Travel Insurance- Worth It?

For the first time in 3 years, we will be running our full travel program schedule! We could not be more excited to reintroduce of ALL of our travel camps in 2023.

All of our travel programs are truly bucket list experiences. To ensure you get to check it off the list without a hitch, we strongly recommend purchasing a third-party travel insurance plan. A question we regularly hear, from both parents and participants, regarding travel insurance is, “Why would I need that?” It’s a reasonable question! After clicking that “submit and pay” button on the airline website, a little box saying “Protect My Trip” pops up. Most people decline this offer thinking it’s a rip-off- there is no way they would cancel the trip…

We can say with confidence that purchasing trip insurance is worth the investment! Every single instructor leading your surf retreat, or guiding your camper’s program, carries travel insurance. We don’t send any member of our staff abroad without travel insurance. There are a lot of benefits, beyond just getting your non-refundable deposit back, if you have to back out of camp. Our team carries the insurance in case of travel delays or in case of a medical emergency. As surfers, we incur more risk while traveling than your typical tourist. We take part in a high-risk sport, often in remote areas, sometimes carrying thousands of dollars worth of equipment in our board bags, another reason that travel insurance is a must for all of our coaches.

One of our coaches took a surf trip a few years back, and after three weeks of waves, they, unfortunately, lost their passport and phone. This coach then started the process of replacing the passport, which included renting a vehicle to go to an embassy, staying in a hotel for two extra nights, changing a return flight, and paying passport fees. This kind of situation is a very real possibility when traveling internationally, and luckily this coach carried travel insurance. Upon their return, a claim was filed, and the coach was reimbursed for every penny spent in efforts to get home.

What does your trip insurance help protect?

According to Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection- Travel Insurance typically covers-

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

Travel Insurance isn’t there to just protect your money, it’s also an added layer of security and peace of mind when your travel plans go sideways. Traveling can be difficult, and when things don’t go according to plan sometimes, why not take some of the pressure off by insuring your trip? Sure, you might use it once or twice in your life, and it does take time to file a claim, submit documents, and wait for a check in the mail, but it’s better than eating the cost of lost baggage, travel delays, medical emergencies, or trip cancellations.