Insurance/liability concerns for part time dive boat?

[TDA]

Hello,

I'm looking for some insight from dive boat operators about charter and scuba dive insurance. I plan to operate a weekend only dive boat on Lake Tahoe. Its a big clear alpine lake which sits about 6,200ft above sea level. The main business plan is to commercial harvest Crayfish in the lake, but chartering sounds fun and I have my capt license. So fish during the week and charter on the weekends. Sounds like a dream right?? I want to lessen my exposure to liability period. I already pay for commercial hull/PI for the boat. There are several dive shops in the area I could market my vessel to. It a perfect dive boat. And its expensive to have boats on the lake. A good liability waiver? Do I only let divers go with a DM or instructor and strictly have insured DM's and instructors guide fellow divers to icy depths of Lake Tahoe? The PADI dive boat insurance wants at least 50% of operation to be dive related.

Thanks

 

[buckled plates]

You'll need (and want) liability insurance to cover divers once they splash. Requiring a DM or instructor to accompany divers is a good way to reduce risk of an accident or incident, but it will also significantly increase your cost and may make you uncompetitive with other dive operators on the lake. An assumption of risk and liability waiver is pro forma for the industry. No diver should board your boat without one completed. PADI expects you to have this done. It's the first thing the plaintiff's lawyer (or yours) will demand to see when a lawsuit is filed. Caution: It's no substitute for adequate insurance. Finally, I assume you've got an LLC (or such), that none of your personal finance is intermingled with your business finance (ie, you don't make your mortgage payment with your company credit card), and you've also got all necessary safety gear (02 kit, first aid kit, proper dive ladder, etc.). Lots of liability in the dive industry. If avoiding that is a primary concern, might want to think again about those weekend dive ops.

Hope that helps!