What is adventure travel?
Adventure travel involves visiting a destination to do activities riskier than standard sightseeing.
This could include snowboarding in the mountains of Japan, rock climbing in Yosemite National Park in the United States of America, or scuba diving in the crystal blue waters of Fiji.
Why do I need travel insurance for adventure travel?
Sports and intense physical activities naturally come with higher risks of injury. If you’re injured overseas without a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with Australia, you could face massive out-of-pocket medical costs.
Picture yourself suffering from a stress fracture from a rock climbing incident overseas. If you aren’t insured, you’ll have to foot the medical bills yourself, which could easily climb up to thousands of dollars. Even if the country you’re visiting has an RHCA, financial cover is usually exclusive to urgent care only — any costs falling outside of it, such as the cost of hiring a medical escort or evacuation, are your responsibility.
Travel insurance policies generally cover medical and dental emergency costs, including hospital admission, emergency care, and medical evacuation. Some policies may also provide coverage if you suffer a loss of income or a permanent disability while overseas.
However, not all insurers offer adventure cover by default; if they do, it’s often restricted to certain activities. Some insurers may offer cover for specific activities as an optional add-on.
If you plan on participating in adventurous activities and thrills while overseas, you should check to see if they’re covered by the travel insurance policies you’re considering by carefully reading their Product Disclosure Statements (PDS).
What does adventure travel insurance cover?
Beyond adventure travel, travel insurance can give you that extra peace of mind as you take in the sights. For example, insurance may also cover:
- Lost or stolen luggage, passports, or other items
- Unexpected cancellations and delays to your trip
- Potential legal liability
- Repatriation (if you were to pass away while abroad).
Most policies come with optional extras as well, such as
- Reimbursement of rental vehicle excesses
- Cover for kennels and catteries for your pets at home.
You can compare travel insurance with Canstar to find cover that suits your particular needs and budget.
How much does adventure travel insurance cost?
There is no single fixed cost for adventure sports travel insurance, although it's generally more expensive than a standard travel insurance policy. Instead, its price typically increases with its level of coverage — a policy covering more named adventure activities is likely to cost more than one with fewer.
The cost of travel insurance also depends on whether the activity you’d like to cover is included or available as an optional add-on (for example, skiing and snowboarding or motorbiking packages).
It’s important to check your policy’s PDS, as well as other relevant documentation, to see what activities are covered.
What sports are included in adventure travel insurance?
Adventure travel insurance policies usually cover a variety of different sports and activities, but specific coverage depends on the policy and provider.
Here’s a list of activities that may be included:
Water sports
- Surfing
- Windsurfing
- Boating
- Fishing
- Jet and water skiing
- Stand-up paddleboarding.
- Snorkelling and scuba diving (may have depth limits, such as up to 30 metres).
- Kayaking, canoeing and white water rafting (may be limited due to the difficulty ratings of the waterways being used).
Mountain/rock sports and activities
- Mountain biking
- Rock climbing (both indoor and supervised outdoor)
- Abseiling
- Hiking and trekking (there may be altitude limits, often around 3,000 to 4,000 metres above sea level).
Winter sports and activities
- Skiing and snowboarding (on marked slopes also referred to as on-piste)
- Snowshoeing
- Tobogganing
- Dog sledding
- Ice skating
- Snowmobile usage may also be covered, but operators will often need to be licensed.
Aerial sports and activities
- Parasailing
- Paragliding
- Skydiving
- Hot-air ballooning
- Bungee jumping and zip-lining (may be subject to specified altitude limits).
Other activities
- Horseback riding
- Skateboarding
- Caving and spelunking
- Archery
- Shooting (typically at a licensed range)
- Go-karting
- Paintballing
- Zorbing
- Amateur sports (e.g. volleyball, football, rugby, martial arts etc.)
- Quad biking, scootering and motorcycling (usually only covered if you have the correct licence or an approved guide or supervisor).
What adventure sports are excluded?
Extremely high-risk activities and sports will often be excluded from adventure travel insurance policies, as they are considered too potentially dangerous for providers to insure.
Here is a list of commonly excluded activities:
Extreme aerial sports
- Base jumping
- Parachuting
- Wingsuit flying
- Other aerial activities, such as hang gliding and aerial acrobatics.
High-risk rock and mountain climbing
- Mountaineering, as well as hiking and trekking above certain altitudes (e.g. over 3,000 metres).
- Abseiling, rock climbing and bouldering without ropes, safety equipment or supervision.
Unmarked or backcountry snow sports
- Off-piste (away from marked ski runs) skiing or snowboarding, aerial skiing and heli-skiing
- Other high-altitude winter sports, such as ski mountaineering.
Motorsports
- Racing in any type of motor vehicle is typically excluded, unless you have a specialised insurance policy.
- Other motorsport activities such as motocross, off-road motorbiking and rally driving are usually not covered.
Water sports depth limits
- Diving below certain depths in water (often 30 metres without appropriate certification).
- Cave diving and scuba diving without a qualified guide.
Contact sports
- Competitions and professional events relating to contact sports, such as martial arts, rugby and boxing.
Other sports and activities
- Hunting, parkour and bull riding.
What are some general adventure travel insurance exclusions?
Even if your chosen activity or sport is included in your policy, there may be situations in which your adventure travel insurance typically won’t cover you:
- Failing to use safety equipment: For example, riding a motorbike without a helmet or rock climbing without ropes and a harness.
- Lacking proper licences or supervision: For example, scuba diving without certification or taking a quad bike tour with an unlicensed guide.
- Being under the influence: Getting injured while using alcohol or drugs, especially during adventurous activities.
- Pre-existing medical conditions: You won't be able to claim for any pre-existing health conditions you didn't disclose to your insurer, if you were diagnosed or experienced symptoms before buying your policy.
How do I submit a claim through my adventure insurance policy?
If you want to submit a claim, these are the general steps to follow:
- Seek medical care first: If you are sick or injured, visit a clinic or hospital as soon as you can. If you are having trouble finding medical support abroad, your insurer may be able to help you locate one through their database. For more support, contact them through their toll-free overseas hotline or online portal.
- Lodge your claim: Submit your claim online via your insurer’s online portal or call their toll-free number. Typically, a claim should be submitted within 30 to 60 days of returning from your trip.
- Provide documentation: Your insurer may require you to provide your certificate of insurance to verify your identity. Depending on the type of claim you’re submitting, these are the documents that are generally required:
- If you’re claiming for illness or injury: Certificate of insurance and medical cost receipts.
- If you’re claiming for damaged equipment: Certificate of insurance and clear photos of the damaged equipment and proof of ownership (e.g. original purchase receipts). Your insurer may also cover you for hire equipment if your equipment is no longer usable.
- Wait for approval: Depending on your insurer, your claim may take up to 10 business days to be processed or longer for more complex claims.
Keep in mind that a claim will only be processed if it is an insured event — always read the fine print of any policy’s PDS before making a purchase.
