DM / Instructor Liability Insurance

[submarine]

I am currently considering an offer to work as a DM in Mexico three months out of the year with a diving operation. On the surface it seems like a great way to get out of the soggy vally during the winter months. There are a huge amount of things to consider before jumping into this, I know. But, after reading the thread on DM / Instructor liability a question came to mind that I would like some feedback on. What type and level of liability insurance are most of you DM and Instructors carrying? Does the policy hold you to geographic regions or do they cover out-of-county work?

[Cera]

Did you get an answer for this question? (If no- Are you already a DM? )

[Dmitchell]

You don't say what agency you're going through for DM. Here's a link to the PADI /V&B site. It should answer your questions or at least give you someone to call.

http://www.diveinsurance.com/pl/PL-index.htm

DM

[submarine]

Thanks for the link... I am currently a NAUI Advanced Diver. I will be certifying with PADI for Rescue and Dive Master.

[Cera]

Both PADI and NAUI carry thier own insurance for inst/dm's.. Going PADI if you are working for a resort is prolly a good idea since that is the most common for resorts/destinations... I hear that the PADI insurance is pretty expensive.. If you are working for a 'friend' at a location I would ask them about getting on the resorts insurance, it might save money. OR if you can get on with a shop doing DM here part-time they may be able to make arrangements for cheeper insurance.

[Dmitchell]

Padi DM Insurance is $325 a year. I don't really consider that expensive considering what defending one claim would cost. I wish my homeowners was that cheap!

Dave

[Aquanautchuck]

If I recall from when I was a active DM, you had two choices for insurance. The first one was to be added to a store or resort policy for your work as a DM only with them. The second was what I called full DM coverage which as it was explained to me was for coverage on any activities as a DM. At the resort or somewhere else.

If you are only going to do DM activities for the operator/resort then being added should work. But and I mean a BIG BUT, if you do any on the side DM work such as taking someone on a night dive or tour for cash, or giving them a private skill review not through the resort, you would have no coverage.

I always purchased the full coverage because I would sometimes do skill reviews for friends or in my case take people out on my Zodiac for a guided dive. I would of had no coverage under the resort endorsement but did under my policy.

Charles

PS: Hope you make some money. I never did.

[Cera]

I guess I should have been clearer, I heard Instructor insurance through PADI was expensive... I don't have any idea about DM insurance costs, but it should be cheeper than the Inst. prices.

[Zen Diver]

I think it depends on your perspective. Versus a lawsuit, I think it's pretty inexpensive. I've always purchased my own, ie independant vs shop, as I do a variety of things in a variety of places and prefer being covered anywhere I go. It's just part of the price of diving.

-Valerie

[dwashbur]

Having just made NAUI DM, from what I've seen their DM insurance runs about the same.

[Dmitchell]

Padi/V&B Instructor insurance was $588 last year it's jumped from about $450 to about $650 after 2001 and has been slowly dropping every since.

When I originally looked at being an instructor, we were an SSI shop so I was looking at SSI. At the time, SSI and NAUI used the same insurer or at least underwriters. I was all signed up for an instructor course and everything and found out that the underwriters had decided to discontinue insuring instructors in Alaska.

All of the Naui and SSI shops and instructors in Alaska were left hanging. Just about every shop and instructor in Alaska crossed over to PADI even Course Directors were screwed. Padi is great to work with, I don't know what NAUI and SSI are doing anymore and don't really care I have no reason to go back.

Dave

[Cera]

Ooh, I wasn't trying to start a NAUI vs PADI vs SSI thread.. I was just repeating what an PADI friend told me...

[Dmitchell]

Yea,

Sorry everyone, I shouldn't have gone there.

Dave

[dwashbur]

I usually describe the PADI/NAUI thing (don't know anything about SSI, sorry) as a Ford/Chevy thing: some like one, some like another, generally preferring what they started with, and they both have pluses and minuses.