Scuba Diving Travel Insurance
2 September 2020
Anyone diving abroad needs to be sure they are covered by their travel insurance. Many policies have a 30 m depth limit which is not always enough. We recommend always travelling with at least 40 m insurance cover. You need to also check the COVID-19 exclusions. Other things to look at include:
- medical and health cover for an injury or sudden illness abroad
- repatriation to your home country should it be medically necessary
- 24-hour emergency service and assistance
- personal liability cover in case you're sued for causing injury or damaging property
- lost and stolen possessions cover
- cancellation and curtailment (cutting short your trip) cover
- cover for other outdoor activities that are commonly excluded from standard policies
- personal accident cover
- legal expenses cover
- financial protection if your airline goes bankrupt before or during your trip
We compare scuba travel insurance policies - which meet our criteria and which are best for deep diving, older divers, backpackers, families and others?
Use the scuba travel insurance comparison table below to choose the best policy for your circumstances.
Want greater than 40 m cover and extensive diving kit insurance? Or just want to add diving onto an existing policy? Dive Master Insurance is for you.
Backpacking? Choose World Nomads.
Visiting Covid-19 country? Look at Battleface.
Comparison of SCUBA Travel Insurance Policies and Providers
| Insurance Provider: | Battleface | World Nomads | Dive Master Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 Cover: | yes | little | some (see below) |
| Max Depth:¹ | 10, 30 or 40 m | 50 m | no depth limits² |
| Max Trip Length: | | 18 months | 31, 120 or 365 days | |
| Dive Equipment Insurance: | £5000 | £1250 | extensive dedicated policy just for kit insurance |
| Add diving onto existing insurance | no | no | yes - even to insurance purchased from another provider |
| Country of Residence: | 52 | Almost all | Almost all |
| Good For: | Covid-19 | Back-packers | Adding equipment and SCUBA diving insurance to existing policies. High personal property limits Technical and experienced divers. |
| Discount Code: | AUG10 valid until 11 Sep 2020 | ||
| Details may change depending on your country of residence ¹Maximum depths assume you are qualified to that depth ²Dives over 80 m should be supported, and deeper than 130 m must be agreed with the underwriters. |
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Covid-19 Cover for Divers
Battleface
Battleface covers almost all destinations, including countries under government essential travel advisories. Designed for modern travellers, covering dangerous places, emergency medical treatment, evacuation and accidents, adventure activities, travel to isolated places and COVID-19 countries.
Divemaster Insurance
Divemaster Insurance policies now include coverage for some coronavirus related risks, including (depending on country of residence):
- You test positive for COVID-19 and have to cancel your holiday.
- You test positive for COVID-19 and require hospital treatment whilst on holiday.
- You test positive for COVID-19 and need to cut short your holiday or require repatriation.
Dive Master Insurance is different in that they let you buy stand-alone diving insurance to accompany your existing travel insurance. You can buy diving cover with no depth limits. (Dives over 80 m should be supported, and deeper than 130 m must be agreed with the underwriters.) They also offer dive equipment insurance - including for camera flooding, technical diving and dive professional insurance.
We believe the details we've given here to be accurate, but please always read the policy details at the insurers' web sites to confirm. Details may be different depending on your country of residence.
Get diving travel insurance to 40, 50 or even 80 m
World Nomads
World Nomads travel insurance is designed specifically for travellers who like to take part in all sorts of adventurous sports and activities, especially backpackers. They offer cover for diving down to 50 m, depending on your country of residence and qualifications.
World Nomads travel insurance is available to residents of over 150 countries. It is designed for travellers who like to take part in adventurous sports and activities. Depending on your qualifications and country of residence, World Nomads offer SCUBA diving cover down to 50 m. Get a quote above and then see if you can upgrade your cover for adventure sports if you wish to increase your depth limit. (For the UK, for example, choose level 3 for scuba diving to 50 m.) Many other adventure activities are also covered. You can start and finish your trip pretty much anywhere. This is one of the reasons World Nomads policies are different from those of other travel insurance companies.
Five facts about World Nomads travel insurance
-
Cover for a range of adventure activities, including diving
Depending on your qualifications and country of residence, World Nomads offer SCUBA diving cover down to 50 m. Get a quote above and then see if you can upgrade your cover for adventure sports to increase your depth limit.
Many other adventure activities are also covered: such as parascending, shark cage diving to 50 m, rock climbing, kite boarding and hang gliding. -
Flexibility when you need it most
Had a change of plans? You can extend your policy indefinitely or claim online while you are still away. You can even buy a World Nomads policy if you're already travelling. -
Trusted reliable underwriters
WorldNomads.com is backed by a suite of strong, secure, specialist travel insurers who provide you with great cover, 24 hour emergency assistance and the highest levels of support and claims management when you need it most. -
Value for money with the cover you need
WorldNomads.com provides cover for what's important for travellers from over 150 countries. By focusing on what you need and leaving out what you don't, World Nomads prices are some of the most competitive online. -
World Nomads keeps you travelling safely
All WorldNomads.com members have access to up-to-date travel safety alerts.
Go to World Nomads
Dive Master Insurance
If you already have travel insurance, and just want to add diving to it, look at Dive Master Insurance. They will add cover for diving without depth limits (although dives over 80 m should be supported, and deeper than 130 m must be agreed with the underwriters beforehand). International diving emergency cover.
They also offer
- dive equipment insurance - this is for a year's cover worldwide and you can include flooding underwater cameras,
- technical diving insurance,
- dive professional liability insurance - indeed they guarantee to beat any like quote by 10%,
- club instructor liability insurance,
- dive trade insurance and
- boat insurance
Backpacker insurance with diving | Diving travel insurance for the over 60s
by Jill Studholme
