You’ve finally done it. It’s been on your bucket list since you first became certified to dive and you’ve booked your dream dive vacation. You’ve counted down the days and now it’s the night before you’re supposed to embark on your holiday. Only there’s a problem: you’re sick, the tour company went belly up, you had a family emergency, or any other event that is going to keep you from your vacation.
Now what? The answer depends on whether or not you booked travel insurance and if it covers your particular problem.
Do Your Due Diligence
Not all insurance travel policies are created equal, nor do they universally cover all eventualities that impact a holiday. Some policies are meant to assist with medical issues experienced on vacation—more on that in a bit. Other policies cover cancellations due to a provider going out of business or if transport to the destination causes you to miss the event. Still other policies cover evacuation due to a natural disaster or political unrest. Some even reimburse the cost of replacement clothing if you end up in your destination, but your luggage doesn’t.
Do You Need Travel Insurance?
Again, it depends. While peace of mind is often reason enough to purchase travel insurance, no one wants to toss away money on a policy that isn’t needed. Depending on the policy, the coverage may be extremely limited—making it difficult to collect on a claim. And while routine medical issues may be covered by one’s regular medical insurance, mishaps that occur during adventure sports such as scuba diving most likely won’t be covered without additional coverage.
Traveling with Jupiter Dive Center
We love to travel and have several adventures already planned for 2019, including Dunbar Rock in Honduras, Little Cayman Island, and the Solomon Islands. We’ve done our homework, visited the resorts, and made all the arrangements so you don’t have to deal with the hassle. Over the years, we’ve learned that travel insurance is a really good idea.
Our adventures take place across the globe, and Jupiter Dive Center highly recommends trip insurance that at the least covers cancellation and weather-related issues.
We require our travelers to be a member of DAN. Divers Alert Network has been serving scuba divers for thirty years and provides emergency assistance, medical information, resources, education, and best of all—peace of mind. Dive accident insurance (and optional gear coverage) is only one aspect of this non-profit agency. Even if you aren’t traveling with us, becoming a member of DAN is something you should consider.
Here are a few scuba diving medical and travel insurance options to explore:
