Do I need scuba dive insurance to travel?
Whether you’re new to scuba diving or planning your tenth liveaboard, dive insurance is one of the most important (and overlooked) parts of your dive prep.
But what is dive insurance? And how does it differ from other insurance we buy when we travel?
If you’re joining us on a MAR Hosted Trip—or diving independently—it’s essential to understand what dive insurance is, what it covers, and why it’s not something your regular insurance will likely protect you for.
Here we will explain the ins and outs of insurance, to make sure you’re covered when you travel & dive!
Important Note: in this article, we will be talking about dive insurance in the context of recreational scuba diving. Most of the options we share below do not apply to other types of diving like technical and cave.
Why Is Dive Insurance Important?
When practiced responsibly, scuba diving is a safe and fun sport. But like any activity, it carries unique risks and anything can happen.
While dive accidents are rare, but when they happen, treatment can be complex and expensive. Think: emergency evacuation, hyperbaric chamber treatment, or extended hospital stays abroad.
Most insurance providers consider scuba diving an “extreme sport”, and do not cover health expenses related to diving.
That is why dive insurance is important. Most travel insurance plans do not cover diving incidents.
Pro Tip – review your regular travel insurance for other activities that are not covered. Some things might surprise you!
Dive Insurance, Travel Insurance, and Travel Health Insurance
Did you know there are different types of insurance when it comes to travel?
The most important ones to know are travel insurance, travel health insurance, and dive insurance.
| Insurance Type | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Travel Insurance | Trip cancellation coverage, baggage loss, travel delays, theft, etc. |
| Travel Health Insurance | Incidents while traveling. Hospital visits, evacuation, repatriation of remains, etc. |
| Dive Insurance | Dive accidents, hyperbaric chamber treatments, evacuation, gear loss related to the incident. |
Want to learn more about travel insurance and diving? Check out our SISters Session on making a dive incident claim.
What Insurance do you Actually Need?
Now you know all the coverage available to you, what insurance do you actually need for a scuba diving trip with Mar Hosted Trips?
Dive Insurance – Required
We require all our divers to have dive insurance to travel with us. This allows us to make sure you receive immediate and the highest level of care should there be an incident on a trip.
Travel Insurance – Recommended
We strongly suggest travel insurance to cover any non medical incidents with your trip. Life happens! If your flights are delayed and you miss some dive days, or you have to cancel last minute, your travel insurance will help cover that.
MHT is happy to provide any supporting documentation you might need to make a claim.
Make sure you know our Booking Policies so you understand how travel insurance can be helpful to you.
Travel Health Insurance – Recommended
You should definitely have some sort of travel health insurance, but whether or not you need a separate policy depends on the dive insurance you have.
While travel health insurance doesn’t usually cover extreme sports like diving, insurance that covers diving might also cover regular health insurance.
You might also have some travel health coverage from your health insurance at home, or travel credit cards.
Where to get Dive Insurance
Now that you know why you need dive insurance, where can you get it? Here are some of our favorite providers.
Divers Alert Network (DAN)
DAN is one of the most well-known dive insurance providers around the world.
But more than just dive insurance, DAN is a wealth of information and support for divers.
They have a 24 hour hotline of diving medical professionals available by phone. To anyone – with or without a membership!
If you do get a membership, you get access to their database of videos & articles about every possible dive safety topic.
If you purchase their coverage plan, they not only cover expenses related to dive incidents, they will actually arrange your treatment.
You notify them immediately when there is an emergency, and they will take it from there! Transport, which provider to visit, etc.
We are big fans of DAN, they are an incredible safety resource for divers!
Learn more and get your coverage at dan.org.
DiveAssure
Another popular dive insurance choice is DiveAssure.
Because of national regulations, DAN has some limited coverage for some items for divers from the USA. That’s where DiveAssure comes in.
If you don’t plan to dive as often, you might appreciate DiveAssure’s short term plans whereas with DAN you must subscribe annually.
While DAN is a global provider, DiveAssure is specifically catered to clients from the USA. Their plans are customizable, vary by state you are a resident, and with the unique US healthcare system in mind.
Check them out and get a quote here.
Nomad Insurance
If you’re traveling a lot, you might consider a health policy like SafetyWing or World Nomads.
These plans are popular with nomads and frequent travelers because of their annual or monthly plan options.
SafetyWing has optional add-ons for extreme sports. s more focused on long-term health coverage abroad, with optional adventure sport add-ons.
Pro Tip: Shev uses SafetyWing for her travel health insurance, with the Adventure Sports add-on. But she has DAN as well, because their support is invaluable!
So, Do You Really Need Dive Insurance?
If you plan to travel & dive, then yes. You need dive insurance!
Insurance is a small price to pay for knowing you will get the best and most immediate care in the event of an incident.
At MAR Hosted Trips, we require dive insurance for all divers on our trips. It protects you, your buddy, and ensures that you have no delays in getting you the care you need.
We hope this helps you better understand insurance, diving, and travel, and how to best protect yourself.
FAQ
Is dive insurance mandatory?
Sometimes
Dive insurance is required for traveling with MHT, and in some countries and operators.
Liveaboards often require dive insurance as well.
For most recreational diving around the world, dive shops will not require you to prove dive insurance.
Does Travel Insurance cover Scuba Diving?
NO – travel insurance is specifically for travel disruption like delayed flights and lost bags.
Do I need dive insurance for the Open Water Course?
No – for your Open Water Course, you will be covered under the dive shop you take your class through. But its always recommended to get your own policy!
