Info Is DAN Insurance worthwhile?

[tursiops]

T

what was not a major restriction? You think i was talking about a specific one? I wasn't.

The current thread...the restriction they went through...the cause of their angst during the dive....

 

[Tracy]

T

The current thread...the restriction they went through...the cause of their angst during the dive....

I haven't dove it, so I don't know. But according to the video it is a tank off restriction. That definitely falls under "major restriction"

 

[cerich]

T

The current thread...the restriction they went through...the cause of their angst during the dive....

I was talking generic about ccr and doing major restrictions and cave diving experience.

To the specific one from the video that Gus and Woody were diving. They were gear off and it was a restriction, I haven't been there myself but it didn't look super tight and from what i saw the divers were having a bit of situational awareness issue along with some technique issues. The viz was great, the first could have been helped by some looking around.. LOL

 

[cerich]

I haven't dove it, so I don't know. But according to the video it is a tank off restriction. That definitely falls under "major restriction"

gear off does indeed mean major restriction. What some may feel requires some gear off and what others may find no issue with all gear on is a YMMV.

 

[tursiops]

gear off does indeed mean major restriction. What some may feel requires some gear off and what others may find no issue with all gear on is a YMMV.

I've been through it OC. Kept sidemount tanks on, had to detach stage and push it through ahead of me. I was slightly narced...

 

[L13]

I've been through it OC. Kept sidemount tanks on, had to detach stage and push it through ahead of me. I was slightly narced...

Apparently it is much harder in a Sidewinder, it had never been done before this. /s

 

[cerich]

I've been through it OC. Kept sidemount tanks on, had to detach stage and push it through ahead of me. I was slightly narced...

one divers major restriction is another divers snug. You have more experience so have more snug eh?

 

[johndiver999]

Based on this one situation where the facts are not fully known, you said “In a true emergency seems DAN is pretty useless”. As you have no real proof to back that up, it could be viewed as somewhat defamatory.

I’m honestly amazed at how quick some are to jump to conclusions before we know all of the facts. If it turns out that DAN did not live up to their obligations, then I’m all for sticking it to them - but we don’t know that at this point.

Hopefully, we get the follow up to sort this out so all can benefit from a better understanding how DAN membership and insurance works in a true emergency when needed… and Dan makes necessary changes if this incident does prove shortcomings in their processes.

I think it is strange that Woody talks about it for an hour and people want him to answer more questions.

Woody told us exactly what he did, but presumably people feel they need to know WHY he did those things.

Yet, nobody is calling for DAN to answer some of the most basic questions raised in the video:

Like: do you have to fill out and complete an on-line form before any help will be provided? How does that work if you are on a boat from a sat phone?

Is it really normal to expect a delay of 24 hours or more to move somebody when they are a 45 min flight from a metropolitan region of the US?

Is it really going to take DAN 48 hours (or more) to secure oxygen for a medivac flight?

Will DAN not secure a chamber for an injured member even if the treating doctor indicates the patient has neurological problems and believes that the patient needs to be recompressed?

These are all policy issues, seems like they could be verified or refuted or clarified. Are all those real policies?

Those are some of the issues that were raised that DAN really should clear up - since they are policy issues and are not necessarily or directly related to this particular incident. They can and should answer without compromising any privacy issues.

I (actually) signed up for an AMEX Card tonight, but when it was finalized/approved, they issued me a credit limit of $1000, a lot of good that did!

 

[cerich]

I (actually) signed up for an AMEX Card tonight, but when it was finalized/approved, they issued me a credit limit of $1000, a lot of good that did!

Amex starts off gently and as you have and use over time and they get a feel for you they are very good and raise limits. I have had Amex since 98 and on the charge card side had charges for silly amounts (work stuff) approved with a quick call before that were so high even I thought they must be insane to say yes. I also have a more traditional credit card and they seem to increase the limit at least once a year even if I am paying it off in full monthly. They really do value long term costumers.

 

[Manatee Diver]

I'll be completely honest, I didn't watch the video. I can't stand their online personas. So I am going on the summaries posted by others. But I have read all the thread up to this point, and just posting some thoughts based on reading through it. Not really directed any any particular replies.

Was the guide company contacted? Did they not have plans to help with the logistics of getting treatment?

My impression is that DAN is supposed to help with the logistics of getting care. That is what they advertise that they have contacts all over the world to get it done. If that is not in case the fact, that is concerning.

I got my cave cert shortly after Gus and Woody, so I consider ourselves peers at least in regards to diving. It gives me shivers the type of diving that they are doing with similar experience. And with the death of Next Level Dive Club, the group associated with Dive Talk has increasingly become the Harry Potter meme.

While there is talk of "Just culture" I'm not quite sure how much that has permeated cave diving culture. There are some that are true believers and non-believers with everything in-between, while there are those that mouth that words but don't really understand it fully. I'm somewhere in the middle, I have things that I don't post online and instead discuss with friends only. And I understand that it is hard to know if someone has truly has taken the lesson to heart, as for some of us our trauma coping mechanism is to make a joke out of it.