How to Secure the Best Scuba Diving Life Insurance Coverage Today

As a scuba diver, you know the importance of preparation and safety. That same mindset should extend to protecting your family’s future with life insurance.

The good news? Getting affordable life insurance as a diver is entirely achievable! This guide will help you secure a great policy, address high-risk underwriting concerns, and find you the best life insurance company for your unique situation.

Life insurance for scuba divers depends on several factors, including:

• Experience: How long have you been diving?
• Certifications: Such as Open Water or Advanced Open Water certifications.
• Dive Depths: Average and maximum depths.
• Dive Types: Wreck, cave, ice, high-altitude, or technical dives

Common underwriting questions that life insurers will ask you:

• When did you learn to dive?
• What scuba diving certifications do you hold?
• Are you a member of a scuba diving club?
• How many dives per year do you average?
• What is the average time you spend underwater per dive?
• Where do you dive – Lakes, oceans, rivers, etc?
• What is the maximum depth you dive to?
• Do you dive alone?
• Have you ever had decompression sickness?
• How many dives are:
  • 75′ deep or less?
  • 76-100′ deep?
  • 101 – 130′ deep?
  • Greater than 130′ deep?
• Do you participate in wreck, cave, ice, or high-altitude diving?
• Future Dive Plans:
  • Are any dive trips planned for the next 12 months?
  • Where will you be diving?
  • What depths will you be diving to?

Life insurance companies will have you complete a diver supplement form addressing the above questions.

In addition to dive-related questions, we’ll need to know about your health history as heart conditions, cancer history or diabetes will affect rates.

Similarly, if you participate in other activities such as private aviation or mountain climbing, we’ll need to know.

Companies use several factors to determine your best life insurance rate, including your average dive depths. Here’s how it works:

Dive Depths Less Than 75′

If your average scuba dive depth is less than 75′, many life insurance companies will make their best rate classes available if you qualify otherwise.

Dive Depths 76′ – 100′

We still have some life insurers that offer their best rate classes, but some companies have limitations such as no more than ten dives per year.

Dive Depths 101′-120′

While getting a “preferred” rate is possible, most insurers add flat extras to your life insurance policy. Something we’re asked about is certification dives

If you dive beyond 100′ for the certification only, but your regular activity is limited to 100′ or less thereafter, some life insurers won’t penalize you.

Dive Depths Beyond 120′

All life insurance companies add a flat extra charge when you start diving beyond 120′. The amount of the flat extra varies by company, but you can expect the flat to add $250 – $1,000 per every $100,000 of coverage. You must have the experience and required certifications for these depths, otherwise, you will be penalized or declined.

Dive Depths Greater than 150′

It’s not often that we encounter divers going to this depth. We have a life insurance company that will consider a $250 per $100,000 flat extra up to 250′ depth. You have to have experience and advanced certifications to do these things.

Here’s a snapshot of scuba dive guidelines from top life insurers:

We have some life insurance options if your occupation involves civilian or military diving.

Civilian Commercial Diving – Underwater helmet diving. If you are involved in salvage operations, life insurers have occupation class ratings and a flat extra expense of approximately $500 for every $100,000 of coverage.

Military Diving – We need to know exactly what you are up to for military divers. General scuba diving typically requires a flat extra of $100 for every $100,000 in coverage. Special Forces military personnel – i.e. Army Rangers, Delta Force, and Navy Seals have a class rating of $500 for every $100,000 of coverage.

Open Water Diver Life Insurance – The Open Water Diver certification is the most popular scuba diving course offered by organizations such as PADI.

The maximum depth allowed for the Open Water Diver certification is 60 feet, and it can’t be said enough that scuba divers who dive beyond their certification levels and training represent an additional risk that life insurance companies do not like.

Advanced Open Water Diver (AOWD) – This certification depth is 100 feet. From our experience, most open-water divers rarely dive beyond 100′ depth, with many diving no deeper than 60 feet.

The type of wreck diving you participate in matters to underwriters.

Non-Penetration Wreck Dives – The scuba diver swims near or over the wreck but does not enter the wreck. Non-penetration wreck dives follow the same underwriting rules as open-water diving.

Limited Penetration Wreck Dives – The scuba diver penetrates the wreck, but only to the extent that natural light is still available. The general rule is that once you enter a wreck, life insurers will add a flat extra charge to your life insurance.

Full Penetration Wreck Dives – Full penetration wreck dives are technical dives. You must have the proper experience. The key is to find the life insurers that offer “preferred rates” with a flat extra vs. companies that will assign “standard rates” with a flat extra.

Cave diving accounts for less than 10% of fatalities but is of greater concern to underwriters than open-water diving. If you participate in cavern diving, a flat extra will be added to your life insurance policy. If you have completed additional certifications for cavern dives, let us know, as we can use that to minimize any additional ratings.

You have questions about life insurance for scuba divers, and we have the answers!

Scuba diving, when properly trained, is readily insurable. Working with us will ensure you get the best life insurance company based on your experience.

Start your journey by completing a free, no-pressure life insurance quote request today.