Yahoo Finance 6 Things to Know About Travel Insurance for Extreme Sports and Outdoor Adventure Coverage (2023)
We all know friends who are adrenaline junkies. Those who get kicks out of taking crazy risks and going on wild adventures all around the world. Heck, maybe you’re thinking: That’s me.
We all know how important travel insurance is, but if you’re planning a ski trip, scuba diving trip or something even crazier than that, then you need to know which travel insurance cover extreme sports and outdoor adventure.
Here are 6 things you need to pay attention to when buying any sort of adventure sports travel insurance.
Contents
1. Best travel insurance for outdoor sports
Planning your long-awaited trip overseas with your pals for scuba diving, rock climbing, skiing or snowboarding?
Remember to get travel insurance that covers your winter sports, water sports, or mountaineering and rock climbing (usually considered more dangerous).
When browsing travel insurance plans, you’ll realise that sports and adventure are usually split into 3 broad categories:
Leisure and recreational outdoor activities: Hot air balloon, scuba diving (up to 30m/40m, guided by licensed instructors, with PADI certification), skiing and snowboarding in resorts, hiking or trekking (up to 3,000m), jet ski, white water rafting, skydiving, paragliding, hang gliding, parachuting etc
Other more extreme sports: Bungee jumping, mountaineering, rock climbing (any climbing that involves ropes and equipment)
Competitions (not covered across all insurance companies except for Direct Asia): Marathons, ultra-marathons, biathlons, triathlons
This table is a general comparison. Click in to each travel insurance review to see the specific outdoor activities they cover:
Travel Insurance | Leisure Outdoor Activities | Bungee, Rock Climbing |
FWD Travel Insurance | Yes | Yes |
NTUC Travel Insurance | Scuba diving (up t0 30m), ski, winter sports, hiking, trekking (below 4,000m) only | Yes, but climbing only on man-made walls. |
MSIG Travel Insurance | Yes | Yes, but rock climbing must be done harnessed and on man-made walls |
Singlife with Aviva Travel Insurance | Buy rider | No |
DBS Chubb Travel Insurance | Yes | Yes, but rock climbing must be done harnessed and on man-made walls |
Great Eastern Travel Insurance | Yes | Bungee jumping only |
Sompo Travel Insurance | Scuba diving (max 30m, with certification), trekking (below 3,500m) only | Rock climbing only if done on man-made walls. |
Etiqa Travel Insurance | Yes | Bungee jumping only |
Direct Asia Travel Insurance | Buy rider | Buy rider |
Citibank Travel Insurance (by AIG) | Scuba diving (max 30m), trekking (below 3,000m), harnessed abseiling | Organised, harnessed rock climbing |
Tokio Marine Travel Insurance | Yes | Yes |
UOB Travel Insurance | Scuba diving only | No |
OCBC Travel Insurance | Yes | Bungee jumping only |
2. What are the common outdoor adventure exclusions for travel insurance?
Even if your travel insurance plan claims that it covers outdoor adventure and extreme sports, there will still be exclusions – aka activities that your insurance company is not willing to cover. Here are a few major examples:
Any professional competitions or sports in which you get paid, sponsored or receive any kind of financial reward
Any leisurely contact sport or MMA classes such as Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)
Mountaineering or rock climbing that involves ropes and climbing equipment, especially if it’s done unharnessed and outdoors on a wall that is not man-made
Expeditions to inaccessible, remote or previously unexplored places
Being the pilot or a crew member of an aircraft (except for your commercial flights eg. SQ)
You’ll be surprised that most marathons are not covered by travel insurance since there’s a grand prize you technically can win.
Now, you might say that you’re probably not going to do any of these sports. But between insurance companies, there are different standards as to what’s allowed, so always check your terms and conditions before you buy your travel insurance.
Lazy? Scroll up and you can read through our travel insurance reviews instead. We’ve scoured through policy wordings and terms and conditions for their outdoor adventure and extreme sports coverage.
3. What are the common personal accident and personal liability exclusions?
While some travel insurance seems to have a comprehensive coverage, you have to make sure that the activity that you are doing is covered under Personal Accident or Personal Liability.
For instance, if you got the Singlife with Aviva travel insurance and decided to buy the Adventurous Water Sports rider as well, you will be covered for all the usual scuba diving (up to 40m), white water rafting, kayaking, yachting, wakeboarding etc.
You’ll have to scroll to the end of your policy wording to check out the terms and conditions. Singlife with Aviva travel insurance states that it covers you for:
accidental death and permanent disablement
emergency medical cover
personal liability
In other words, if you get seriously injured during any of these activities, your Singlife with Aviva travel insurance will cover emergency medical costs, your death, and any damage you caused to the properties in that accident.
Total Premium
S$49.13
25% OffTotal PremiumS$65.50
Online Promo
Includes Covid-19 cover
Singlife Travel Plus
Online Promo:
Get 25% off single trip plans from Singlife with Aviva!
Valid until 07 Jun 2023
More Details
However, if you were to look at Etiqa travel insurance, you’ll see that the plan covers you for personal accidental death. When it comes to personal liability, some outdoor activities are excluded, such as:
vehicles
aircraft
watercraft
motorcycles, motor cars
boats
These are exactly the kind of activities where you’re more likely to suffer an accident. So don’t forget to check the fine print!
Total Premium
S$37.20
40% OffTotal PremiumS$62
Online Promo
Add-on Covid-19 coverage
Tiq Savvy
Online Promo:
Get 40% off Tiq Single Trip Travel Insurance premiums or 60% off Covid-19 add on AND $20 Cashback for Tiq Annual Plans. T&Cs apply.
Valid until 18 Jun 2023
More Details
Key Features
Comprehensive COVID-19 add-on, protecting you before, during and after your trip
Covers Cruise to Nowhere
Get paid upon a 3-hour flight delay, even without submitting a claim
Instant claims encashment via PayNow
24-hour worldwide emergency travel support
4. Which outdoor activities are usually excluded?
Some activities will be covered by your travel insurance, but only if it’s within a specific circumstance. Again, this is not being unrealistic. But it does mean you have to be careful that your activities don’t exceed the boundaries set by your travel insurance. These are examples of some activities which aren’t covered by your insurance:
Canoeing or white water rafting without a qualified guide or Grade 4 and above (of the International Scale of River Difficulty).
Off-piste skiing, or going off trail and skiing outside the officially approved boundaries of a ski resort.
Mountaineering beyond the height of 3,000 metres above sea level.
Underwater activities involving artificial breathing apparatus for diving deeper than 30 metres.
So while some of these activities are covered by certain travel insurance policies, they do have limits to their coverage. Be careful to stay within the stipulated boundaries.
5. How much do extreme sports riders cost?
Some travel insurance companies require that you upgrade your travel insurance plan to include winter sports rider or outdoor adventurous activities riders. Although it might seem unfair to incur a steep increase in the premium price, do note that most of the time, this increases your coverage for other categories within the same plan as well.
How much do these winter sports and sports riders cost?
Currently, there are 2 travel insurance plans that require you to buy sports riders: Direct Asia travel insurance and Singlife with Aviva travel insurance. The latter costs $8.89 per week for Adventurous Water Sports rider or $8.63 per week for Winter Sports rider
Total Premium
S$26.25
40% OffTotal PremiumS$43.75
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PLUS stand a chance to win up to S$55,000 worth of prizes in our Travel Insurance Lucky Draw! T&Cs apply.
Valid until 30 Jun 2023
More Details
Key Features
Additional coverage for Travel Insurance - Extreme sports & activities, Sports equipment, Maid and COVID-19
Kids go free – up to four kids travel for free with a Family policy only (2 adults)
Matching kids limits – children enjoy the same coverage limits as adults
Emergency Dental – Accidental Dental treatment can be costly, so it is covered under the main medical expenses coverage which is higher than a separate dental benefit
Optional COVID-19 coverage on trip cancellation, medical expense, and emergency evacuation. Only for Single Trip.
Total Premium
S$49.13
25% OffTotal PremiumS$65.50
Online Promo
Includes Covid-19 cover
Singlife Travel Plus
Online Promo:
Get 25% off single trip plans from Singlife with Aviva!
Valid until 07 Jun 2023
More Details
6. Do you need sports equipment coverage?
If you’re a hardcore skier or diver, then this section should not be news for you. If you have your own sporting equipment that you intend to bring on the trip, you have to be aware how much your travel insurance is covering you. When your gear can cost a few hundred dollars, you’ll definitely want to invest in a plan that will insure you don’t lose out if your gear is stolen or damaged.
7. Do you have sufficient emergency medical evacuation coverage?
This is especially important if you’re planning to go scuba diving, hiking or skydiving. Since you’re most likely not going to be near any decent medical facilities should anything happen, you may need to get emergency medical evacuation.
Check to make sure your travel insurance policy covers you sufficiently for such an occasion. Where possible, choose policies that can give you at least $500,000 cover for medical evacuation, even if you end up paying a little more. Here are some that offer $500,000 or more:
Total Premium
S$35.41
Total Premium
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Valid until 09 Jun 2023
Apply NowApply directly on MoneySmart
More Details
Key Features
Bubblegum offers just 1 affordable plan to suit all your travel needs to maximise your savings
Overseas medical expenses up to $150,000 SGD (Covid-19 sub-limit of $65,000 included)
24-Hour global Emergency Assistance services including Emergency Medical Evacuation and Repatriation
Covid-19 trip related cancellation/curtailment up to $600 SGD included
Adventurous activities like scuba diving and hot air ballooning are covered with no limit on depth or height.
Total Premium
S$40.80
40% OffTotal PremiumS$68
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Win up to $55,000 | Most Comprehensive
MSIG TravelEasy Standard
MoneySmart Exclusive:
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Get up to $20 Cash via PayNow while enjoying up to 40% off all plans when you purchase through MoneySmart!
PLUS stand a chance to win up to S$55,000 worth of prizes in our Travel Insurance Lucky Draw! T&Cs apply.
Valid until 30 Jun 2023
More Details
Key Features
COVID-19 coverage of up to $150,000 medical cover and up to $1,500 travel inconvenience benefit for your trip protection.
Packaged tour coverage for insolvency of licensed travel agencies registered with the Singapore Tourism Board (includes NATAS registered travel agencies).
Get covered across all TravelEasy Plan types with a high limit of S$1,000,000 for emergency medical evacuation & repatriation
MSIG provides cover for insolvency of licensed travel agencies registered with the Singapore Tourism Board (includes NATAS registered travel agencies)
Premium
S$83
Premium
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AIG Travel Guard® Direct - Enhanced
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Valid until 18 Jun 2023
More Details
Key Features
Voted TripZilla's Best Travel Insurance (Single Trip).
Up to S$250,000 in overseas COVID-19 related medical coverage if you are diagnosed with COVID-19 overseas.
Overseas quarantine allowance of up to S$100 per day per person for up to 14 days if you test positive for COVID-19 overseas and are unexpectedly placed into mandatory quarantine.
Up to S$1,500 if you are diagnosed with COVID-19 and have to postpone your trip.
Up to S$7,500 in curtailment costs if you are diagnosed with COVID-19 while travelling and need to return to Singapore earlier than planned.
This policy is protected under the Policy Owners’ Protection Scheme which is administered by the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC). Coverage for your policy is automatic and no further action is required from you. For more information on the types of benefits that are covered under the scheme as well as the limits of coverage, where applicable, please contact AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte. Ltd. or visit the AIG, GIA or SDIC websites (www.AIG.sg or www.gia.org.sg or www.sdic.org.sg).
Purchase your travel insurance with confidence and enjoy unlimited flexibility with AIG's Travel Guard® Direct
Do you have any other suggestions for getting the best travel insurance for sports lovers? Share them with us.
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Original article: 6 Things to Know About Travel Insurance for Extreme Sports and Outdoor Adventure Coverage (2023).
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