Surf Travel Insurance

How do I buy surf travel insurance online?

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Surf travel insurance FAQs

What is surf travel insurance?

Surf travel insurance is travel insurance that includes eligible surfing alongside the usual travel benefits such as emergency medical expenses, cancellation, evacuation, baggage and travel disruption.

With Rise & Shield, recreational surfing is included at the standard activity level, so ordinary surfing does not require Adventure Plus.

Does travel insurance cover surfing?

It can. Rise & Shield specifically lists Surfing as an activity included in every policy, subject to the normal policy terms, safety requirements and exclusions.

Is recreational surfing included as standard?

Yes. Recreational surfing is currently listed with no additional activity add-on required.

Do I need Adventure Plus for ordinary surfing?

No. Standard recreational surfing does not require Adventure Plus.

Some related activities do have different classifications, however, so check anything else you intend to do rather than assuming that every board or water sport is treated as surfing.

Are surf lessons and surf camps covered?

A recreational surf lesson can fall within the standard Surfing activity, provided the activity and trip meet the general policy conditions.

If your surf camp includes other activities — such as kite surfing, rafting, diving or motorised water sports — check those separately because a different activity level or additional conditions may apply. This is an inference from the activity classification rather than a separately named “surf camp” benefit.

Is stand-up paddle surfing covered?

Yes. Stand-up paddle surfing and paddle boarding are currently listed as activities included at the standard level.

Is paddle boarding covered?

Yes. Paddle boarding is included within the current “Stand up paddle surfing / Paddle boarding” activity entry without an additional activity add-on.

Is boogie boarding covered?

Yes, within the current listed activity conditions. Rise & Shield lists boogie boarding while riding small waves at a supervised beach as included at the standard level.

Is wakeboarding covered?

Yes. Wakeboarding can be included at the standard activity level when the applicable instructor/operator or qualification condition is met.

Jumping is excluded, so cover for recreational wakeboarding should not be read as cover for every wakeboarding manoeuvre.

Is wake skating covered?

Yes. Wake skating is listed alongside water skiing and wakeboarding at the standard activity level, subject to its applicable conditions. Jumping is excluded.

Are jumps covered while wakeboarding or wake skating?

No. The current activity wording specifically excludes jumping from the water skiing, wake skating and wakeboarding entry.

Is windsurfing covered?

Yes. Windsurfing and sailboarding on inland or coastal waters are included at the standard activity level, provided you remain within 12 nautical miles of a coast.

Is sailboarding covered?

Yes. Sailboarding is treated with windsurfing under the current activity list and is included at the standard activity level within the stated coastal-water restriction.

Is kite surfing covered?

Yes, but Adventure Plus is required for kite surfing. Make sure the required activity level is included in your policy before taking part.

Is kite boarding covered?

Yes. Kite boarding requires Adventure Plus, just like kite surfing.

Is land surfing covered?

Land surfing is listed together with kite boarding and kite surfing and currently requires Adventure Plus.

Is hydro foiling or kite foiling covered?

Yes. Hydro foiling and kite foiling are currently included at the standard activity level, subject to the applicable professional operator/instructor and safety-equipment conditions.

Jumping is excluded.

Are jumps covered while hydro foiling or kite foiling?

No. The current activity entry specifically excludes jumping while hydro foiling or kite foiling.

Are surfing competitions covered?

No. The policy excludes competitions and tournaments under the Activities section.

Rise & Shield's activity cover is intended for recreational/amateur participation rather than organised competitive surfing.

Can professional or semi-professional surfers use this cover?

Not for professional or semi-professional participation. The Activities section excludes participation on a professional or semi-professional basis as well as competitions and tournaments.

Do I need a guide or instructor every time I surf?

No specific guide or instructor condition is attached to the standard Surfing entry in the current activity list.

You must still comply with local laws and regulations, follow safety procedures and rules, and use appropriate safety equipment where relevant.

Can I surf independently rather than as part of a tour or lesson?

The current standard Surfing activity does not impose a specific tour, guide or instructor requirement.

The normal activity conditions — including local laws, safety rules and appropriate equipment — still apply.

Is big-wave surfing covered?

Big-wave surfing is not separately listed in the current Rise & Shield activity table.

Because the table simply lists “Surfing”, I would not assume that a specialist big-wave itinerary automatically falls within ordinary recreational surfing cover. Check the exact planned activity with Rise & Shield before relying on the policy.

Is tow-in surfing covered?

Tow-in surfing is not specifically named in the current activity table.

Because it introduces additional equipment and potentially motorised support beyond ordinary recreational surfing, check the exact arrangements with Rise & Shield before travelling rather than assuming the standard Surfing classification applies. This is a cautious inference from the current activity list.

Does surf travel insurance cover emergency medical treatment?

Eligible emergency medical expenses following a sudden and unforeseen illness or injury may be covered, subject to the limits of your selected plan, the policy conditions, exclusions and excesses.

Your surfing activity must also meet the applicable Activities conditions.

What if I am injured while surfing abroad?

Seek appropriate medical treatment and contact the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Centre promptly for serious emergencies.

The policy requires the assistance centre to be contacted for inpatient treatment, MRI or CT scans, medical evacuation or repatriation.

Will Rise & Shield pay the hospital directly?

In most cases involving hospitalisation, the policy says direct payments will be made locally, reducing the need for you to pay those hospital costs yourself.

Minor illnesses or accidents may need to be paid by you first and reclaimed afterwards, subject to the policy.

Is medical evacuation and repatriation covered?

Eligible medical evacuation and repatriation may be covered where medically necessary.

Repatriation must be approved and arranged through the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Centre, which determines the appropriate method in consultation with medical professionals.

Is helicopter rescue covered after a surfing accident?

An eligible helicopter evacuation may be covered where it is medically necessary and pre-approved by the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Centre.

The assistance centre decides the appropriate evacuation method and provider.

Is there an excess for helicopter rescue?

Yes. The current separate medical helicopter-rescue excess is £1,000 / $1,250 / €1,200.

Is 24/7 emergency assistance included?

Yes. The emergency medical assistance service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with multilingual assistance and access to a medical team.

Does surf travel insurance include cancellation and curtailment cover?

Eligible unrecoverable travel and accommodation costs may be covered where an insured event makes cancellation or curtailment necessary and unavoidable, subject to your selected plan and the policy conditions and exclusions.

Can I cancel my surf trip because the waves or surf forecast are poor?

No. Poor swell, disappointing waves or adverse weather alone do not give you a general right to cancel and claim.

The current Cancellation and Curtailment exclusions specifically exclude loss arising directly or indirectly from adverse weather conditions.

Does surf travel insurance cover flight delays or a missed departure?

Depending on your selected plan and circumstances, benefits can apply for outward delay, missed departure or connection and abandonment.

The policy sets specific qualifying events, waiting periods, evidence requirements and benefit limits for each.

What if a hurricane, storm or flood affects my surf destination?

Catastrophe Cover may help if you are forced to move accommodation because of a qualifying event such as a storm, flood, hurricane, earthquake, fire or local-government directive.

Eligible irrecoverable travel and accommodation costs may be covered to continue your trip or return home, subject to the policy conditions and limits.

Can I claim Catastrophe Cover simply because bad weather is forecast?

Not automatically. The Catastrophe benefit requires you to be forced to relocate your accommodation because of one of the qualifying events.

The policy excludes costs where you simply decide not to stay in accommodation that the authorities consider safe and acceptable.

Is my surfboard automatically covered by surf travel insurance?

There is no separate surfboard-specific benefit in the current policy wording.

A surfboard claim would need to fall within the general Personal Luggage wording and satisfy its definitions, benefit limits and conditions. The policy also applies a single-item limit and several specific sports-equipment exclusions.

Is my surfboard covered if it breaks while I am surfing?

No. The Personal Luggage section specifically excludes breakage of or damage to sports equipment while in use.

Is a hired or rented surfboard covered?

The activity of surfing can still be eligible, but the Personal Luggage section specifically excludes items loaned, hired or entrusted to you.

You therefore should not rely on the policy to cover loss of or damage to a hired surfboard.

What if an airline loses or damages my surfboard?

The current policy does not specifically name surfboards, so eligibility would depend on the board falling within the Personal Luggage wording and satisfying the applicable conditions.

Transit loss or damage must be reported to the carrier, written evidence must be obtained, single-item limits apply, and items carried as freight or under a bill of lading are excluded.

Does the High-Value Items add-on cover expensive surfboards?

The current High-Value Items add-on is described for cameras, laptops, mobile phones and other personal electronics. It is not described as a surfboard-specific extension.

I therefore would not rely on that add-on to increase surfboard cover unless Rise & Shield confirms otherwise.

Can I insure my GoPro or camera?

Potentially, yes. The optional High-Value Items add-on can cover eligible cameras and personal electronics when the items are properly listed on the policy and the applicable limits, security, receipt and depreciation conditions are met.

Does Personal Accident or Public Liability cover apply while I am surfing?

No. The current policy states that Personal Accident and Public Liability cover do not apply while you are participating in the activities covered by the policy.

The surfing activity may still qualify for other applicable sections such as emergency medical expenses, subject to their terms.

Does surf travel insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?

Claims arising from conditions that meet the policy definition of a pre-existing medical condition are excluded.

Being medically fit to surf does not itself override the policy's medical exclusions.

Can I buy surf travel insurance after my trip has already started?

Potentially, yes. Optional Already Departed cover is available where you have already left home, provided nothing happened before buying the policy that could lead to a claim.

It requires an additional premium and is not available for Annual Multi-Trip policies.

How does the 48-hour waiting period for Already Departed cover work?

Full Already Departed cover begins 48 hours after purchase.

During those first 48 hours, cover is limited to sudden and unexpected injuries caused by verifiable accidents. Illnesses and other injuries occurring during the waiting period are excluded, and there is no 14-day cooling-off period.

Can I buy Annual Multi-Trip insurance for several surf holidays?

Yes. The policy provides an Annual Multi-Trip option, and surfing itself is included at the standard activity level.

Under the current wording, each trip can last up to 30 days with Travel Essentials and 45 days with Travel Classic or Travel Elite.

Can Rise & Shield cover a long surf trip?

The current policy wording limits a Single Trip to 30 days.

For Annual Multi-Trip cover, each individual trip can last up to 30 days on Travel Essentials or 45 days on Travel Classic and Travel Elite.

Can one policy cover surfing and other adventure activities?

Potentially, yes. Surfing is included at the standard level, while other activities can require Adventure Plus, Adventure Extreme or another optional cover.

Check each activity individually rather than assuming that its proximity to a surfboard means it shares surfing's classification.

What should I look for in the best surf travel insurance?

Look beyond a policy merely saying that “water sports” are covered. Check that recreational surfing itself is included, then look at emergency medical treatment, evacuation and repatriation, 24/7 assistance, cancellation, travel disruption, surfboard and baggage limitations, competition exclusions and any different activity level required for things such as kite surfing. Rise & Shield's current activity list and policy wording address those areas separately.

When should I buy surf travel insurance?

It is generally sensible to arrange your policy once your trip is booked so that any eligible pre-departure cancellation protection can begin.

If you buy after departure, the separate Already Departed rules and 48-hour waiting period apply.

How do I check whether my exact surf or water activity is covered?

Use the Rise & Shield Activity Checker to search every activity you plan to undertake.

Surfing, paddle boarding, kitesurfing, windsurfing, foiling, wakeboarding and other water activities can have different add-ons, location restrictions, operator requirements and exclusions, so your completed quote and policy documents remain the final basis of cover. 

Other useful surfing resources

International Surfing Association rules & safety hub

Surfrider Foundation ocean-safety tips

Surfline surf forecast