Is Surfing Covered? | Travel Insurance Direct (TID)

Making a B-line for the beach is often the first thing many of us do when we arrive at our summer holiday destination, and this is even more true for surfers!

Whether you're experienced at chasing barrels or a newbie practising on the sand, many of our plans offer cover for surfing.

Coverage available on the following plans:

TID offers some flexible travel insurance coverage options no matter which land, air or water sport or adventure activity you’re planning. Our plans can offer cover for many activities and sports.

• The Works
• The Basics
• Annual Multi Trip
• International

What's covered?

• Overseas medical expenses for illness or injury
• Medical evacuation to the nearest facility for treatment
• Theft or damage to your surfboard whilst in custody of a carrier
• Cover for some Coronavirus-related events - cover varies between plans  

Hiring replacement surf equipment

If your surf equipment is accidentally lost, delayed, or damaged during your trip (except when in use) we will pay for the cost of hiring replacement surf equipment up to the benefit limit - this cover is only available on The Works and Annual Multi Trip plans. If your surfboard or bodyboard is worth more and/or you want to avoid depreciation, you can list it on your policy and pay an additional premium.

A helping hand when you need it the most

Our Emergency Assistance Team are on call 24/7 to help get you back to riding the next big wave. The EA team are available 24/7 to help in any kind of medical emergency, and ready to answer urgent questions.

Get a quote to get your next domestic or international adventure underway today.

What's not covered?

We will not pay for any claims arising from:

• Risky or reckless behaviour – and that includes doing anything that could pose a risk to your personal safety.
• Make sure you’re qualified or if you’re surfing or doing any other activity make sure your instructor is qualified.
• Racing or professional sports, i.e., you are receiving a wage, salary, or appearance fee for training for or participating in the activity.
• Travelling somewhere against Do Not Travel warnings – if there’s a government advisory against going there it’s probably not a good idea. And this includes surf breaks that are in countries that are off-limits. 
• Surfing under the influence – being intoxicated while surfing is a bad idea and not only can affect any claims you may make but can put at risk your life and those who are surfing with you.  
• Medical fitness: Surfing is one of those sports you do need a certain level of medical fitness.  If the doctor says you can’t surf, or you have an existing medical condition that prevents you from surfing safely, that can affect any claims you make under this section of the policy. 

Tips on how to choose the right travel insurance when doing sports and activities

Here are a few tips to help you make the right choice when planning an adventure holiday:

• Understand your needs: different adventure sports and activities come with different risks. Understand the risks associated with your chosen activity and choose a policy that covers those risks.
• Read the Fine Print: make sure to read the Product Disclosure Statement details carefully. Understand what is covered and what is not. Look for any terms and conditions, exclusions, or limitations.
• Compare our policies: don't just go with the first policy you find. Compare different policies and choose the one that offers the best coverage at the best price for your sports and activity needs.
• Check the level of cover for your sport: some activities and sports may require extra level of cover or may not be covered. Make sure you clearly understand the level of cover for your selected activities.
• Only work with qualified and licensed instructors - if you are planning to participate in any surfing activities that require an instructor, then make sure whether that instructor has received the right training. They must be qualified to lead hiking, rock climbing, scuba diving, abseiling, or other types of tours and be registered with the governing association for their recreational activity.

The above features and benefits are a summary of cover only. Cover is subject to the full terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions outlined in the Product Disclosure Statement.