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+--- Thread: divers and life insurance (/showthread.php?tid=4533)
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divers and life insurance - DetectorGuy - 08-12-2009
I just stopped in to my insurance man to update my auto, boat, snowmobile, and home insurance yesterday. My wife was with and she asked him to explain the difference between the different "life insurance" policies. I have a 1 year term policy that the premiums go up every year. As I get older the policy gets more expensive (as I get one year closer to the dirt nap). I hate talking to these insurance people (no offense to any of you that are insurance people). They are right, but they seem like a crypt keeper in Vegas, the way they are gambling on how much they will make before you die. I decided to keep the one year term policy and get an additional convertible 10 year policy (it sounds so much cooler when they call it a "convertible"). While filling out the form for it they came up with these questions on the application like do you skydive, hang glide, scuba dive, mountain climb, ETC... I answered it that I do scuba dive and then the electronic form sprang to life with a litany of questions like:
What are your certifications? Open water? advanced open water? night diving? Ice diving? photography?(WTF?) and other?
I checked the boxes that applied and he asked what other certifications. I started to list them blah blah blah...
Then it asked how many dives I have done in the last 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years.
Then it asked of those dives how many were between 0' and 75', 76'-100', 101'-130', and over 130'.
Then it asked if I belonged to any dive clubs. I answered that I am a public safety diver for Isanti County.
Then the Insurance guy asked if I was one of those divers that would rescue people in a submerged car. I told him that ultimately I would if I was able to make it to the scene on time to do that but that the VAST majority of our work would be in recovery (bodies, material items, and/or evidence).
He paused and then told me that if the underwriter calls and asks me about this that I should make sure to tell them that I just do recovery work and not rescue work. I did not ask him why but it was really making me wonder how this could affect my policy premiums. I was also wishing I would have lied and told him that I was not a diver.
Have any of you ever had any experience like this when updating insurance? I thought it was very weird!
Re: divers and life insurance - ballfrog - 08-12-2009
Yeah, I went through that years ago.
Now that I'm uninsurable, I don't have to worry any more.
They just want to hedge their bets to make as much as they can before your dirt (or water) nap.
And you should know from your training that "rescue mode" entails a lot more risks than "recovery mode", that's just the nature of the game. People will hang from helicopters in a gale to resuce a live baby, but not for a "possible" body or evidence.
Re: divers and life insurance - Terry - 08-12-2009
Yes I was told I would not be covered at ANY premium due to the depths I had dove. I wasnt looking for life insurance, it was being sold (pushed) to me by my agent.
Re: divers and life insurance - Mr.Pitbull - 08-12-2009
So the best answer then is to say nothing and see if they find out it seems. Kind of like when they ask how many tickets you have or average mileage you drive.
I would think that the lower risk would be to insure an active knowlegable diver than your typical once a year resort diver
Re: divers and life insurance - Terry - 08-12-2009
So the best answer then is to say nothing and see if they find out it seems. Kind of like when they ask how many tickets you have or average mileage you drive.
I would think that the lower risk would be to insure an active knowlegable diver than your typical once a year resort diver
[/quote]
Ya but you need to be careful dog if they catch you lying,,,,,,,,
Re: divers and life insurance - Mr.Pitbull - 08-12-2009
Ignorance is bliss, unless they can prove you knew better. I am quite experienced at playing dumb (ask my EX's
).
Re: divers and life insurance - Terry - 08-13-2009
That did make me smile dog!
Re: divers and life insurance - bluefins - 08-13-2009
;D It made me smile too! (and chuckle even)
Re: divers and life insurance - mattd - 08-13-2009
They need to put something in the sign up materials to go buy a long term plan before you start.
I got the same treatment for having a pilot's certificate. Rates were at least double. IIRC, AOPA got around that somehow and had good rates. Perhaps PADI or SDI or someone has a sponsored plan to get divers better rates.
Now that I'm thinking of it, I need to go call AOPA and get a policy >
Re: divers and life insurance - Shooter - 08-13-2009
I get mine through DAN. Very competitve and no hassles about being a diver! I like the fact that the money goes to them rather than some greedy insurance corp!