DAN Australia vs. Dive Assure for a combination land & liveaboard trip?

[fluff_astrid]

Since residency matters for insurance options, I'll start with my country of residence: Australia

3 months ago I booked a land trip to Egypt in late 2024 with a tour company. This week, I decided to also book a Red Sea liveaboard with a separate company to take place a week after the land portion (essentially: week 1 is land tour, week 2 is a gap week where I will have to figure out something to do before the liveaboard departure date, and week 3 is the liveaboard departing Hurghada). I don't always buy travel insurance, but it seems prudent for this trip given things could change in the region + liveaboards always have some risk, even if it's just slipping on the boat.

I do have DAN Australia. I haven't found them super helpful (see my past post about trying to contact their non-emergency line when I was in Hawaii), and it doesn't look like they offer much in the way of travel insurance options (they offer Travel Assist, but this is more about helping you communicate with local ground staff than reimbursements). So, I was considering getting DiveAssure travel insurance. As an Australian resident, we don't really have access to plans that offer cancel for any reason coverage, but Dive Assure is one of the few providers that does offer CFAR to us. They also claim to cover both liveaboard and non-diving travel.

Some questions for anyone with experience with Dive Assure or just insuring combo trips in general:

• Have you used Dive Assure for a complex trip that's made up of more than just diving?
• Can you speak to Dive Assure's help in emergencies when in remote regions? Were they any good at response speed, connections to local infrastructure, so forth?
• What about stacking DAN and Dive Assure (I have DAN annual membership)? Or will they each just point to each other when it comes to claiming and I should just stick to one?
• Has anyone done trip insurance for a complicated trip, like I might go to London during the gap week and return for the liveaboard, so I guess in that case I need to just get two separate plans for only the two Egypt legs since I can't claim that all 3 weeks were a trip to Egypt.

Thanks!

 

[Pressurehead]

Can you speak to Dive Assure's help in emergencies when in remote regions? Were they any good at response speed,

I have asked Dive Assure via email about something, it was NOT an emergency [let's be clear about that] and their response time was very good.

I am also keen to hear what others think, I have 2 trips planned overseas this year [so far].
Their email to me last week.

Good day Bob,

Thank you for contacting DiveAssure.

Regarding your query, we have checked the app from our side and your current plan does reflect.

Also, your current plan (please see attached) is still active and only expires on the 21st of August 2024.

If you should require any further assistance, please feel free to contact me.

Regards,

Belinda Zahavi
Customer Service
The DiveAssure Association
T: +49-3222-109-5966 | M: +44-20-3286-3017

 

[Centrals]

Speaking for myself only
DAN + AXA annual travel insurance.
AXA annual travel insurance only covers 3 months on ONE single continuous trip. Need to buy a separate travel insurance if the trip last more than 90 days.

 

[Pressurehead]

I have Dive Assure and travel insurance, I buy a 12 month multi trip policy.

 

[astr0b0y]

Advice I received about having DAN as an Aus resident while diving in Aus is that it offers no benefit above what we already get from Medicare.
For diving trips outside of I've used Cover More. Haven't had to claim but quote and policy purchase was very straightforward and their app is excellent.

 

[Pressurehead]

Cover More

I have used them in the past, I now use World2Cover.

Gave up on DAN for dive insurance some years ago.

 

[fluff_astrid]

Advice I received about having DAN as an Aus resident while diving in Aus is that it offers no benefit above what we already get from Medicare.
For diving trips outside of I've used Cover More. Haven't had to claim but quote and policy purchase was very straightforward and their app is excellent.

Is CoverMore pretty on-par with DAN in terms of ability to handle dive-related emergencies overseas in short order? I know Covermore as a general provider but would be a little concerned about relying on them for something like DCS, eval to nearest chamber, and so forth.

I agree that DAN is pretty much useless when not diving OS

 

[fluff_astrid]

I have Dive Assure and travel insurance, I buy a 12 month multi trip policy.

Thanks, has Dive Assure been good for diving incidents (if you've had any)?

 

[clownfishsydney]

Most good bank credit cards in Australia provide free travel insurance. This is all I have used for at least 20 years with the insurance working as it said it would, including a trip where I had to undergo five chamber trips.

 

[Pressurehead]

including a trip where I had to undergo five chamber trips.

In which country did you 'ride the chamber' in, and were you told which 'table' they used?
My last chamber ride was HMAS penguin 1986, the doctor of underwater med said I was bent, but I was not, I had something not even close [ I will not go into it here, too long] I had to ride out 4 hours and 45min with a civilian that had a spinal bend [first of a couple rides he needed]?
How was the treatment?