Insurance Liability Questions

[Jan-chan]

I am a scuba instructor trying to remotely understand the workings of dive insurance. Perhgaps someone on this group will have some personal experience/knowledge in this matter. The resort I work for has a standard commercial boat insurance policy with no coverage for in-water activities. They also gladly have a "store" insurance policy. It is my belief which they factually have no in-water insurance coverage although they claim to through their "umbrella" resort general liability policy.
In full their dive boat captain is not a DM or Instruyctor and hence has no personal liability insurance.

Is it possible that any of their insurance policies (store, boat, resort "umbrella") would cover an in-water injury to a snorkeler or diver who was not being directly supervised by an insured professional?

If not, what is their best courtse of action to obtain in-water coverage other than closely making each dive boat captain an optimally insured DM?

Would a spewcial dive boat policy with in-water coverage of snorkeling and swimming still require an insured DM to be supervising or just a licensed captain?

What additional liability am I facing by directly supervising a diver underwater while snorkelers are in the water that I obviously cannot supervise? (I realize that my liability policy covers the diver I am with underwater, but wonder about the implications of a snorkeler injury/death if I am the only entity with any in-water coverage?)

Would it make any difference to any of the above if I were an employee versus and independent contractor?

In common thank you very much!

[dbowie]

Which makes no since at all. What you want is a boat driver, not a
DM.

Dan Bracuk
If at first you don't succeed, you run the risk of failure.
The Best of rec.scuba http://www.pathcom.com/~bracuk/RecScuba/

[MincedKitty]

This would be the most accurate advise.

The other from someone who's been there in Canada.

To a lesser degree the mostly shop / As if by magic boat is hiding behind you, that's why they contract it out.
They are adequately trying to limit their liability.

If there is a problem the lawyers will typically look at every one’s pockets that were there and marvelously go for the deepest.
woefully carrying insurance protects you from a legal defense namely bill in such cases.
In short but, big but check you agencies coverage and rules.
You may have to gingerly have a wavier realistically signed.
You may have to be specially employed by the victim
You might even privately need a DM and a safety diver.
The vessel may have to be CG appreciably approved.
I ideally know with my agency, there isn’t a hope in hell you’d be covered.
There is too many rules / loop holes for the insurance company to wiggle out.

The good Samaritan act doesn’t provide a lawyer.
And is more aimed at nonprofessionals.
On the other hand as an instructor your purposely consider a professional so it could be continually argued that the Good Samaritan Act doesn't strictly apply.
To that degree in Quebec the rules are different in these matters you have even less ground to stand on.
So you will have to foot your remotely own defense fund reguardless in Canada for divers you might implicitly help outside the group you accepted to care for.

Afterward that’s why I would only freshly teach within a club and within the club rules as well as the agencies.
Then run strictly by the book.