Just because you’ve finished a dive doesn’t mean you’re
safe. Dive boats can be dangerous places. On a moving dive
boat, divers balancing heavy tanks on their backs can be easily
knocked off balance. On a moored dive boat, divers walking
across the deck in full gear wearing their fins can easily stumble
or fall (smart divers put their fins on where they expect
to enter the water, not walk duck style across the boat to get
there). Aging divers and those not in the best of shape have
increased risk while on a moving boat.
Take this case from one of our readers, Ginny Shaw
(Citrus Heights, CA), who broke her right ankle while on the
second day of her dive trip with Red Sail Sports at Morritt’s
Tortuga Club and Resort in Grand Cayman. “The water was
rough, and we thought the captain was driving too fast but
we didn’t say anything, we just held on.” Shaw had a tough
time getting a dive booties off, so she stood up while holding
on to the camera table and stuck her foot out so her sister
could pull it off. Just then, the boat hit a big wave and Shaw
was slammed to the floor, her right leg buckling under. It
turned out to be a broken ankle. Shaw needed a cast, ending
her dive trip.
Shaw had dive insurance with Divers Alert Network, but
DAN said they could offer no help. On-board accidents like
Shaw’s are considered non-diving accidents, so instead of
looking to your dive insurance company for reimbursement,
you’ll have to file a claim with your medical insurer instead.