Surfing Insurance

Nothing beats the feeling of gliding on the water or the adrenaline of catching a great wave! Surfing is exciting, and it’s not just for beach bums anymore. It’s become one of the fastest growing sports in the world. In fact, the International Surfing Association estimates there are over 40 million surfers worldwide. Some of its recent jump in popularity probably came from the news that it’s becoming an Olympic sport.

Surfing is an adventure that can take you to some of the most beautiful places in the world. Places like Hawaii, where surfing originated. The famous North Shore of Oahu stretches more than seven miles and is home to the most iconic surf competitions. Of course, the surfing is wonderful off the coasts of California, Mexico, Costa Rica and Brazil. You might combine surfing with a European vacation or more exotic places like Bali, Australia, New Zealand, Morocco or South Africa.

Surfers are happier and healthier people, too. Surfing burns calories and tones your overall body. Paddling strengthens your back and shoulders and adds a healthy dose of cardio into your life. Once you stand up on the board, you’re strengthening your legs and your core, and improving your balance. 

All of that exercise reduces stress. Not to mention the benefits of breathing fresh air and the extra vitamin D from being out in the sun. Finally, one great thing about surfing is that you truly unplug because you can’t take your phone with you. It’s just you, your board and the sea.

The health benefits of surfing are what first drew Greg to it. He was struggling with PTSD following a military tour of duty and learned from U.S. Navy research that surfing can lead to a decrease in symptoms of depression. So, Greg took surfing lessons and it has made a big difference in his life! However, Greg was also warned about its potential dangers.

Those big waves look beautiful from the beach, but they are powerful enough to break bones. And if the ocean floor is rocky or a coral reef, being pounded down on it by a big wave can cause serious injuries. Riptides that can sweep you out to sea in an instant. Surfing also carries a risk of drowning. Hold-downs can cause you to be trapped on the reef or get separated from your board, not being able to swim in.

If that’s not enough, fellow surfers can pose risk to you. Surfing in a crowd or near beginners can lead to collisions, which can lead to unconsciousness. And we all know unconsciousness near water is a recipe for disaster. Although rare, there is also a possibility of being bitten by a shark or being stung by a stingray, jellyfish or some other form of marine life.

That’s why Greg came to Good Neighbor - to protect himself in the event of a surfing accident.

When compared to other sports, the risk of injury while surfing is considered relatively low, with only 2.2 injuries per 1,000 surfing days. Yet injuries do happen.  Lacerations account for nearly half of the surfing injuries, sprains account for over a quarter of them, followed by dislocations and fractures. The most common causes of surfing injuries are contact with a surfboard (your own or another), followed by wiping out and striking the seabed.

Greg learned about the importance of surfing insurance while talking with a fellow surfer his first time out. The other surfer told Greg about an accident he suffered when he first started surfing. 

While vacationing in Australia, he and his friends decided it would be fun to rent some surfboards. He had trouble controlling his and ended up with a serious leg injury. What’s worse is that he hadn’t bought surfer insurance before his trip and had to pay the entire hospital bill out of his own money. Ever since he heard that story, Greg has made sure to purchase insurance, especially when traveling to another country.

Surfing can be dangerous, but you can protect yourself like Greg does with a surfing insurance plan.

Greg makes sure he has surfing insurance whenever he goes surfing. Be like Greg and protect yourself with a surfing insurance plan today.

Get started by selecting one of the featured plans below or by getting a quote now.

• 8 days of travel up to 30 days – No additional for adventure sports! (included)
• No health questions, deductibles or claim forms are required
• Air medical transport services only require that you be hospitalized as an inpatient and need hospitalization upon reaching your destination (medevac).
• No dollar limit.
• You can have the extra benefits of the Medjet Evacuation plan or buy one of our overseas trip insurance plans that cover international medical insurance.
• This plan is “evacuation-only” (medical transportation including air and land transport), not medical or travel insurance. (All of our adventure sports travel insurance plans include emergency evacuation as a benefit.) Please make sure your sport is covered in a medical emergency and that you have adequate medical insurance before purchasing a stand-alone medical transportation-only plan.

• Covers most sports (see below) and is an affordable international sports event insurance plan when traveling
• Covers you from 5 days up to one year with an option to renew for another year (you choose the amount of time)
• Up to $1,000,000 US dollars of medical coverage that includes medical evacuation and medical transportation coverage
• Saves non-U.S. citizens money by excluding the U.S.A. if they are not traveling to the US
• Such as an Indonesian traveling to Singapore
• Such as an Australian traveling to Hong Kong
• Such as a U.S. citizen that lives in Singapore traveling to Australia
• See more medical benefit details below!
• Professional sports are not covered
• Racing of any kind is excluded