Online dive waivers: how they work and why dive shops switch
An online dive waiver replaces the clipboard at your front desk. Divers open your waiver on their own phone, read it in their language, and sign with a finger. You get a signed PDF and a searchable record for every diver, before anyone steps on the boat.
What an online dive waiver is
A dive waiver, usually called a Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk, is the document every diver signs before a fun dive, course or try dive. It explains the risks of diving and records that the diver understood and accepted them.
An online waiver is the same document, signed electronically instead of on paper. With SignToDive, divers reach it by scanning your shop’s QR code; there is no app to install and no account to create. All they need is a phone with a browser and an email address.
How it works at the shop
- Scan: divers scan one QR code at your front desk, on the boat, or from a link in your booking confirmation email.
- Fill in: they enter their details and certification and answer the RSTC diver medical questionnaire, in about three minutes.
- Sign: they read your waiver, tick the declarations and sign with a finger. A parent or guardian signs for divers under 18.
- Done: the diver gets the signed PDF by email straight away, and you see the registration in your dashboard.
What gets recorded with each signature
A signature on paper proves little more than that someone wrote on a form. An online waiver can record much more about the moment it was signed. With every waiver, SignToDive keeps:
- the date and time of signing
- the IP address and device used
- the exact version of the waiver the diver saw
- a fingerprint (hash) of the exact text that was signed, so it can be shown later that the wording was not changed
- the signed PDF, stored in your dashboard and emailed to the diver
Why dive shops switch from paper
- No more handwriting nobody can read: every record is typed, complete and searchable.
- Divers sign before they arrive, so the front desk is quieter and boats leave on time.
- Divers read the waiver in their own language. SignToDive has the waiver and medical questionnaire in 13 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese and Korean.
- Nothing gets wet on the boat, and there are no boxes of forms to file and find again.
- You can find any diver’s waiver in seconds, and export everything to CSV.
Are online waivers legally valid?
In the Philippines, the Electronic Commerce Act of 2000 (Republic Act 8792) gives electronic documents and signatures legal recognition, and many other countries have similar laws. Whether a particular waiver protects your shop in a particular case depends on its wording and the circumstances, the same as with paper.
Every SignToDive shop starts with a Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk template with the shop’s name filled in. Have your own lawyer check it. On the Pro plan you can replace it with your own wording at any time, and every diver signs the exact version that was live when they registered.
Getting started
SignToDive costs from $25 a month, with a 7-day free trial that includes every Pro feature. Most shops are set up in five minutes: upload your logo, check your waiver, and print your QR code.
Questions
Do divers need to download an app to sign an online waiver?
No. Divers scan the shop’s QR code and sign in their phone’s browser. They need no app and no account, only an email address to receive their signed copy.
Can a parent sign the dive waiver for a child?
Yes. For divers under 18, SignToDive asks a parent or guardian to sign.
Can I use my own waiver wording?
Yes, on the Pro plan. Every shop starts with a standard Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk template in 13 languages, which Pro shops can replace with their own text.