DCS and no DAN - WHAT NEXT?

[ANTONIOCABO]

I´ve had been divemastering on different liveaboards on the Sea of Cortez and the Socorro Is.


I personally witnessed US DAN neglecting evacuation of decompressed divers causing unnecessary delay endangering the lives of divers in remote areas of the Mexican Pacific Ocean solely for economic reasons.


Every Liveaboard operating in this part of the world along with crew and passengers have been left abandoned in the middle of the ocean with a diver needing advanced medical treatment in hospital and/or hyperbaric chamber, waiting for evacuation that never happened or that was delayed by a US DAN responder trying to avoid the expense and recommending to put the patient in O2 and sea or ground transport to the USA, as if the diver has any choice or options.


To me that is a cruel, unethical and dangerous policy to its DAN members in need in a remote area of the world.


Anyone interested can ask the Liveaboards operators about their left behind stories when DAN didn’t fulfilled its promise. I am surprised that the Solmar V, Nautilus Explorer, Rocio del Mar, its guests and other boats have never sued or warned their customers about this situation.

 

[DandyDon]

Dive-Logs.com - Laser Engraved ScubaTags identify your Scuba equipment or gear.


pulling the trigger on these when I can coordinate a time to talk with them as they are overseas..... wish I could find something as close here in the US, but no....

Well, their site is not very user friendly, or I am showing my klutz side - but looks like one tag would be $10.47, add additional tags for about $6.80 each with shipping savings. Great price and lots of room to customize as much as you want...?

 

[Hickdive]

I dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard or call them up on Ch.16. They arrange evacuation (helicopter if needed) to the nearest available chamber who recompress me, multiple treatments if required until I am well enough to go home, a night of obs on the ward then discharged. Then I get follow-up physio etc. if needed from my local hospital. No bills ever arrive and no-one asks for my credit card details.

But I live and dive in the UK.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Good Lord man! How many times have you been bent?

 

[rhwestfall]

Well, their site is not very user friendly, or I am showing my klutz side - but looks like one tag would be $10.47, add additional tags for about $6.80 each with shipping savings. Great price and lots of room to customize as much as you want...?

View attachment 169505View attachment 169506

as I said, I need time to talk with them. IIRC, VAT is eliminated on US purchases, but I may be wrong. Regrettably, to get what you want/need, it might cost a bit. Also, setting up tages for a couple uses/people, I can easily get to lower prices... Find something marginally similar? I haven't yet.... Sucks...

 

[luscioman]

I feel you can never have too much information. I myself have Dan but i also have a friend that is a flight medic for an company that flies people from the Carribean into South Florida for medical care. There are at least 4 hospital in Miami with Hyperbaric chambers. I always keep a copy of the paper with my stuff incase the dive operator has an issue with DAN.

GENERAL QUESTIONS | Air Ambulance | Trinity Air Ambulance International

 

[kelemvor]

Traveling divers often don't take tanks. The BC is a better place I think. See if you can find us a good source for plastic info tags...??

How about metal "scuba gear dog tags" for 8 bucks? Gear I.D. Dogtags - Gear Identification dog tags. Put em on your neck, or on your reg hoses, or bc, or whatever. These are metal but plastic would probably be easy to find.

In the local walmart they have an engraving machine that will spit out all kinds of custom metal and plastic tags for a few bucks.. put in your money, type what you want. The machine spits out the product.

Seems like this idea is not a novel one, there's loads of businesses making such items.

 

[DandyDon]

as I said, I need time to talk with them. IIRC, VAT is eliminated on US purchases, but I may be wrong. Regrettably, to get what you want/need, it might cost a bit. Also, setting up tages for a couple uses/people, I can easily get to lower prices... Find something marginally similar? I haven't yet.... Sucks...

No VAT for US destinations is the way I read it. If you go thru the steps with USD selected and get to the check-out where it shows shipping costs, the total for one is $10.47 - cheaper if you get 2 or more, but that is not a bad price even for one. The site is a little challenging to work with, but doable. I don't see the need for the overseas call.

How about metal "scuba gear dog tags" for 8 bucks? Gear I.D. Dogtags - Gear Identification dog tags. Put em on your neck, or on your reg hoses, or bc, or whatever. These are metal but plastic would probably be easy to find.

In the local walmart they have an engraving machine that will spit out all kinds of custom metal and plastic tags for a few bucks.. put in your money, type what you want. The machine spits out the product.

Seems like this idea is not a novel one, there's loads of businesses making such items.

Yep, I got a pair of those, with my "DAN" and my number along with my name, emergency contact number, allergy to Iodine, and wear one from my neck anytime I leave the house - as well as diving. The red silencer is worn after several years, but I just need to change to the other one. I bet either the BC tag or dog tag would work, but if you're not going to wear the dog tag every day - the BC tag seems like it would work best, but that's just my guess.

I don't think my Walmart has those machines but I've heard of them. A Houston friend got them for everyone in her family in preparation for their last hurricane. Getting people to wear them seems to be the challenge.

 

[Stoo]

Exactly what I'm talking about. Mine is $110 (35+75) Cheapest insurance on the planet. Now, I'll take it a step further. I have a great health insurance policy, DAN, PLUS I have an American Express Travel annual insurance policy that covers anything that those 2 don't , up to $100K, no questions asked. Again, the theme of the party is that you do not want to be on an island somewhere, in bad shape without DAN or the like.

That's my situation too... exactly actually. I think that if you were truly "out there", someplace where DAN isn't known (and considering you are at a chamber, I think the odds of that are about "zero") then having immediate financial resources is probably the most important. I suspect that if you are someplace which isn't a common dive destination and doesn't have a chamber, DAN won't be known so air-evac is more likely going to fall to a general travel insurer.

I didn't see this mentioned, but I might have missed it, but many popular dive destinations have a "local" chamber insurance plan. I dive in Belize often, and our dive operator offers the option to pay $2 per dive extra. This funds evacuation and chamber operation. I always opt into this, even though I have DAN Insurance, just because it supports the ongoing chamber operation. Insurance only pays for emergencies, but it doesn't help keep the lights on when there's no one in the chamber getting "straight"... as in the opposite of "bent".

 

[ANTONIOCABO]

I am a new diver and I am a member of DAN. I started thinking, what happens to a diver that is not a member of DAN and uninsured that shows signs of DCS after a dive. What can be expected of the DM or LDS? Do you sign a dozen forms agreeing to pay whatever to whomever and get med evacuated or do they leave you on the beach? What if you are unconscious? (not a discussion on why have insurance - just what would happen if you don't.)

Any diver showing DCS symptoms must seek medical assiatance.
If comfirmed, should be taken to the nearest Hiperbaric chamber, maybe his/her primary insurance will cover, DAN is a secondary insurance.
any life treathening injury must be atended first and administrative/financial matters discussed after the diver is stabilized