Why do you need scuba diving insurance?

TL;DR: because most insurance policies do not cover scuba diving accidents, most doctors haven’t even heard of hyperbaric medicine, and most likely no travel insurance will play an active role in the event of an accident. Some scuba diving insurance policies also offer additional benefits, such as a dedicated line for diving-specific medical recommendations and included travel insurance.

But first, story time. Costa Rica (west coast, Pacific), 2023. I did two of the most common dives of my life. There was no current, excellent visibility, a group of just 3 divers, sharks (grey reef) and some eagle rays.

Everything was going well until I got back to my hotel and noticed a rash on my abdomen, coupled with a strange sensation, something between itching and pain. Do you know what the first symptom of decompression sickness is? Denial. I knew what cutis marmorata looked like. I knew how “skin bends” presented and yet, for about 45 minutes, I did everything I could to ignore what I knew. When the sensation started to feel much closer to pain, I took a deep breath and called DAN. I was picked up by an operator who, in roughly 5 minutes, put me in touch with a hyperbaric medicine specialist who told me in no uncertain terms to get my bent butt to the nearest emergency room. And ideally, I shouldn’t drive because skin bends can turn into neurological symptoms, which is the last thing you want while behind the wheel.

I got to the nearest clinic, where I explained everything in 30 seconds. They gave me a blank slightly surprised stare, and luckily I remembered what someone tought me to say in these scenarios: “OK, oxygen now, talk later.” They put me on a continuous flow that was a bit weak, but even so, the irritation began to fade. All this time, the DAN doctor was in constant communication with the ER doctor. I stayed on O2 for about 3 hours (as recommended by DAN), during which all symptoms disappeared. When I left, I asked if I had to pay anything and was told that DAN would take care of everything.

The main benefit for me was not financial. Yes, I would probably have left a couple of hundreds for the treatment I received. But the fact that I was able to speak directly with a hyperbaric medicine MD, who explained that the symptoms could worsen, is what I believe made the difference between going to the ER right away and possibly something much worse later.

But, leaving aside my happy-ending story, let’s talk about why I always carry scuba diving insurance and why I recommend all divers do the same. I should mention up front that the examples will be specific to DAN Europe insurance and membership, not because I was somehow paid for this (I wasn’t), but simply because I’ve been a DAN member for almost 10 years and I’ve had an excellent experience. There are also other scuba diving insurance providers, and my advice is to look at several offers before making a decision.

Diving coverage

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By far the clearest advantage, because most travel insurance policies do not cover scuba diving.

If you read travel insurance fine print carefully, you will most likely find that it does not cover so-called extreme sports, among which scuba diving is included. Some insurers do have an extreme sports option, but the risks covered vary greatly.

Scuba diving insurance should cover at minimum:

• Medical evacuation
• Medical treatment, including hyperbaric chamber
• Search and rescue (SAR)

Each of these 3 elements can cost tens of thousands, and in some places around the world, you may not be able to access them without a payment guarantee (from an insurer or a credit card) or actual payment.

Specialized coordination in emergency cases

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Financial coverage is indeed the main reason to have insurance. But the simple fact that you can cover the costs does not mean you will receive the emergency services you need. Especially in complex cases, you need someone who can identify and arrange medical evacuation, keep in touch with hyperbaric medicine clinics, and give you medical advice while doing so. A company specialized in diving insurance does all of this.

Often, especially in remote locations, even if the medical staff are willing to help, their knowledge of hyperbaric medicine is lacking. For example, in my case, a DAN specialist doctor not only gave me the recommendations I needed, but also stayed in constant contact with the doctor at the clinic I reached, who was obviously was not a specialist in this field.

Specialized medical recommendations outside emergencies

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As I’ve said several times already, it’s not always easy to find a hyperbaric medicine specialist available in your area. And sometimes you have questions that are not emergencies, but for which you still need a specialist. Many are questions like: “I had a certain procedure or medical condition, how long should I wait before I can return to diving?” Specialized companies provide medical recommendations and, in most cases, can also point you toward hyperbaric medicine doctors in your area.

Included non-diving medical insurance

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Last but not least, most insurers specialized in diving also include travel medical insurance in their diving policies.

What we do

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Our students’ safety is our top priority. Full stop.

That’s why, as a DAN Europe partner, our introductory courses automatically include DAN Europe insurance for the full duration of the course. For more advanced courses, we still recommend that you have your own insurance, and if you don’t already have one, we can provide insurance for the duration of the course at an additional cost.

Why DAN Europe? Not because we share the same name, although it’s fun to see the reaction our students have when they first see “call DAN!” in the course. It’s because, in addition to covering all the benefits above, DAN is one of the biggest divers for hyperbaric medical research. A significant part of what we’ve discovered in the field in the past few decades is at least partly due to DAN researchers or funding. And that means that a small part of our insurance premiums contributes to research and therefore to a better understanding of human physiology in hyperbaric environments. And that saves lives.

To conclude

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I hope I’ve convinced you that scuba diving insurance is much more than a whim — in our view, it is as important as equipment maintenance and rescue skills. In other words, very.

If you still don’t have scuba diving insurance and would like to get one, you can use our partner code (at no cost to you).

If all this talk about insurance has put you in the mood for some more dive training, you’ll find details about our courses. If I’ve nearly convinced you, but you still have a few questions, even better! Book a free introductory call and we’ll clarify any questions you may have.