Will I be covered for several types of sports and activities while travelling, and is my sports gear covered?

Thinking of packing your sporting gear when you head off on your next thrill-seeking adventure? Right on! One thing we know about adventurous Aussies, is that you value your gear (and your bodies) – because if something unfortunate should happen to either, well…there isn’t much adventuring happening. Right?

At World Nomads, we offer insurance coverage for more than 150 sports, activities and experiences.

What’s covered

World Nomads offers two travel insurance plans: Standard and Explorer – each with different benefits and limits.

You’re automatically covered while you participate in Level 1 activities. If you intend to participate in higher risk activities (Level 2 and 3) as listed in the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), you must select all your sports and activities and pay the appropriate additional premium.

Both policies cover low-risk adventure sports and adventures – such as hot-air ballooning across the vineyards of the Napa Valley. No matter the adventure, as long as we cover it (and you’re adequately insured with us), our 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team can help with overseas medical costs, and even repatriation home if needed.

Note: all plans are different and may require an upgrade for activity and sports cover to apply. Terms and condition, limits, and specific exclusions apply. Read the PDS carefully to choose the right plan and/or adventure sport option for your trip.

Traveller tip: take the time (before you leave Australia) to plan your trip in detail; locations, activities…everything. Because travelling by the seat of your pants is fun, but being caught out in another country, with a broken body (or gear) can put a dampener on any holiday. Also, if you plan on purchasing a World Nomads insurance plan, you can’t upgrade or add activities when you’re already at your destination, so it helps to plan in advance.

Is my sports gear covered?

Love your gear? You should consider protecting it. It doesn’t matter how well you pack those skis, surfboard, or rock climbing gear, if you’re landing in a busy airport, such as Denver or Heathrow, things can go wrong, and your sports gear won’t be much good to you if it’s broken (or worse, missing).

World Nomads offers numerous benefits when it comes to protecting your gear, including:

  • Both our Standard and Explorer plans offer cover for gear that’s accidentally damaged or stolen at any time during your trip (up to policy limits)
  • If you hold an Explorer Plan, we may cover the cost to hire sporting gear if yours is damaged or delayed by the carrier for more than 12 hours.
  • Sports gear can be expensive. We get it. Which is why we offer an upgrade for high-value baggage and personal items, which increases the cover up to AUD$3,000 for each specified item. Terms and conditions apply, contact us for your personalised quote.

Traveller tip: if your gear is stolen or misplaced, report it to the appropriate authorities immediately (police, airport carrier etc.) Then contact us and we’ll help you with the next steps. Oh, and keep all your paperwork (receipts, tickets, and travel documents), you’ll need them for your claim.

What’s not covered?

While we may cover a broad range of activities and potential mishaps that can happen while travelling abroad, there are some things that we don’t cover, including:

  • Mishaps resulting from participation in or training for a competition or race where you receive a financial reward (i.e. an appearance fee, a wage or salary)
  • Hurting yourself in any adventure sports activity that your policy doesn’t offer cover
  • Being reckless: mate, breaking laws and acting like a goose is never cool – we don’t agree with it, and we won’t cover it
  • We won’t cover your sporting gear if it is stolen in a public space, and you’ve left it unsupervised.

FAQs

Q. Can I get travel insurance when I’m already travelling?

Yes. Australians can buy a World Nomads policy when already overseas. However, there is a waiting period of 72 hours before cover begins.

Q. Can I upgrade my sports and activities cover when I’m already travelling?

No. It’s important to plan the activities you’ll be participating in before you travel abroad because you can’t upgrade your policy if you decide to participate in activities not already covered under your current policy. For policy inclusions, compare our Standard and Explorer plans.

Q. Will my gear be covered if it gets stolen while I’m travelling?

Yes. Provided you were taking appropriate measures to keep it safe – within policy limits, and according to policy terms and conditions.

This is only a summary of cover and does not include the full terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions of the policy. You should read your PDS 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 get in touch.


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We’re here to help if you have a question about travel insurance. We’re available:

  • Monday to Friday 9:00am - 6:00pm (AEST/ADST)
  • Saturday to Sunday closed (AEST/ADST)

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Within Australia:
1300 787 375

From anywhere in the world:
+61 2 8256 1542