or even annually. Depending on your needs, you can choose between conventional travel insurance or specialized travel insurance.
What to Check When Subscribing to Diving Insurance:
When subscribing to scuba diving insurance (freediving or tank), you must ensure that the following points meet your needs:
1. Covered Depth
Classic travel insurances without a diving option generally limit coverage to snorkeling or diving up to 30 or 50 meters deep. Insurances with a sport or diving option have depth limits that can vary, so ensure they meet your needs.
2. Exclusions and Restrictions
Generally, travel insurances exclude pre-existing medical conditions from the guarantees, as well as extreme sports, including diving. To cover your practice, it is essential to subscribe to travel insurance with a "sport" option or choose specialized travel insurance.
3. Subscription Conditions
Correctly identifying the coverage area of your contract is important, especially if you plan to dive in several different countries. Specialized insurance may also require a medical certificate of non-contraindication to diving, your diving level (solo diving), or even your license. The license is not mandatory for conventional travel insurance with a sports option.
Another important aspect to consider when choosing your diving insurance is if you subscribe within a professional framework. In this case, classic insurance may exclude professional activity from the contract.
Ask the Right Questions to Choose the Right Insurance
- The Advantages of Travel Insurance.
Opting for travel insurance offers several advantages, notably extensive coverage that includes not only medical care related to diving but also other health incidents that may occur during the trip. These insurances offer 24/7 assistance, coverage for medical evacuations, and complementary guarantees.
For instance, if you need to be evacuated from a remote diving site due to an accident, travel insurance can organize and pay for your transport to an appropriate medical facility and hospitalization costs. Moreover, these insurances often cover repatriation in case of death, luggage loss, and other travel contingencies (stolen documents, legal assistance, etc.).
- Limits of Credit Card Insurance and the EHIC When Traveling.
Credit card insurance can offer basic coverage, but often has significant limitations, especially regarding risky activities (like scuba diving) or the coverage duration (3 months). High-end credit cards may include certain guarantees for diving, but it is crucial to read the fine print. They can impose depth limits, for example. Moreover, to benefit from coverage, the trip must be paid for with the credit card.
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), on the other hand, offers coverage for urgent medical care during short stays in Europe but does not specifically cover diving accidents. The EHIC allows you to be treated in local public establishments under the same conditions as a resident. It does not cover medical evacuation or private healthcare costs.
- Insurance for Regular Divers.
For regular divers, joining a sports federation or subscribing to specialized insurance like DAN (Divers Alert Network) can be a wise solution. These insurances are designed to meet the needs of frequent divers, offering comprehensive coverage and specific advantages, such as access to specialized healthcare networks, dedicated assistance services, or specific welfare guarantees. These insurances generally require a medical certificate upon subscription and include extended guarantees for diving equipment, which can be expensive, and may cover technical diving needs.
In conclusion, there is scuba diving insurance for all types of practitioners, from travelers to professionals. The important thing is to subscribe to the one that matches your practice. Using an insurance comparison tool and referring to recommendations of practitioners can help you find the best coverage for your needs.
Now you have your diving insurance sorted, it is time to go diving!
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This article was written by Elizabeth Langenberg / Tal Tamir in cooperation with our insurance partners at DiveAssure.