AD 2017 Q4

RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE
SAFETY 101
Prepare for Safe
Dive Travel
By Frances Smith and Jocelyn Joseph
Safety begins at home. When making your
travel and dive preparations, you’ll want to
consider — both before you travel and after
you arrive at your destination — a variety of
factors that can affect your safety.
ACCESSIBILITY
If it takes 20 hours to get somewhere, it’s going to
take a long time to get out again. While DAN® is here
for you, you should know that in some remote areas
aircraft can take off and land only during daylight
hours, which can extend the time required for an
evacuation. If you have certain medical conditions, such
remote locations with limited resources may not be the
best destination for you.
Find out what means of communication will
be available in the event of an emergency. A dive
operation should have ship-to-shore capabilities, but
groups of traveling divers might wish to ensure at
least one member has a satellite phone or a cell phone
with international calling capabilities. Also find out
whether there is cell coverage and/or wireless Internet.
These can allow use of SMS messaging (texting) as well
communication applications such as FaceTime and
WhatsApp. Every diver should travel with a surface
marker buoy and one or more signaling devices.
PAPERWORK
Getting paperwork in order may be the least enjoyable
aspect of traveling, but it can be very important. Once
you know where you are going, note the location and
phone number of the hospital and/or other medical
facilities in the area. If you can’t find that information
using an online search engine, DAN may be able to help.
Notify your bank or credit card company of
upcoming travel to ensure access to funds in the
event of an emergency. Take inventory of important
files to keep safe such as your passport, ID and DAN
membership card. You might also include a list of
personal health considerations such as medications,
allergies and medical history. Check out the “Keep it
with You” list from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) at CDC.gov/disasters/kiwy.
html. The release form you sign for your dive operator
In remote locations, satellite phones can be extremely useful in the
event of an emergency.
Opposite: If it took two planes, a boat and a hike to get somewhere,
getting out will usually be similarly complicated.
may have an “in case of emergency” line; include that
information, and write legibly.
While originals are required for official use, consider
making several copies of important documents and
forms. Leave one folder of copies at home with a
friend or family member. Place a second set of copies
in a sealed envelope, and give it to a trusted traveling
companion or your resort or dive operator to be
opened in the event of an emergency and reclaimed
when you leave. A third copy can go in your wallet
or luggage. Also consider bringing copies of your
prescriptions in case your medication gets lost.
Make sure your dive accident and travel insurance
policies are up to date. Save the DAN emergency
hotline number, +1 (919) 684-9111, in your phone
along with your DAN member number. Log in to your
account on DAN.org to enter or update your emergency
contacts, address, phones number(s) and email address.
Your email address can be useful if you do not have
cell reception when you are traveling and need to
communicate with DAN TravelAssist.
Before you leave, check with your insurance company
to verify coverage out of your home area. In general,
DAN insurance is diving and accident coverage, not
major medical, so a supplemental policy for medical
problems is a reasonable precaution. Some trip and
travel insurance policies (including DAN’s) have a
medical component, but carefully read the policy to
confirm specific coverage. Trip or travel insurance is
also useful in the event of missed flights or weatherrelated
delays or cancellations.
STEPHEN FRINK
64 | FALL 2017