Ontario Underwater Council
The form called “OUC Acknowledgement of Risk and Indemnity Agreement for Minor Child Participant, hereinafter referred to as Indemnity Agreement,”
has the following instructions for Ontario Underwater Council participants:
- Both Parents of a Minor Child participating in OUC sanctioned activities must correctly complete the Indemnity Agreement for each of their Minor Child/ren at least 24 hours prior to the start of the OUC sanctioned activities to benefit from OUC’s second level of protection.
- Read more at: Three Levels of Protection.
- Access the Minor Indemnity Agreement.
This requirement was thoroughly discussed and adopted during the OUC Board meeting in October 2024.
Input from a board member with extensive experience working with Minor participants significantly influenced the decision. The primary objective is to ensure that both parents are fully informed of the wide range of known and unknown risks their Minor child may face while participating in scuba diving activities, as well as the potential financial implications in the event of liability.
The requirement for signatures from both living parents helps mitigate legal risks for clubs, instructors, and OUC. If only one parent provides consent, and the other later disputes their lack of involvement or understanding, it could result in significant legal and financial liability for all parties involved, potentially amounting to millions.
Following the Board’s decision, the updated release and indemnity agreements were shared with club presidents for review November 12, 2024, ahead of its official launch on December 4, 2024.
To ensure compliance:
- Instructors are encouraged to validate the authenticity of agreements by directly confirming signatures with the parents.
- Instructors may delegate this verification to club executives but retain ultimate responsibility.
While OUC strongly recommends compliance with this requirement as a proactive measure, the final decision to enforce the requirement lies with individual clubs and instructors. Clubs and instructors who choose not to follow the guideline must accept the associated risks and liabilities.
We understand there may be concerns or suggestions regarding this policy. To maintain consistency and respect for parents who have already completed the 2025 agreements, we cannot make changes to the current legally binding release. Feedback from clubs will be reviewed and considered for the next policy update, anticipated in November 2025 for use in 2026.
We hope this explanation provides clarity on the requirement’s rationale and implementation.
Ontario Underwater Council