209 replies to this topic

[britishseapowerman]

DAN insurance is pretty good.

[tdpriest]

If I'm repeating myself, sorry, but Dive Master (a UK company, with a good on-line service) have done well by me, as has Alsky72 who happily converted some of the money paid after the amazing-falling-apart-dome flood into a Zen mini-dome...

Tim

[johnjvv]

This is a very helpful topic and great learning about so many different dive insurance companies other than DAN which I refuse to use. My partner had a dive related accident which hospitalised her for a week and had to undergo surgery 6 months later. During the course of this nightmare we wrote DAN for advise, assistance and to determine if we could claim for anything...guess what...they did not even bother responding to us. We would have appreciated a courteous no as opposed to silence luckily for us the medical system in Qatar is heavily subsidised by the government and the ordeal did not break the bank.

Shop around and dont just go with DAN because they are the most prominent...sales talk is well and good...but proof is in the pudding...

We used World Nomads for our last trip which was expensive and did not cover our equipment however as far as medicine goes it is underwritten by BUPA which one of the best Medical Insurers.

[sasdasdaf]

Does anyone know if Dive Master will insure underwater camera gear of someone resident outside the UK? I am based in Hong Kong and am wondering whether they would insure my gear. Thanks.

[Autopsea]

Just to say my french insurance MAIF covered 100% of the price of my camera body flooded by my fault with the regular house insurrance. I didn't do any particular declaration before, just the inssurance covers anything you would break even out of the house. was over 2000 euros. great !

[johnjvv]

Does anyone know if Dive Master will insure underwater camera gear of someone resident outside the UK? I am based in Hong Kong and am wondering whether they would insure my gear. Thanks.

Have a look on their website, click on Diving Equipment Cover and then on Get a quote...it asks which country you reside in and HK is listed, so I would say yes...

[errbrr]

I've been corresponding with a few companies as I don't wish to reinsure with DEPP after all the hooha this year. My first call was to Protecsure, but they require all equipment to be insured against flood if taken underwater - I'm keen to insure the camera, not so keen to pay hundreds for flood insurance on a housing where the excess will cost more than fixing the bulkhead electrics.

After a few other false starts, I've been talking to PPIB (http://photoinsurance.com.au/insurance). They cover flooding caused by damage to the housing (smacked against a rock, etc) but not accidental unknown flooding. After a short chat, the agent went back to the underwriter for me, and they are going to cover all flood damage for the same premium, but with an excess of $750 (instead of $250 for a non-flood claim). The premiums seem a lot more reasonable than other quotes I've had, and the customer service has been great so far. They are looking at updating their standard policy to include this in the near future. Hope that helps someone else....reading endless insurance policies has been doing my head in.

[Garrethe]

Sorry to hear your having a bad time Marjo. Really hope it all works out.

As an aside I thought I'd test the system with my State Farm policy. I managed to drop and break a 70-200 f4 that was listed on my personal all perils policy. I cracked the case so I called last week and the check arrived to replace it today. It's nice to know the system works if I need it.

Good luck,
Steve

The only problem with insuring with State Farm, or any other Home Owners insurance company, is that you risk having your home coverage non-renewed. Which means they cancel your policy. Then, when you try to get additional insurance for your home at a different company they see you filed claims and will not write you a policy. Which puts you in the high risk pool and the only policy you can get is with a state subsidized insurer which is VERY EXPENSIVE and the perils insured against tends to be less than those covered by standard companies policies. Now it's not guaranteed you are going to be non-renewed. I just don't want to play russian roulette with my home owners coverage. Now, i'm not trying to tell anyone what to do, but being in the insurance field I see people filing, what I deem to be high frequecy low severity claims and getting their policies canceled and being mad at the insurance companies. And State Farm looks at ALL claims filed against them when determining whether or not to continue to offer you home owners coverage.

Edited by Garrethe, 19 September 2011 - 05:29 AM.

[Steve Williams]

So I'm curious Garrethe, who are you recommending we insure our gear with?

Steve

[Garrethe]

So I'm curious Garrethe, who are you recommending we insure our gear with?

Steve

I honestly don't know. I came to this thread as im new to the underwater camera arena and was looking for the answer to this question myself. I was hoping there was a specialty insurer who was doing this. I see that DEPP is doing it but I also see alot of threads having issues with this carrier. What is wrong with DAN? Is it just that the premiums are high or is it that and another issue? I just wanted to add my 2 cents to insuring it at the same place you are carrying Home Owners insurance as I have some experience concerning this.

Concerning State Farm, all agents have a computer system where they can put notes concerning your policy online. If your State Farm agent is telling you it won't affect your Home Owners Policy, ask your agent to make a note on their system that they told you this and print you out a copy for your records. If they will do this at least if State Farm does non-renew you for claims action you will have a record and be able to go against the agents E & O coverage. It wasn't always this way, but most home owners companies, and particularly SF, are looking to non-renew customers who file multiply claims. They don't just look at the $$ amount. They would perfer to have a customer who has filed 1 claim that resulted in a claims payout of $50,000.00 than a customer who has filed 3 claims with a total payout of $2,000.00 as their opinion is the person with 3 claims is abusing the policy. That's why Agents push large deductibles now. To keep people from filing small claims that will put their policy at risk.

Edited by Garrethe, 20 September 2011 - 03:12 AM.

[johnjvv]

What is wrong with DAN? Is it just that the premiums are high or is it that and another issue?

Garrethe,

DAN is predominantly an insurer for scuba related medical incidents, in my case when we asked their assistance and advice on a such an incident they blatantly ignored us. They are actually quite cheap and that might explain their service.

Cheers,
John

Edited by johnjvv, 20 September 2011 - 03:27 AM.

[eyu]

A dear friend of mine got bent in Cozumel, Mexico this summer and DAN and DAN insurance came through. They were notified by phone the day he sustained DCS, their docs consulted with the Cozumel docs while he was undergoing his first chamber treatment and they paved the way for him to receive subsequent hyperberic treatments at Duke in Durham, NC, USA.

This same friend has flooded his dslr system twice and on both occasions DAN camera insurance paid for his loss minus his deductible.

I have a personal effects policy with State Farm for my dslr system and my wife's dslr system and our laptops. I flooded my Subal housing and they paid for my loss. When I purchased this policy I was told that it is separate from my home owners and any claims do not effect the home owner policy.

If you live in the States, I think either a personal effects policy or DAN for camera flood insurance are good options.

Elmer

[DavidSD619]

I insured my camera and a few lenses as an add-on to my homeowners (in USA). All they wanted was the original receipts to add the high-value items to the policy. It added about $50 a year to my homeowners.

I had the unfortunate experience of flooding my 5DII with a 100mm lens (stupid mistake, had a piece of a lock-tie sticking in the housing when closed).
Called the insurance company and the rep at first wanted me to take the camera and lens to a camera store for a written estimate. I told the rep that it was salt water damage and a digital camera and without sending it to Canon, the best a camera store could do is say 'Yup, its broken'. The rep agreed and said he was just sending me a check for replacement - same cost as I had on the receipts. Very easy and very fast. Just for curiosities sake I did send both back to Canon and they came back as unrepairable.


I have since renewed my homeowners insurance without issue, same cost as last year. This was Liberty Mutual insurance.

[Stoo]

"ITEMS LOST WHILE IN YOUR CARE, CUSTODY AND CONTROL -- WHILE IN USE BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE WATER, DROPPED OVERBOARD OR SWEPT OVER-BOARD" (yes, it is listed in all caps)

On reviewing my policy with State-Farm (but in Canada) I just learned that my stuff isn't actually covered by flooding, so this got me searching and I found this thread.

My guess is that this exclusion was added as a way to reduce and eliminate the "System Upgrade" tendency that SOME divers might be tempted to try. The one where the recently flooded system is suddenly lost overboard. I must confess that when I learned my system isn't covered for flooding, my first thought was that this would be an option. If the insurance companies thought this through, they might see that offering to replace a flooded strobe is much more economical than replacing an entire "lost" system.

I guess the trick is to leave a flooded system out in the sun on a parking lot to dry, while you go for lunch. It would be a shame if it was stolen.

I will look into this more and if I discover anything, I'll be sure to post it, especially for my Canadian brethren.

In fairness, I can see the reluctance for an insurance company to cover this stuff. There would be no actuarial information available for flooding.

My biggest concern is theft or loss if I need to check this while flying, although an "all encompassing" policy would be nice!

Edited by Stoo, 21 September 2011 - 07:24 AM.

[Stoo]

Called the insurance company and the rep at first wanted me to take the camera and lens to a camera store for a written estimate.

I suspect that if you carry the camera into the store in the recommended bag of fresh water, it won't take the technician long to come to the conclusion that your camera is pooched.

Edited by Stoo, 21 September 2011 - 07:13 AM.

[Stoo]

I'm considering just covering the camera and lenses. The Aquatica housing looks like it would be easy to resurrect after a flood, same for the ports which I don't think even has a serial number. It also does not look too likely that I'd flood one of the Inon strobes either.

I'm actually in the middle of an email exchange with my State-Farm broker now. There have been a number of questions I have raised and your comment raises an interesting conundrum...

I just asked the agent this question (My stuff is not covered for flooding as I stated): So I flood the housing. The camera and lens are not covered. But my camera model, a D90, is now discontinued and so I can't replace the camera exactly. My housing just became a pricey paperweight. (In truth, I bought two bodies, but that's probably unusual). My guess is that the housing isn't covered.

But what if the camera is stolen? The camera and lens are now covered, but the body still can't be exactly replaced. Would the housing be covered then? I suspect not, but I'll let you know.

I think the conclusion I am coming to is that really the policy only works when you have a total loss, by theft, or loss (but only then if you have exercised due diligence in keeping the stuff safe).

Also Herbko, I think you might be surprised at the cost of repairing the Aquatica housing. You would need to replace the bulkheads ($226) and the moisture detector ($98) if you have one, and then Aquatica would want to do a total overhaul, (as you would too, since the thing just flooded...) You might want to contact Jean on here about that, but I bet you wouldn't see a lot of change from $1000 with tax and shipping...

Edited by Stoo, 21 September 2011 - 08:04 AM.

[johnjvv]

But my camera model, a D90, is now discontinued and so I can't replace the camera exactly.

The camera is still listed on Nikon's website and well and alive!!

[Stoo]

The camera is still listed on Nikon's website and well and alive!!

Supposedly... In Canada, it's only available through one chain and only until stock is gone (which I believe it is now). It was meant as a general comment anyway... Even though it might be available today, it most certainly won't be at some point.

This exchange of emails with my broker is interesting. While I am generally pretty happy with them, they are very careful to avoid answering specific questions like the ones I posted above with a simple "yes" or "no"...

[S1mon]

I'd like to point out that the company name is NOT DEPP. That is just the name of the "plan". This is important if you are ever to deal with the Kentucky Department of Insurance or Better Business Bureau, as they will not find the company registered as "DEPP". The name of the company is Innovative Programs Group, Inc. There is really only 3 people to IPG and the other company "Awry" which appears to do their administrative work such as issuing the checks. Deane Lehrmitt (dwl@ipginsurance.com), Dixie Lehrmitt (Dixie@AWRYInc.com) and Sandy Hall (sandy@AWRYInc.com). Deane is the one who acts as the adjustor (and a President) at Innovatibe Programs Group, Inc and the one you will probably end up communicating with. The current email that works is dwl@ipginsurance.com (the similar address with a .net ending no longer works). If you need clarity in what you can find the detail for the companies in the public records here. Just plug in the word "lehrmitt" in the search and you will get a listing of all their companies. I have been unable to find out who actually underwrites their policy. I have asked right out and they have told me they don't need to tell me that.

Calling them at any of the numbers they have listed has at least for me not produced any results, they have never called me back, and insist that email is the only way they will communicate.

Good luck with your claim, hope this info helps with getting in contact with them.

Thanks, Marjo.

I have a claim with them that has been outstanding now for 6 MONTHS!!! Its for over $4000 and they "never received my paperwork" and then did not respond to emails, I finally got to Deane Lehrmitt (by the way, did you know that Sandy Hall is actually a Lehrmitt too making this a family run scam/business) and he has BS'd me around for several months. I am now going to the Kentucky Department of Insurance as I have had it with them....

DO NOT INSURE WITH DEPP, IF YOU CAN USE DAN (I HAVE HAD EXCELLENT RELATIONS WITH H2O AND DAN IN GENERAL) DO SO, IF NOT SELF INSURE BUT DO NOT INSURE WITH DEPP/AWRY/INNOVATIVE

Best
Simon

[diver dave1]

I'm actually in the middle of an email exchange with my State-Farm broker now. There have been a number of questions I have raised and your comment raises an interesting conundrum...
I just asked the agent this question (My stuff is not covered for flooding as I stated):

You can purchase flood/damage insurance for your housing/camera/lenses/strobes from State Farm if you want it. Its about 1% of stated value per year based on what I pay. Its a separate rider from any other insurance so it has no influence on home owners insurance, etc.