Insurance As An Instructor

[mikeynl]

Hi there, I've seen a few more threads on insurance, but mots of them are pretty old, so here's my question ..

I've recently done my IDC and I'm looking to find a job as an instructor. I'll clearly need proper insurance, but which one should I get? Clearly my first thought was DAN, but when I try to find insurance with them it will only allow me to join if I'm from the USA or Canada?! Where's the option for the rest of the world?

Then I found the Dive Card Professional by AquaMed. Anyone using this, and if so is it any good? And how about other options?

And what insurance would I need? From what I understood one would need extra liability insurance if you work in Europe?

 

[decompression]

Mike, are you asking about liability insurance or accident insurance? Are you going to work with a shop or independently?

 

[The Chairman]

DAN does not offer liability insurance for instructors.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

DAN does in Europe. Not in North America.

 

[mselenaous]

DAN does not offer liability insurance for instructors.

Only in the North America.

First, as a diver you should have accident insurance. DAN in the US offers this and as a bonus to instructors also covers their students if you retested them through the duration of the Open Water training. Once certified, the student is required to get their own accident insurance.

Second, as an instructor you need liability insurance. Usually the agency through which you teach has an affiliation with a recommended agency, but you are not required to have that provider's insurance. You can pick from the others.
Some dive ops in the US do not require that you have your own individual insurance and will include you in their shop policy, however it will only cover you for thats shop's sponsored activites, not any freelance or independent activities.
Rules in Europe may differ on this.

In the US, there are fewer options each year as insurers drop out of the Scuba market. I don't know the situation in Europe however I remember that DAN Europe does (or did) offer reasonably-priced options for instructor liability.

I recommend you join our Instructor to Instructor private forum and ask your question there, where some ofeedback out European instructors can provideo a better answer. DMs & higher are encouraged to join.

 

[mikeynl]

Mike, are you asking about liability insurance or accident insurance? Are you going to work with a shop or independently?

I'm not sure what I need. I will either be working for a dive school as an employee, or as a freelancer, so not planning to work independently. And to will either be Asia, Egypt or the Caribbean, NOT Europe. I guess I won't need liability insurance then?

 

[mikeynl]

I recommend you join our Instructor to Instructor private forum and ask your question there, where some feedback out European instructors can provide a better answer. DMs & higher are encouraged to join.

Thanks! Where can I find that forum?

 

[Colliam7]

I'm not sure what I need. I will either be working for a dive school as an employee, or as a freelancer, so not planning to work independently. And to will either be Asia, Egypt or the Caribbean, NOT Europe. I guess I won't need liability insurance then?

I am not sure I follow the line of thought to the conclusion that, 'I guess I won't need liability insurance then?'. But, maybe I am missing something about liability considerations in 'Asia, Egypt or the Caribbean'. With PADI, as far as I know, you are required to be 'renewed and insured' in order to teach - i.e. liability insurance. (That may just be a NA situation).

 

[mikeynl]

I am not sure I follow the line of thought to the conclusion that, 'I guess I won't need liability insurance then?'. But, maybe I am missing something about liability considerations in 'Asia, Egypt or the Caribbean'. With PADI, as far as I know, you are required to be 'renewed and insured' in order to teach - i.e. liability insurance. (That may just be a NA situation).

From what I understood above is that if you work for a dive school, they probably have the liability insurance and the employees won't need any. So I would just need accident insurance. That's what I understood. I think they are a bit stricter in Europe, but I'm not planning to work in Europe.

If I'm wrong please correct me!

 

[Wookie]

When I went through my IDC, there was a whole day on PADI and the business of diving, including all of the required insurances for anywhere in the world you wanted to work. So, the answer to your questions are: Unless you are working someplace and covered by National Health/some sort of workers health insurance, (not very likely as an instructor), you will need to have a diving accident policy of some sort, something so that when they are about to wheel you in the chamber, you don't come out with a $50k bill. DAN accident insurance, DiveAssure, there are a number worldwide that cover you.

Yes, Dive schools have liability coverage. For instance, if you came to work for me, you would have liability coverage for teaching, for guiding dives, and also accident coverage, because it's the law where I work. You said you will be a freelancer, but not independent. I'm not sure of the difference, but if you aren't an employee or contractor of the school, you aren't likely to be on their policy, and will therefore have to maintain your own.

Remember, your insurance policy is not to protect your asetts, as a dive instructor you won't have any. Your insurance policy is to protect the dive school and PADI (if that's the agency you are an instructor with). So they really aren't too chuffed about where you work, as long as someone has a policy covering you.

Why are you worried about this before you have a job. This is a question for whomever hires you. They may have requirements above and beyond PADIs requirements, but they will for sure know the laws and coverage that will be required for you to work with them.