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However, it’s vital to make sure your travel insurance covers water sports before you get wet. Here’s how.
Yep, it does. From swimming to scuba diving, you can get travel insurance cover for an extensive range of water-based activities – but many Aussie travellers are unaware of this fact.
According to a survey of travel insurance behaviour by the Insurance Council of Australia and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), water sports are the most common insurable activities carried out by Australians overseas without knowing if their insurer covered it.
Of the 25% of people surveyed who participated in water sports on overseas holidays:
Considering the many benefits travel insurance can provide – headlined by cover for overseas medical expenses if you suffer an accidental injury – it’s crucial to check whether your insurer covers water sports before diving in headfirst.
Resource: Insurance Council of Australia & DFAT traveller behaviour report. July 2018.
The cover available varies depending on what type of water sport you’re talking about. Recreational water sports, like snorkelling or kayaking for example, are usually automatically covered by most policies.
But if you plan on making a splash in a sport that’s slightly more extreme, such as scuba diving or white water rafting, your insurer may only cover you under specific circumstances. Depending on the insurer you choose, cover for your chosen sport may only be available if you buy an optional adventure sports pack or a special sports travel insurance policy, so read the PDS closely to find out how to get the protection you need.
For example, if you’re planning on exploring a beautiful coral reef on a scuba diving expedition, your insurer may only cover you if you either hold an open water diving licence (entry-level full diver certification), or you dive under the supervision of a licensed instructor. In many cases, you also must not dive deeper than a specified depth, such as 10 or 30 metres. Our guide to scuba diving travel insurance can take you through the ins and outs of finding cover.
For details on how a range of other common water sports are normally covered, we've researched 1Cover's watersports inclusions to give you an idea;
Water sport | Is it covered? | Terms and conditions |
---|---|---|
Swimming |
| Automatically covered |
Surfing |
| Automatically covered |
Stand Up Paddle Surfing |
| Automatically covered |
Snorkelling |
| Automatically covered |
Scuba Diving |
|
|
Canoeing |
| Automatically covered |
Kayaking |
| Automatically covered |
White water rafting |
| In rapids grade 1-3 only |
Water skiing and wakeboarding |
| Automatically covered |
Jet boating |
| Automatically covered |
Jet skiing |
| Automatically covered |
Fishing |
| Excluding spear fishing |
Rowing |
| Automatically covered |
Sailing / Dinghy Sailing |
| Restrictions apply |
Yachting |
| Restrictions apply |
Water Polo |
| Automatically covered |
Wakeskating |
| Automatically covered |
Wakeboarding |
| Automatically covered |
White Water Kayaking |
| In rapids grade 1-3 only |
Tubing (Water only) |
| Automatically covered |
Make sure you read the PDS before buying a policy to know which activities you're covered for.
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How can travel insurance help if something goes wrong while you’re participating in a water sport overseas? It can cover:
Even if your insurer agrees to cover just about any water sport you can think of, that doesn’t mean you’ll be protected in all circumstances and scenarios. No cover is available if:
Find out more about when you won’t be covered by your insurer in our comprehensive guide to travel insurance exclusions.
If you’re looking for water sports travel insurance, consider the following factors when choosing a policy:
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