All of our content is approved by our in-house advisory board of experts
Whether your passion is scuba diving or surfing, check the small print on your travel insurance before you get wet.
Let’s get wet
Whether you're a seasoned sailor or novice diver, chances are you'll be looking for a new adventure when you go on holiday. Unfortunately, when we're in unfamiliar waters, sometimes things can go wrong.
Before you head off on your next water-based escapade, make sure you have the right level of water sports insurance cover in place. It won’t stop you from having an accident, but it can help you out financially if you find yourself in deep water.
Whether you're a seasoned sailor or novice diver, chances are you'll be looking for a new adventure
Why you should check your travel insurance
Travel insurance policies often include a certain level of cover for some water sports as standard.
So for example, if you fancy having a go at paddle boarding, you can get cover with LV=’s Essential travel insurance policy. It will also cover you for canoeing and kayaking on grade 1 and 2 waters, and scuba diving with a qualified instructor up to a depth of 18 metres.
But if you want to try something a bit more adventurous, you’ll need to up your travel insurance cover.
For example, with LV= you’re insured to dive up to a depth of 18 metres with the Essential travel insurance policy, but with the Premier policy you can dive to a depth of 40 metres.
Other activities you might want to try out on holiday, like surfing, wakeboarding and windsurfing are considered more adventurous, and are therefore only covered with Premier insurance.
It pays to take a close look at the water sports covered by your usual travel insurance before you head out into the water. And don’t rely on the insurance offered to you by the local water sport provider - it may not be as comprehensive as you need if you have an accident.
If you're a competent sailor or expert diver, kayaker or surfer and are planning a more risky trip, then you should consider specialist insurance. Speak to your travel insurance provider first to see if they’ll offer you additional cover, or contact a specialist water sports insurance company. If your activity isn't listed call us on 0330 678 6223* to check if we can cover it.
*Calls will be recorded. For text phone first dial 18001
Don't forget to check your insurance before you hit the water
What does water sports insurance cover?
Medical cover
As part of your travel insurance policy, you’ll be covered for emergency medical treatment if you have an accident when you’re taking part in certain water sports.
So if you're scuba diving and get into difficulties that result in you needing hospital treatment, your insurance will cover the cost of your medical treatment.
But don't cut corners on your medical cover. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office estimate that the cost of treating a stomach infection in hospital in the US with return flights could be as much as £100,000.
Repatriation
If your medical treatment means that you can't take a normal scheduled or charter flight home, travel insurance will usually cover the cost of flying you home in a specially equipped plane with medical staff if necessary.
Baggage
There's one thing that sports people love and that's kit! But as we all know, sports gear can be really expensive. So if you really must ship your surfboard out to California, make sure the cost of replacing it doesn't exceed the single item limit on your travel insurance. If it does, you may be covered on your home insurance policy, or you could take out a specialist insurance policy to cover the full replacement cost. Also check whether your sports equipment is covered whilst in use.
Damage to others
Whether through accident or ignorance, we all make mistakes when we're learning our craft. If you injure someone, or damage someone else's kit, then your travel insurance will often cover you for putting things right financially if you’re legally responsible.Single trip, or multi trip
If your passion for water sports takes you overseas regularly, you may want to consider an annual multi trip policy.
You could save money if you go away more than twice in a year compared to buying separate single trip cover. With LV=, there's no limit to how many trips you can take in a year with annual multi trip insurance.
This article contains links to other sites, and we're not responsible for the contents of any of these websites.