Most travel insurance policies will cover you if you go scuba diving. However, you must meet a few conditions, which may include the following:
- You must hold an open water diving licence, which is the entry-level full diver certification.
- You are diving with a PADI licensed instructor or an instructor who holds an open water diving licence recognised in Australia.
 Medibank | Yes, you're covered for scuba diving if you have a licence or are with an instructor. |
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Freely | Yes, Freely provides travel insurance with scuba diving cover if you are diving under licensed instruction. Maximum depth is between 30 metres and 50 metres below the surface. |
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Zoom | Yes, you're automatically covered to a depth of no greater than 10 metres. You must hold an open water diving licence recognized in Australia, or dive with a licensed instructor. With the purchase of the adventure pack, you are covered to a depth of no greater than 30 metres. You must hold an open water diving licence recognized in Australia, or dive with a licensed instructor. You must not fly within 24 hours of your last dive. |
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Fast Cover | Yes, Fast Cover will provide scuba diving insurance provided you hold an open water diving licence issued in Australia or you are diving under licensed instruction. |
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Insure4less | Yes, you're covered for scuba diving for dives of up to 10 metres, if you hold a licence or you're accompanied by a properly qualified instructor. You are not covered for diving in caves, wrecks, ice or alone. |
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Travel Insuranz | Yes, you're covered for scuba diving for dives of up to 10 metres, if you hold a licence or you're accompanied by a properly qualified instructor. You're also covered if you're not diving alone, on or in wrecks or cave or ice diving. |
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InsureandGo | Yes, you're covered for scuba diving if you have a licence or are with an instructor, up to a maximum depth of 30 metres. |
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Tick | Yes, you're covered for dives up to a depth of 30 metres as long as you're supervised or with an instructor. |
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World2cover | Yes, you're covered for scuba diving if you're accompanied by a commercial operator. |
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Cover-More | Yes, Cover-More provides travel insurance with scuba diving cover if you are diving under licensed instruction. Maximum depth is between 30 metres and 50 metres below the surface. |
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Southern Cross | Yes, you're covered for scuba diving if you hold an open-water diving certificate, or you're diving with a qualified instructor. |
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Travel with Kit | Yes, you're covered for dives up to a depth of 30 metres as long as you hold an open water diving licence or you're supervised or with an instructor. | More info |
Travel with Jane | Yes, you're covered for dives up to a depth of 30 metres as long as you hold an open water diving licence or you're supervised or with an instructor. | More info |
Travel Insurance Saver | Yes, Travel Insurance Saver covers scuba dives if you hold an open water diving licence or plan to dive with a licensed instructor. |
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Stella | Yes, if you hold an open water diving certificate or diving with a qualified diving instructor. |
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| Australia Post | Yes, if you hold an open water diving certificate or diving with a qualified diving instructor. |
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Easy Travel Insurance | Yes, you're covered for scuba diving if you hold an open-water diving certificate, or you're diving with a qualified instructor. |
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1cover | Yes, 1Cover offers scuba diving travel insurance provided you have a licence or are diving with a licensed instructor. | More info |
American Express | Yes, American Express provides scuba diving insurance if you hold an open water diving certificate or your dive is supervised by a qualified diving instructor. | More info |
Ski-insurance | Yes, Ski-insurance.com.au offers scuba diving travel insurance as long as you are diving under licensed instruction or hold an open water diving licence that was issued in Australia. | More info |
Worldcare | Yes, WorldCare provides travel insurance with scuba diving cover if you hold an open water diving licence issued in Australia or you are diving under licensed instruction. | More info |
Note: This information was last updated August 2022
All travel insurance policies have conditions on scuba diving cover. Some require you to have obtained your open water diving licence in Australia, while others require you to not dive alone. One sneaky condition to be aware of relates to the depth of the dive: the deeper you dive, the greater the chance of complications. Some insurers will only cover you for dives up to 10 metres. However, most travel insurers cover you for dives of 30 metres.
If you want to dive any deeper, you may need to take out special cover. These policies typically cover you for dives up to a depth of 30 metres and include cover for diving equipment if it needs to be cut loose in an emergency.
Scuba diving insurance usually won't cover you for:
- Diving professionally
- Reckless behaviour while diving
- Search and rescue expenses
- Your dive equipment while it is in use
- Rented dive equipment
- Diving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Finder survey: What type of holiday will Australians from different states take in the next 12 months?
| Domestic | 57.85% | 59.74% | 68.82% | 61.75% | 58.72% |
| International | 55.37% | 45.87% | 36.56% | 47% | 46.79% |
| None | 12.4% | 12.21% | 10.75% | 11.06% | 9.48% |
| Adventure trip | 10.74% | 7.92% | 2.15% | 7.37% | 6.42% |
| Cruise | 9.92% | 12.54% | 15.05% | 18.89% | 17.13% |
| Ski | 1.65% | 2.64% | 2.15% | 2.3% | 6.42% |
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1112 Australians, December 2023
Data for ACT, NT, TAS not shown due to insufficient sample size. Some other states may also be excluded for this reason.
A regular travel insurance policy will also cover you for the normal things associated with travel. These include:
- Overseas medical and hospital treatment. You're covered if you're injured in a diving accident and need emergency evacuation, medical treatment or hospitalisation (cover for hyperbaric treatment for decompression injuries will depend on the insurer).
- Lost or stolen belongings including dive gear. You're covered for individual items up to the benefit limits of the policy, providing a police report is obtained within 24 hours of discovering the theft.
- Cancellations and delays. You're covered if you miss your flight due to illness or an accident en route to the airport or if your trip is delayed due to circumstances beyond your control.
- Liability. If you injure another person or damage their property, you will usually be covered for the legal fees and compensation.
Virgil spent years organising and saving for a scuba diving trip to the Caribbean. He wanted to explore the Cayman Trough, a curious patch of sea between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
Virgil had scuba diving travel insurance, held an open water diving certificate and was diving with his close friend and licensed instructor Lindsey.
While on their dive, the pair came across the wreck of an old fishing vessel. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to explore a real-life shipwreck, Virgil swum through a rusted gash in the boat's hull.
In his haste, Virgil's primary regulator got caught on a jagged piece of metal, tearing a hole in the line. Panic set in.
With Lindsey nowhere in sight, Vigil clambered towards the surface, forgetting his emergency ascent procedures. Not even halfway up, Virgil blacked out due to hypoxia.
Lindsey was able to get Virgil to the surface and drive him to a local hospital, where he spent 2 weeks recovering in the Jamaica Medical Center.
Virgil contacted his insurer but was informed that he was not covered, as his policy excluded diving in wrecks or caves. This left Virgil with a hospital bill of $5,000, which meant he was left with a pile of debt on top of the cost of the holiday.
* This is a fictional, but realistic, example.
As scuba diving involves entering an alien (and sometimes hostile) environment and being totally dependent on an artificial breathing apparatus, it involves a higher level of risk than some other adventure activities. Common risks associated with scuba diving include:
- Barotrauma. A too-rapid descent can cause an air pocket to develop in the middle ear, resulting in severe pain and injury to the ear.
- Decompression sickness. A too-rapid ascent to the surface can cause "the bends", where the body absorbs too much nitrogen, which can cause paralysis and death.
- Pulmonary embolism. A too-rapid ascent can also cause the lungs to swell and even burst.
- Sea creatures. While shark attacks are rare, they can and do happen, along with the risk of bites and stings from some sea creatures.
- Defective equipment. A broken depth gauge can lead to decompression sickness. A bad regulator can lead to drowning.
There are general safety rules that apply any time you are scuba diving and there are also rules that are particularly important when diving overseas. General diving tips include the following:
- Only dive if you are fit to do so (don't dive if you have a cold or a hangover).
- Check your gear thoroughly to ensure everything is in good working order and then do a buddy check of your fellow divers.
- Plan your dive. If diving with a group, listen to your instructor or dive guide regarding the planned route and what to look out for.
- Monitor your air gauge and make sure you have enough air left to get back to the boat.
- Descend and ascend slowly during every dive.
You should do the following when diving overseas:
- Thoroughly check rental dive gear as safety standards may not be as high in the country you are visiting.
- Only dive with reputable companies using licensed, seaworthy boats and well-maintained dive equipment. Make sure you check your instructor's credentials.
- Don't fly for at least 24 hours after scuba diving. The aircraft's pressurised environment can trigger decompression sickness if you still have excess nitrogen in your system.
- Make sure you have appropriate travel insurance and that the kind of diving you plan to do is fully covered.
The first steps are simple:
- Make sure you or any members of your travelling party aren't in any future danger.
- Contact the relevant authorities.
- Contact your insurer when safe to do so.
Collecting documentation for your scuba diving travel insurance
If the incident was reported to the authorities, request a copy of the police report.
If you're hospitalised, make sure you ask your doctor to provide a medical report, which should:
- Be written on a page displaying the hospital's letterhead
- Include the date of the incident
- Specify what injuries were sustained
- Advise whether you are fit for travel
- Describe any future treatments that may be required
- Provide the contact details for your physician
Hold onto any X-rays or scans as well.
Tip: If you're paying for anything as a result of the incident, such as medical bills or the food while you're in hospital, pay with card and not cash so there is a transaction history you can refer to.
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