Travel insurance for surfing

Who provides surf cover and how are you covered?

Brand	What is covered?	Conditions	Apply
	Medical emergencies Loss/damage personal luggage and items including surfboards	Cover for damaged or lost items only applies when in transport, not when in use.	More info
	Loss/damage personal luggage and items including surfboards	Cover for damaged or lost items only applies when in transport, not when in use.	Bonus Get quote
	Medical emergencies Loss/damage personal luggage and items including surfboards	Optional High Value Items cover can be purchased for surfboards. No depreciation will apply to these items. Cover for damaged or lost items only applies when in transport, not when in use	Get quote
	Medical emergencies Loss/damage personal luggage and items including surfboards	Optional High Value Items cover can be purchased for surfboards. No depreciation will apply to these items. Cover for damaged or lost items only applies when in transport, not when in use	More info
	Medical emergencies	No cover for damage or loss to surfboards	Get quote
	Medical emergencies	No cover for damage or loss to surfboards	Get quote
	Medical emergencies	No cover for big wave or extreme surfing No cover for damage or loss to surfboards	Finder AwardBonus Get quote
	Medical emergencies	No cover for big wave or extreme surfing No cover for damage or loss to surfboards	Finder AwardBonus Get quote
	Loss/damage personal luggage and items including surfboards	Cover for damaged or lost items only applies when in transport, not when in use	More info
	Medical emergencies Loss/damage personal luggage and items including surfboards	Cover for damaged or lost items only applies when in transport, not when in use	Bonus Get quote
	Loss/damage personal luggage and items including surfboards	Cover for damaged or lost items only applies when in transport, not when in use	Get quote
	Loss/damage personal luggage and items including surfboards	Cover for damaged or lost items only applies when in transport, not when in use	Get quote
	Loss/damage personal luggage and items including surfboards	Cover for damaged or lost items only applies when in transport, not when in use	Get quote
	Loss/damage personal luggage and items including surfboards	Optional High Value Items cover can be purchased for surfboards. Cover for damaged or lost items only applies when in transport, not when in use.	More info
	Loss/damage personal luggage and items including surfboards	Cover for damaged or lost items only applies when in transport, not when in use.	More info
	Loss/damage personal luggage and items including surfboards	Cover for damaged or lost items only applies when in transport, not when in use.	More info
	Medical emergencies Loss/damage personal luggage and items including surfboards	Cover for damaged or lost items only applies when in transport, not when in use.	More info

Note: This information was last updated July 2022

General exclusions when it comes to surfing cover

• No cover medically if you are under the influence of drugs and alcohol
• No cover medically if you participate professionally or in a paid capacity
• No cover for personal liability

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What are the risks of surfing on my travels?

Injury/illness

Surfing is only as risky as you make it and taking precautions can limit the risks considerably. Nevertheless, accidents do happen and some common risks include:

• Serious reef cuts that require immediate medical attention
• Minor reef cuts that can turn into serious infections
• Emergency evacuation from remote areas following injuries
• Serious spinal injuries
• Dengue fever and malaria in some island chains
• Infections from sea urchins
• Shark attacks – you never know!

Equipment damage and loss

• Damage: There is nothing worse than forking out serious cash for a new set of boards for a trip only to have them seriously damaged in transit or while on your trip away. A number of insurers will provide cover for damaged equipment though conditions will apply. You may be able to pay a little bit extra to have your board listed as a high-value item.
• Theft: It's a sad fact that some of the best surf spots around the world are in locations that are also prone to theft of travelling tourists. South America, South Africa and some parts of Europe and Indonesia can at times have sketchy areas where the theft of gear is a threat. Travel insurance will cover you if your boards are stolen – just remember to get a police report (usually within 24 hours).

Am I covered for injuries like reef cuts?

A good comprehensive policy will cover you for medical emergencies, so if you wipe out on a coral reef and receive cuts that need medical treatment, you will be covered for the cost up to the benefit limit.

Yes, but not if you deliberately put yourself in danger

There is a condition in many policies that you must have been taking reasonable care at the time you were injured (i.e. paddling out at Pipe if you have only been surfing a few months). If the insurer can show you put yourself in harm's way, it may be able to reject your claim on the basis you did not take reasonable care to protect yourself.

What if the airline damages my board?

As with most luggage items, if your surfboard is damaged or lost while in the care of the airline, it will usually pay for damages, providing you report the incident as soon as possible. The amount of compensation will depend on the carrier, so if your surfboard is expensive, you would be wise to have travel insurance as well. In such circumstances, your insurer would pay you the difference between what the carrier reimburses you and what the board is insured for.

The best way to ensure your board is not damaged in transit is to buy a good-quality board bag and wrap your board securely in bubble wrap, protecting the nose and tail and removing the fins if possible.

How to select surfboard insurance

The government’s Smartraveller website lists 5 questions you should ask yourself when buying travel insurance, which are equally applicable to surf travel insurance.

Where are you surfing?

If the place you plan to surf is remote it would be wise to have emergency evacuation cover.

How long are you surfing for?

Is surfing only a part of your itinerary? If so, you may only need to purchase surf cover for that period.

What are you going to do there?

If you plan to do any other activities that might be considered risky, such as scuba diving or hang gliding you may need to take out additional cover.

Do you want to cover your boards?

If so, you may need to choose a higher benefit limit to cover its replacement cost.

Do you have any medical conditions?

If there any pre-existing conditions that you have you must declare them and purchase additional cover if provided, otherwise you won’t be covered.

Frequently asked questions

• Is surfing covered in travel insurance?

  Yes. Many travel insurance providers will cover surfing as standard. If travel insurance for surfing isn't included automatically, you should look at an adventure or sports pack.

• Am I covered for shark attacks?

  Yes, but not if you deliberately put yourself in danger. As with coral cuts, cover for shark attack injuries would depend on whether you behaved in a reckless manner or not. If you deliberately surfed in waters known to be shark-infested, your insurer may consider this reckless behaviour and not cover you for your injuries.

• Am I covered for emergency transportation?

  Yes. A comprehensive policy should include emergency evacuation and repatriation. If you are injured in a surfing accident and the nearest hospital is only accessible by emergency airlift, then your insurance would cover the cost.

Written by

Jessica Prasida

Publisher

Jessica Prasida is a travel insurance expert for Finder. She lives and breathes travel, having worked as a travel agent and branch manager at STA Travel for over 4 years, then writing about travel insurance with Finder for another 5 years. Jess has a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney and a Tier 1 General Insurance qualification. See full bio

Co-written by

Gary Ross Hunter

Editor, Insurance

Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio

Gary Ross's expertise

Gary Ross has written 696 Finder guides across topics including:

• Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
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