A beach holiday is about as good as it gets. Who would disagree? Most holidaymakers aim to let their hair down on holiday and enjoy themselves with a drink…or two…or three. But a word of caution in this regard may save a lot of aggravation - not to mention a banging headache the next morning. Not wishing to spoil the holiday fun, but it is smart to use some common sense and stay away from alcoholic drinks before participating in popular activities like jet-skiing, scuba diving and sailing. Just as with driving a car, alcohol can slow down reaction times and accidents may happen. Most travellers have no idea that their travel insurance is unlikely to cover for any claims where an accident or incident is connected with intoxication!

Travel insurance is not out to spoil your fun. It is necessary and works very well to cover all the usual mishaps that go along with travelling. However, it does not provide a free license to get blitzed and throw all caution to the wind. Few people bother to read the policy document or terms and conditions and so set off blissfully unaware that all travel insurance policies have clauses and exclusions regarding ‘wilful exposure to peril’. Translated, this means it is important to always exercise reasonable care to prevent illness, injury or loss or damage to your property - as if you had no insurance.

Also, always check that the activities you plan to participate in are covered by your travel insurance. One insurance term which causes a lot of confusion is ‘incidental basis’. Incidental means that an activity can be engaged in on a casual or unplanned basis – but not the main purpose of the trip. Snorkelling, for example, would normally be covered on an incidental basis. Going on a sailing holiday would be ‘non-incidental’ as sailing would be the main purpose of the trip.

Activities such as jet skiing, kite surfing, banana/doughnut boating, parascending, surfing and sandboarding are normally covered on an incidental basis. Be careful with scuba diving though – you will probably only be covered up to a certain depth, and rarely if diving on your own. Be careful when renting water sports equipment abroad also, as the safety regulations and maintenance may not be up to standard, plus the operators may not be licensed. Personal liability claims for the use of watercraft are also not normally covered, so it is important to read the terms of the policy.

Other potential problems at the beach involve jellyfish, so learn to identify and avoid the unfriendly ones before they accidentally make contact with a painful sting. Ask about the sea life living on your beach. If sea creatures like stingrays are a potential problem then wear beach shoes when paddling. They are not out to get you, but don’t appreciate being trodden on.

A good travel insurance policy provides for many essentials, such as lost luggage and personal effects, cancellation or curtailment, medical emergencies, scheduled airline failure, emergency medical repatriation, legal expenses, mugging, hijack, missed departure, and personal liability. Additional cover can be added for items like winter sports, golf and photographic equipment.

Never take a chance and travel without insurance. Those brain-numbing cocktails may allow you to bury your head in the sand for a while – but wouldn’t it be better to have the peace of mind of travel insurance – just in case.

Jean Andrews
Travel Insurance Direct
www.travel-insurance.net

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