Recreational diving, what else is there?

[Just Phish]

Hello people. I have been looking into getting dive insurance and what I have been reading keeps mentioning "covered dives". Then when I look up the definition of covered dives it says recreational dives, dive instructor, photography, or research. What exactly is a recreational dive?

If someone gave me $20 to go down and get their keys they dropped by accident cause I was in the area would that particular dive no longer be recreation?

I'm a bit confused.

THanks for the help.

 

[Kim]

Normally the definition of a recreational dive is a no-decompression dive up to 40 meters. I've heard (but I'm not sure) that companies will also take into account your certification level and the recommended depth limits for that level. (i.e. a Basic open Water diver.....18 meters)
I can't imagine that simply recovering someones keys would be a problem - although strictly speaking, if you get paid then it could be said that it's a commercial dive - which wouldn't be covered

 

[H2Andy]

ya, basically a recreational dive is a non-commercial dive down to 130 feet with no
decompression involved

remember, if you give an insurance company an out from paying you, they'll take it
(ah, well, you were recovering keys ... that's a non-recreational application... no
money for you!)

 

[Just Phish]

OK thanks. But what's a commercial dive? A dive is commercial just because there's decompression involved?

 

[H2Andy]

well ... the answer to your question is in the policy. look how they define
"recreational dive" and whatever else is covered.

everything else is not covered.

as to commercial diving, generally, it's performing jobs under water for pay, and it's
covered by OSHA regulations and all that good stuff. it may or may not be
a decompression dive.

but remember, it's the definitions in your policy that will dictate coverage

 

[daniel f aleman]

In the US OSHA determines what a commercial dive is, they are VERY specific. And by definition: if you got paid for doing any kind of dive, you made that dive outside recreational.

Period.

 

[Walter]

OTOH, if you received a "reward" for returning something you found to it's rightful owner, it's not a commercial dive.

Go with DAN's Preferred Plan, no depth limits to their coverage.

 

[Kim]

OTOH, if you received a "reward" for returning something you found to it's rightful owner, it's not a commercial dive.

Go with DAN's Preferred Plan, no depth limits to their coverage.

Out of interest Walter, and because I expect you know, how would it be with costs? For instance - someone asks me to find something they lost (like car keys, camera, whatever...), and I say that I'll do a dedicated dive to look for them (for free) but they have to pay for my fill.

 

[Gary D.]

The minute you get ANY compensation for a dive it is no longer a sport dive. $1.00 a fill or otherwise.

The same goes for a boat. If you take people out on your boat and request gas money it’s not a pleasure cruse.

BUT if when you’re back at or on the docks and people give you some UN-requested gas/air money, that’s another story.

I get $.50 an hour for dive pay. As long as we are under that umbrella we are not sport.

Gary D.

 

[crlavoie]

I'm going through this right now myself and there are many threads on the whole insurance issue. I'm currently working with 5 different companies (all the usual suspects) and in ALL cases it's coming down to how often and how deep do I dive. I tried to use the term "Recreational Limits" and they want to know specifically how deep I currently dive and how deep I plan to dive.

As far as I can tell, the magic number seems to be about 80'. Nobody seems very interested in anything less than that. However, at 80' it has knowcked me down from "Premium Plus" rates to Standard which is a very substantial difference in the annual premium.