Why You Need Kayak Insurance

The thrills of battling a raging river or exploring picturesque locations are what make kayaking so unique. These thrills come with an element of risk, though, which is why kayak insurance is essential. After all, the water can be risky, and unfortunately, collisions can happen, which could result in costly compensation claims. Here, we look at the main reasons all paddlers need kayak insurance.

The loss, theft or damage of your equipment

As mentioned above, kayaks are expensive pieces of equipment – a good-quality kayak can cost several hundreds of pounds. Imagine, therefore, if you had to pay out of your pocket if your kayak was lost, damaged or stolen.

All it takes is a wide bend you hadn’t anticipated or an opportunist thief to spot your kayak when you’re not watching over it for you to need to make a claim.

Another common instance which befalls even the best kayakers is falling out of your kayak and finding it has been badly damaged by the time you’ve swam to it.

It’s not just your kayak itself which could be at risk – if, for instance, you suffered a dislocated shoulder, paramedics would have to cut you out of your drysuit. Bearing in mind that drysuits can cost hundreds if not thousands of pounds, not having the right cover for repairs and replacements isn’t a risk worth taking.

Accidental damage to another kayak

Of course, it’s not just the other kayaker’s welfare which is at risk following a collision. If their kayak hits a rock after you collide with them, it may be badly damaged, perhaps beyond repair – and as you’re no doubt aware, kayaks don’t tend to come cheap. Therefore, if the person whose kayak you collide with needs to repair or replace it and claims against you for the damage, this could cost you more than you can afford without kayak insurance.

Injury to another kayaker

One of the most significant risk factors associated with kayaking, which often leads to injury, is lack of experience. Beginners are more likely to cause an accident, due to a lack of understanding of the technique and skills required to paddle in certain conditions. For example, if you’re up against whitewater rapids, you may lose control of your kayak and collide with another kayaker, injuring them in the process. This could result in you facing a costly compensation claim if you didn’t have kayak insurance – not to mention the legal costs this could incur.

Injury to yourself

It’s not just injury to another kayaker you need to think about when you’re on the water. If you suffer an injury, you could have potentially expensive treatment bills to pay. It could be that you require physiotherapy for a broken bone or need dental treatment for missing teeth following a collision. On top of this, you may also be unable to work for long periods of time. Without the right cover, you wouldn’t be able to receive supplementary income while you recovered from your injuries.

Where Insure4Boats comes in

At Insure4Boats, we understand how common these scenarios are when you’re on the water.

That’s why we’ve created specialist kayak insurance to ensure that you can enjoy the exhilarating feeling of flowing downstream, without worrying that your bank balance might do the same if a claim is made against you.

Our cover includes up to £3 million of Third Party Liability, which protects you if someone claims against you for an injury they’ve suffered or damage to their kayak.

What’s more, if anything happens to your kayak, our kayak insurance includes New-for-Old cover for items bought new up to three years old. This means that if you make a claim and your kayak is less than three years old, we’ll either repair it or replace it brand new, helping you get back to paddling in no time.

We also provide Personal Accident cover as an additional extra, to cover you for the treatment costs and lost income resulting from your injuries.

In short – don’t chance it when it comes to insurance. Get a quick online quote with Insure4Boats today.