What travel insurance to scuba diving?

During your vacation, you may be diving. But does your travel insurance cover you for such an activity?

Scuba diving is not safe. This activity can lead to accidents, it is better to ensure that it is safe. And in this matter, it is necessary to see that the choice is wide. Travel insurance, underwater diving insurance, bank card or on-site insurance, you will only have the embarrassment of choice. To find the best guarantee, read the terms of your contract and adapt your protection to your diving practice.

Underwater diving: a risk sport?

Yes, scuba diving is a risk sport of course. Naturally, this risk will increase depending on the nature of your practice and the depth of diving.

Travel insurance is not always in charge of scuba diving, it can be an option: extreme sports insurance. This seems quite logical to the extent that it is specific practices. Most travellers are not concerned with extreme sports practice, it would be a shame to pay for guarantees that will not be useful.

Different types of scuba diving

We generally distinguish two types of diving, this will impact the nature of the guarantees to be subscribed in your travel insurance:

• The leisure diving, which is at low depth and is intended to explore accessible areas. The air in the bottle is compressed air or nitrox.
• Technical diving, As for her, the goal is to reach larger depths and to dive into more steeper places. In caves, under glaciers, in wrecks, the discovery is quite different. This time, the bottle also contains helium or hydrogen.

What are the travel insurance guarantees for scuba diving?

If you are planning to take a travel insurance that includes scuba diving insurance, we strongly advise you to read all the terms of your contract before any subscription. For example, it is interesting to know how deep you are insured. In general, you are covered up to 40 m, however, this may vary from one insurance to another. Some insurance support the technical dive which can reach 130 m.

Here are the guarantees you must subscribe if you want a complete coverage:

• Search and rescue at sea ;
• Evacuation ;
• Medical and hospitalization following a diving accident ;
• Repatriation ;
• Dive equipment insurance ;
• Civil liability insurance ;
• Invalidity or death following the practice of extreme sport.

Of course, you go for pleasure and want to experience unique experiences, however, it is better to protect yourself and his loved ones.

Specific elements to take into account your insurance contract

We discussed the various guarantees you can subscribe. It’s essential, but that’s not enough.

When you are subscribing travel insurance or underwater diving insurance, you must consult all terms of the contract. Check this out if one franchise is applied. This would mechanically result in a decrease in your compensation. See also the compensation caps to ensure that they are consistent with the risk.

Underwrite a specific scuba diving insurance

If your travel insurance doesn’t seem to cover you enough, especially if you’re an experienced diver, you should know that it’s quite possible to purchase a specific scuba diving insurance. This is what DAN offers with its various covers. Five formulas are adapted to your needs, whether you are planning a leisure dive or a technical dive, whether you want to dive deep or want to lift all limits.

Depending on the chosen guarantee, not only you opt for a range of different guarantees, but you also choose various compensation ceilings.

This underwater diving insurance provides emergency evacuation, suitable medical treatment and hospitalization, but also in the event of loss or damage to the equipment. Repatriation is also compensated. This insurance offers a fairly complete guarantee, it extends even to accidents and emergencies that are not related to scuba diving.

On-site diving insurance

When you visit a diving center, you often see yourself offering insurance. It contains a minimum of civil liability. Again, read the contract well, it is hard to bet that the coverage will not be complete and, above all, that the compensation ceilings will not be sufficient. To avoid diving insurance, opt for effective protection.

On the other hand, this solution is not always ideal. If you go to a country you don’t master the language, how will you know if your insurance contract is really protective and suitable for your way of diving?

Does my bank card cover scuba diving?

If you have one Credit card Visa Premier or Mastercard Gold, you receive travel insurance. Does she cover risk sports? Nothing is safe month.

Let's take the Visa Premier card. Just read the general conditions that are very clear in this regard: "In addition to the exclusions common to all guarantees (Chapter 5), are excluded from this guarantee [...] scuba diving".

Now let's look closer at the Mastercard Gold card. After reading the general conditions, here is what appears: “Independent of the particular exclusions provided under each guarantee, we never take charge of the damages resulting from [...] scuba diving”.

So the answer is quite clear. Your credit card does not protect you in the event of a scuba diving accent.

Comparing insurance companies

To find good insurance for diving, it is important to take the time to make a comparison. Chapka, Global Assistance (Allianz), Europ assistance, Axa, ACS, DAN, each insurance company will offer you its own guarantees, but also its shortcomings, its franchises and its compensation ceilings.

You should not just look at the nature of the guarantees, even if it is important. You must ensure that protection is as complete as possible. We refer to a sport at risk, it is not possible to do in the half-measure.

Be sure to have the search and rescue guarantee, evacuation and repatriation. Make sure you have a good care in case of hospitalization. Also make sure your equipment is insured. If you dive with your own equipment you know how expensive it is. Whether you're an expert on diving or beginners, whether you're practicing leisure diving or technical diving, find the best guarantee.

Now that you are insured, you can already dive!