#7880
Kemperite - 5/29/2019 1:01 PM
Here’s a bit of legal garbage to add to the pot. V&B may be separate and independent of PADI - but they really are just a part of the PADI machine. In the very fine print of your policy is something that a friend of mine found out the hard way. V&B will only cover you if you are teaching your dive courses in accordance with PADI Standards.

Let’s talk about what that means. PADI OW Diver Course Standards stipulate the maximum depth for OW Dives 1 and 2 to be 40 feet. Open Water Dives 3 and 4 allow you to go to the full 60 feet of depth. If the training agency you are using (for those certified with multiple agencies including PADI) allows Dives 1 and 2 to be conducted to the full certification depth of 60 feet and you actually go to 60 feet on dives 1 and 2 then you are operating outside the accepted PADI Standards and your V&B policy does not cover those actions since they utilize the PADI Standards when determining risk and coverage.

For those of you who are Tech (or Tec or Tek) Instructors then you should also be aware that if your technical class does not fall into the confines of the PADI Tech programs then your courses (especially with regard to depth of training) will not be afforded actual coverage in case of an accident or law suit.

Sure, the price you pay for your annual premium is important to your bottom line and pizza budget - but if you give someone $700 and then find out you aren’t covered or protected when faced with a million dollar judgement then you might as well have spent that $700 on pizza and beer and gotten some enjoyment out of it before you found yourself broke for the rest of your life.