Do you need paintball insurance to run a paintball course?

[jasper]

I am thinking about starting a paintball course. This course would be for a sort of cross between scenario games and woodsball. It would consist of some dodgy sort of "slums", with an area of birch trees and some wheat fields and a "mill". However, in the estimated costs of running a paintball course, I would "have" to buy insurance. Considering, however, the effect of waivers, wouldn't waivers render insurance useless - if you're careful? I understand that for my own injuries, and the injuries of the other staff managers, insurance may be helpful, however, if all the players sign a waiver before playing, would they still be able to take compensation from me? To summarise, I am asking whether waivers* would render insurance defunct for players. Pretend (for the purposes of answering the question) that I am impossible to hurt, along with the other referees.

P.S.
We require all people to wear masks, use barrel plugs, etc. for safety

P.P.S.
Here is the waiver I would provide
Eagle's Eye Paintball Inc will from here on after be known as EEPI
In consideration of EEPI furnishing services and /or equipment to enable me to participate in paintball games, I agree as follows:
I fully understand and acknowledge that; (a) risks and dangers exist in my use of Paintball equipment and my participation in Paintball activities; (b) my participation in such activities and/or use of such equipment may result in my injury or illness including but not limited to bodily injury, disease strains, fractures, partial and/or total paralysis, eye injury, blindness, heat stroke, heart attack, death or other ailments that could cause serious disability; (c) these risks and dangers may be caused by the negligence of the owners, employees, officers or agents of EEPI; the negligence of the participants, the negligence of others, accidents, breaches of contract, the forces of nature or other causes. These risks and dangers may arise from foreseeable or unforeseeable causes; and (d) by my participation in these activities and/or use of equipment, I hereby assume all risks and dangers and all responsibility for any losses and/or damages, whether caused in whole or in part by the negligence or other conduct of the owners, agents, officers, employees of EEPI, or by any other person.
I, on behalf of myself, my personal representatives and my heirs, hereby voluntarily agree to release, waive, discharge, hold harmless, defend and indemnify EEPI and its owners, agents, officers and employees from any and all claims, actions or losses for bodily injury, property damage, wrongful death, loss of services or otherwise which may arise out of my use of Paintball equipment or my participation in Paintball activities, I specifically understand that I am releasing, discharging and waiving any claims or actions that I may have presently or in the future for the negligent acts or other conduct by the owners, agents, officers or employees of EEPI. This waiver is good till 7/17/2012.
MEDICAL PERMISSION AUTHORIZATION
If the participant is of minority age, the undersigned parent or guardian hereby gives permission for EEPI to authorize emergency medical treatment as may be deemed necessary for the child named below while participating in paintball games from this date through 7/17/2012
I HAVE READ THE ABOVE WAIVER AND RELEASE AND BY SIGNING IT AGREE IT IS MY INTENTION TO EXEMPT AND RELIEVE EEPI FROM LIABILITY FOR PERSONAL INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE OR WRONGFUL DEATH CAUSED BY NEGLIGENCE OR ANY OTHER CAUSE.)

[shadrach]

Any business or service that involves a regulated firearm, or the possibility of customer/consumer injury, insurance is almost a no brainer.

Unfortunetly the biggest expense in the paintball industry is the insurance. I remember talking to a field owner recently, and said he had 2 million dollar insurance coverage for damages.

My advice would be to call your insurance company/agent and inquire, but I would be surprised if they say you won't need one considering you will be in possession of firearms (technically), safety equipment, compressed tanks etc.

[langford59]

You absolutely need insurance and opening a paintball field is ******* expensive just a heads up, you are goin to need netting rental guns rental masks rental tanks and a compressed air fill station and a co2 fill station a complete compressed air fill station can cost up to 15 G's your not going to see any profit for at least 3 years and you need a paintball supplier/vendor and if you have a vendor you will never make any money because most of your money is from field paint It's really hard to make money in paintball