Need some advice on insurance when going to the Mentawais

[bohdidontsurf]

Heading on another trip to the Ments and was wanting some advice for the best insurer to use. More concerned about getting back home in case of an emergency (Medivac) rather than getting my gear replaced if stolen etc but both are important. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Shane Peel]

Get the best you can afford, check it has the Air Evac facility and make sure it's not provided by a third party. When you get on ya boat or to the resort give the policy details to the skipper or manager so they have em and don't have to riffle through ya shit when things go pear shaped and your bleeding in the dirt. Do the same with your next of kin at home. Understand the policy and have a plan.
I have been involved in a few evac's and they can go remarkably smooth or they can be a cluster-root of epic proportions that will put your very existence at risk. Read the fine print and try out the hot-line number before you go.
Then also check where the nearest air evac point is in the region you are travelling to, get the GPS cordinates (you will be blown away how little an international air-evac company knows, have as much info as you can. Remember Heli's have a limited range and jets can't land on 1000meter gravel strips. Ask your tour operator what their evac protocol is if they don't have one don't go. Simple.
Things go wrong in Indonesia and value for human life and the way death is viewed is vastly different to Australia. Oh yeah and don't forget that the odds of something happening are low and that the trip is fun …99% of the time.

[speedneedle]

I reckon Shane got the good word there...

But -

What's the policy on having a shaper tagging along, stashed in a boardbag with the quiver?

JD

[bohdidontsurf]

Get the best you can afford, check it has the Air Evac facility and make sure it's not provided by a third party. When you get on ya boat or to the resort give the policy details to the skipper or manager so they have em and don't have to riffle through ya shit when things go pear shaped and your bleeding in the dirt. Do the same with your next of kin at home. Understand the policy and have a plan.
I have been involved in a few evac's and they can go remarkably smooth or they can be a cluster-root of epic proportions that will put your very existence at risk. Read the fine print and try out the hot-line number before you go.
Then also check where the nearest air evac point is in the region you are travelling to, get the GPS cordinates (you will be blown away how little an international air-evac company knows, have as much info as you can. Remember Heli's have a limited range and jets can't land on 1000meter gravel strips. Ask your tour operator what their evac protocol is if they don't have one don't go. Simple.
Things go wrong in Indonesia and value for human life and the way death is viewed is vastly different to Australia. Oh yeah and don't forget that the odds of something happening are low and that the trip is fun …99% of the time.

Thanks Shane, I have been once before and didn't even think about it. I asked the skipper (you would know him, very experienced and skippers one of the more popular boats)...he does have an international evac policy but when I was there last time he said..."Mate it aint worth shit"..."we would be better off steaming back to Padang (which is 16-24hours depending on where you are) and hope you make it"...which wasnt exactly the words of comfort I was looking for.Do you have any names? I was hoping to narrow it down to 2 or 3.

Josh, Garuda's board limit is 3 (check) but the weight limit is only 15kgs (not good) unless you can get your skinny ass down to sub 15kgs you got buckleys my friend...plus the fact that I have no inclination to ride you for 2 weeks!!

[speedneedle]

Oh...OK, so I'll have to do plan B...

I'll stand on an isolated beach somewhere in Northern WA and wait for a refugee boat. I'm sure the smugglers will like an extra crewman for the trip back after all the paying passengers have bailed.

That way I'll only have to stow away onto the surf tour boat, thus avoiding Garuda altogether.

JD