Ontario Underwater Council

The Ontario Underwater Council (OUC) would like to remind everyone of the three levels of protection we offer to support and safeguard our community.

1) Preventive Measures. 

The OUC board and club representatives collaborated to update our Risk Management Document. This led to the release of the OUC Club Insurance and Sanctioning Requirements Document, which includes 20 OUC Safety Recommendations—our first line of defense.  You can review the document here:
OUC Club Insurance and Sanctioning Requirements Document.

 

2) Release & Indemnity Agreements. 

Our second level of protection consists of Release and Indemnity Agreements, providing protection for OUC clubs and members. A properly executed OUC Release may discourage lawsuits and serve as an important line of defense if you are sued. Please ensure that all participants have signed the OUC Release, or Indemnity Agreement for Parents of Minors, at least 24 hours before the event.

  • Adult Release Agreement
    • Use your full legal name in both “name” fields.
    • Use the same unique email address that you used when joining your OUC member
      club.
    • Use your current year’s OUC number. If you don’t know it, check your email inbox,
      your spam folder for the email title “Your OUC Membership”. If you can’t find it, please contact
      membership@underwatercouncil.com. I am happy to assist.
    • Select your OUC member club — and select all other clubs where you participate in
      activities. If at a later date, you want to participate in another club’s OUC sanctioned
      event, please start fresh and re-sign the OUC Release selecting multiple clubs.
    • If you have made a mistake when signing your OUC Release or if you are asked to
      re-sign your OUC Release, please open a fresh OUC Release from the website and
      start again.
  • Minor Indemnity Agreement
    • Must be completed by both living parents.
    • Collects Date of Birth for Minors to meet insurance requirements.

In a recent decision, the OUC board has made it easier for minors to join sanctioned introductory diving activities by allowing non-scuba-certified parents (who may not be OUC members) to complete the Minor Indemnity Agreement. We ask that instructors and club executives take responsibility for verifying both parents’ consent to ensure due diligence.

 

3) OUC Liability Insurance Policy. 

In cases where preventive measures and agreements are not sufficient, OUC provides liability insurance coverage for all members residing in Canada or the United States while participating in OUC-sanctioned activities. Dive professionals who are OUC members, certified, and in active status with a recognized training organization can also get coverage through an OUC training club, as long as they conduct diving or non-diving training according to the organization’s standards.

 

Ontario Underwater Council