Is the Deep cert really necessary?

[tursiops]

DAN insurance covers recreational divers to 50m I believe, not to your certification card.

That depends on what policy you have, and from what country.

Deep Injury: Will Your Insurance Company Be There? Not MU.

Beware of info in this link; it is 18 years old.

 

[davecampbell]

If I couldn't go below 100' I'd miss out on the best parts of my favorite wreck around here....the Forest City. Here's some pics while testing the xtar DL1 laser. Bottom times are admittedly shortish, but the sloping wreck allows you to work your way back up to fart around in the shallows. 150 ffw, 42°F. My wife and I are certified up to Rescue, and did a Naui NTEC doubles primer, but no deep cert, (or drysuit cert for that matter.) but we worked up (or down) to it gradually. We didn't ever exceed 120ish feet on a single cylinder, but felt more comfortable doing so in doubles. Location also matters. It's not unusual to see doubles, sidemount, ponies, deco cylinders, etc... on the majority of our local (Great Lakes) dives. I hope they don't start requiring certs for everything..... wanna dive off a boat? got a boat cert? wanna drift dive? got that cert? Sounds terrible....

 

[divezonescuba]

One of the things that the PADI deep cert does provide is some experience doing an extended emergency decompression stop while sharing air. Outside of technical diving courses, I am not aware of any other courses that give the diver that sort experience.

I was once on a deeper recreational dive where a diver at the safety stop terminated the safety stop early due to an out of air situation. Rather than sharing air, he went to the surface. Apparently, he did not feel comfortable sharing air and doing a safety stop at the same time.

 

[boulderjohn]

Deep Injury: Will Your Insurance Company Be There? Not MU.

Here is what you originally wrote and which I said was usually not true:

Insurance companies look for any reason to say no. If you are injured, whilst below your max certified depth, that may be reason enough to deny a claim.

Here are the two key quotes from the article you cite:

Lloyds TSB said 68-year-old Anthony Allen went deeper than the 30-meter limit stipulated in its small print.​

​

Divers Alert Network also imposes a depth limit (l30 ft/40m) on its least expensive Standard Diving Accident policy. Dick Clark, president of National Baromedical Services, which manages claims for DAN’s insurer, says this policy is meant to provide affordable coverage for the occasional diver, who is not expected to make deep dives. DAN’s higher-premium Preferred and Master Plans were created to cover more advanced divers, and have no depth limits.​

​

Note that in the case in question, the fine print said the coverage was limited to dives shallower than 100 feet/30 m. The cheapest DAN policy is limited to 130 feet/40 meters. The more expensive one has no depth limits. Neither policy mentions certification levels.

SUMMARY: You wrote "If you are injured, whilst below your max certified depth, that may be reason enough to deny a claim." That is not true in either case. In both examples, the policies have specific limits that have nothing to do with the limits of your certification level.

 

[Blackcrusader]

That depends on what policy you have, and from what country.

Beware of info in this link; it is 18 years old.

When I buy any insurance it's always the top policy.

Says Clark, “To my knowledge, no DAN coverage has been denied due to depth limits” since he’s been involved, over the past decade. Clark adds, “The spirit of coverage will be applied in emergencies” if, for instance, a diver has to go deeper than 130 feet to rescue a buddy. Clark couldn’t recall any DAN claims involving narcosis, but he says, “We would take each case under consideration, and would depend on eyewitness accounts to determine whether the event should be covered.” However, if you don’t have DAN insurance, check your policy for limitations.

 

[Blackcrusader]

One of the things that the PADI deep cert does provide is some experience doing an extended emergency decompression stop while sharing air. Outside of technical diving courses, I am not aware of any other courses that give the diver that sort experience.

I was once on a deeper recreational dive where a diver at the safety stop terminated the safety stop early due to an out of air situation. Rather than sharing air, he went to the surface. Apparently, he did not feel comfortable sharing air and doing a safety stop at the same time.

My BSAC Sports diver course covered this as deco planned dives are what Sports Diver was all about. On air when I certified.

 

[tarponchik]

19 of my first 83 dives before getting AOW in 2004 were >100 feet.

My 1st >100 ft dive my 10th (Grand Cayman, The Tunnels) and I had 4 such among my 1st 20 dives. But I never got AOW cert. The whole idea that I must pay for something I already have seems absurd to me.

 

[johndiver999]

My 1st >100 ft dive my 10th (Grand Cayman, The Tunnels) and I had 4 such among my 1st 20 dives. But I never got AOW cert. The whole idea that I must pay for something I already have seems absurd to me.

Apparently you are not familiar with Real Estate Taxes.

 

[tarponchik]

Apparently you are not familiar with Real Estate Taxes.

In this case I am paying because I already have something. But thank you for admitting that AOW level cert exists only because someone wants extra money.

 

[Centrals]

DAN insurance covers recreational divers to 50m I believe, not to your certification card.

NOT accurate.

https://world.dan.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/aig_pds_2021.pdf

The preferred plan has no depth limit.