Travel insurance for kayaking and rafting
Everything Kiwis need to know about travel insurance for Kayaking & Rafting
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Travel Insurance when Kayaking and Rafting
A silky-smooth Nordic lake at dawn or a white-knuckled ride down a river in Rocky Mountain National Park, action on the water is often the most memorable part of any holiday, especially for water-loving New Zealanders. If the unexpected happens while you’re soaking up the fun, World Nomads has travel insurance plans to help when your kayaking and rafting trip suddenly takes a nosedive.
- Rafting and Kayaking activities: Is cover available?
- What’s covered?
- Why consider travel insurance when I’m going kayaking/rafting?
- What’s not covered?
Rafting and Kayaking activities: Is cover available?
Planning your kayaking and rafting activities before you leave home means you can arrange the right level of cover. Both our Standard and Explorer plans offer many of the same benefits including cover for level 1 sport and adventure activities such as kayaking (inland or coastal waters within 3 nautical miles), whitewater kayaking/rafting and river boarding on grades 1-5.
For more adventurous nomads you need to upgrade your cover if you’re planning on kayaking, windsurfing or sailing beyond 3 nautical miles from the coast. Simply specify all the activities you have planned for your trip when you get your quote, as you can’t add them afterwards. Terms and conditions apply, check your Policy Document for details or contact us.
If you are planning on taking your own kayak or other gear with you, please note that there is no cover for watercraft of any type (except surfboards). For other sporting equipment, cover is available where the carrier requires it be checked-in due to its size or weight. If you've purchased the Explorer Plan, we'll also pay to hire replacement equipment because your sporting equipment was:
- Accidentally damaged by a carrier; or
- Delayed or lost by a carrier for more than 12 hours (the waiting period).
Note: we won’t cover damage to any sporting equipment while in use, if your sporting equipment is over three years old, or damage or theft of any sporting equipment left unsupervised in a public place.
What’s covered?
Paddling around the hidden coves of Sydney Harbour or rafting on the Ayung River in Bali sound idyllic but if you return to your locked car to find the window smashed and your gear stolen, our Standard and Explorer plans may cover those unforeseen events and injuries to help get your next kayaking/rafting trip back on track.
World Nomads offers cover (up to the policy limits) for:
- Loss, theft or damage to baggage or personal items. Remember to keep copies of your original receipts if you need to make a claim and you’ll need a local police report too.
- Overseas emergency medical costs if you need to see a doctor urgently and/or need to be medically repatriated back to New Zealand.
- The non-refundable costs of cancelling your trip if you must return home early due to a sudden injury to you, your close relative or travel buddy.
- Cover for official ‘Do Not Travel’ advice unexpectedly issued for your destination after you’ve received your Certificate of Insurance, which causes you to cancel your trip.
- Replacement costs of buying essential clothing and toiletries if your checked-in baggage is delayed for more than 12 hours (keep your receipts).
- Cover for family plans for 2 adults and up to 8 dependents on the same policy. Plus plans can be extended while still travelling for up to 12 months from your original departure date (terms and conditions apply).
- Car rental damage insurance excess (Explorer Plan only).
Why consider travel insurance when I’m going kayaking/rafting?
If things don’t go smoothly and you’re left bumped, bruised or even broken, the World Nomads 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team is here to help you.
If you’ve seriously injured yourself and require medical treatment, call the Emergency Assistance team as soon as possible so it can direct you to the nearest medical center or hospital. Or in the worst case, contact Emergency Assistance so it can evacuate you to the most appropriate facility for your care, where possible. We may even bring you back home to New Zealand to recover if required.
World Nomads love hearing about those exotic tales from the world’s best kayaking/rafting spots:
- Sjoa River (Norway) for both family rafting adventures and serious thrill-seekers.
- Sri Lanka, everything on offer kayaking through its vast network of tropical waterways.
- Rio Tuichi (Bolivia) for the intrepid traveller, untouched jungle scenery on multi-day rafting trips on grades 1-5.
What’s not covered?
Sorry – we won’t cover you if you do something careless (like getting your gear stolen on the beach while you take a swim). Some things we don’t cover include:
- Any existing medical conditions, which are not listed as automatically covered conditions as per the specific requirements in your policy.
- Undertaking activities above the grade allowed in the Policy Document; hazardous activities; or activities in hazardous locations
- If you do not use a professional qualified and licenced guide or operator where required.
- Any search or rescue operations to find or rescue you from a life-threatening situation.
- If you refuse to be repatriated or evacuated for further treatment on the reasonable recommendation of the Emergency Assistance Team.
- Damage to sporting equipment while in use.
- Unattended baggage or personal items.
- Costs arising from being under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- The policy excess per event where applicable (check the Summary of Benefits in your Policy Document).
Traveller’s Tip: Before you launch, remember to check the International River Grading of the river you’re on so you won’t invalidate your cover. The scale is used for various water sports and activities, such as black and white water rafting, river boarding, white-water canoeing, stand up paddle surfing, and whitewater kayaking.
This is only a summary of coverage and does not include the full terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the policy. You should read your Policy Document in full so you understand what is and isn’t covered. That way there won’t be any surprises if you need to use it. If you have any questions, please
Kayaking & Rafting: travelling smarter and safer
Here at World Nomads, we love to find ways to help you enjoy your travels: from travelling smarter to travel safety and we endeavor to source the most up to date information about travel destinations. If you are going kayaking or rafting in another country, check out our Travel Safety content - if you are going kayaking in some obscure location, check with us first and avoid known banjo plucking hot spots!
Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you
Trip Cancellation
Protect your trip from unexpected cancellation.
- Explorer Plan: Unlimited
- Standard Plan: $5,000
Trip Protection
- Unexpectedly hospitalised?
- Travel buddy unfit to travel?
- Close relative suddenly dies?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Medical Overseas
Take the pain out of medical costs.
- Explorer Plan: Unlimited
- Standard Plan: $5,000,000
Emergency Medical Insurance
- Need meds quick?
- Accidentally injured?
- Suddenly sick?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Medical Transport
We'll get you to hospital in a flash
- Explorer Plan: Unlimited
- Standard Plan: $500,000
Evacuation and Repatriation
- Banged up abroad?
- Need a hospital urgently?
- Medivac home?
Help starts here.
Protect your gear
Cover your stolen or damaged gear and tech.
- Explorer Plan: $10,000
- Standard Plan: $2,000
Protect your gear
- Passport or tech stolen?
- Airline lost your gear?
- Bags delayed?
Help starts here.
- Overseas Medical Expenses
- Emergency dental treatment
- 24 hour assistance
- Emergency medical transport & repatriation
- Cancellation costs
- Trip interruption costs
- Compassionate emergency visit home
- Resumption of trip
- Theft or accidental damage to baggage and personal items
- Baggage delay over 12 hours
- Funeral expenses overseas or repatriation of remains
- Personal liability
24/7 emergency assistance
If you need medical assistance or emergency medical evacuation our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
From New Zealand & Overseas:
+61 2 8263 0470 or
+61 2 8292 1470
(reverse charges via an operator from anywhere in the world)
Within Australia (Free call): 1800 611 210
Before your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.