Scuba Diving Life Insurance - Dive into the Guide for Best Rates

Will Scuba Diving Prevent Me from Being Approved for Life Insurance?

A lot of scuba divers are under the misconception they will be declined for life insurance, or that their rates will be astronomical…But this is not always true.

A variety of factors can impact your rates, including the company you decide to apply with. In the following sections we've outlined the four most important questions that will determine your rates and eligibility for coverage. 

Are You A Certified Diver?

It’s very important to obtain a scuba certification, not only for your own safety, but for most insurance companies. Life insurance companies may decline people who scuba dive without being certified, if you are not a certified diver, make sure you are diving with someone who is.

Diving alone, un-certified, and without a certified instructor will cause your application to be declined with all term life insurance companies.

There are several organizations that are recognized by all of the insurance companies such as Scuba Schools International (SSI), National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI), and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). In addition, some life insurance companies may even offer more aggressive rates for those who have Advanced or Master certifications.

We all know that scuba diving can be dangerous. Scuba divers encounter risks such as equipment malfunctions underwater, decompression sickness, pulmonary embolisms, oxygen toxicity, and underwater creatures. Having a dive partner, or a certified instructor with you when you dive, will help to alleviate most of this risk.

What Are The Purpose Of Your Dives?

Certified divers who dive in open water will have the best chance of getting “preferred” or “preferred best” rates. If you are making less than 10 dives a year, up to 100ft, you may qualify for “preferred best” rates, depending on your health.

If you engage in higher risk diving activities like; cave diving, commercial diving, or wreck diving…expect to qualify for “standard” rates at best.

Life insurance companies find penetration diving, underwater photography below 100 ft, free diving, and spearfishing to be some of the most “risky” reasons to participate in diving.

These activities will likely lead to what’s known as a “flat extra” which an additional $2.50-$5.00 per $1000 of coverage. For example: If you were to purchase a $250,000 policy, with a $2.50 flat extra, you would pay an additional $625 per year for coverage.

At What Depths Do You Normally Dive?

Most life insurance companies will offer “preferred” or “preferred best” rates for people that dive in open waters, up to 100 feet.

If you are diving deeper than 100 feet, but less than 130 feet, you will likely qualify for “standard” rates at unless you are a Master Certified or Advance Certified diver. If you are Master or Advance Certified and you dive up to 130 feet, you may still qualify for preferred best rates with a handful of companies.

Please Note: Your certification dive does not count against you. If your certification dive was deeper than 100 feet, this will not affect your rates.

There are much higher risks associated with diving deeper than 130 feet with all life insurance companies. If you dive more than 130 feet, most life insurance companies will either deny your application or charge a “flat extra”.

Since our agents are appointed with over 50 different companies we will be able to figure out which company would be able to offer you the most competitive rates for your situation, or more importantly an approval.

How Often Do You Dive?

Obviously a person that has completed 50+ dives in their lifetime will have more experience and knowledge of dealing with the elements than a person that has only completed 3 or 4 dives.

If you are diving up to 130 feet, the life insurance companies will want to see that you are completing at least 10 of these deep dives per year.

However, there is also a downside to this, some companies have a limit to how many dives you can complete in one year, and its usually between 10 and 20.

Just remember that when you’re completing your application that it’s better to be honest and pay a few extra bucks rather than have a policy not pay out because you did not disclose everything to the underwriter.

We have all of the underwriting guidelines available from 63 life insurance companies, and well make sure we match you with the company that is your best fit. Most importantly, our service is free, and our agents do not have quotas of sales goals. Were here to help you find the best company available to you period!

There are about 2.6 million people in the United States that enjoy experiencing the unexplored depths of the seas, don’t let purchasing life insurance prevent you from being one of them.

Our agents know what questions to ask, and well make sure we match you up with the best company available based on your diving and other applicable health and lifestyle requirements. Purchasing a life insurance policy as a diver does not have to be a long or difficult process.

We’ve helped hundreds of divers and we can help you too! Give us a call today, toll free 855-247-9555, or request a free quote using our calculator below. In less than a minute, you'll be able to compare rates and options from dozens of life insurance providers.