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Kayak Insurance – Compare Cheap Quotes

Whether you use your kayak for whitewater kayaking or sedate paddling trips, for kayak fishing or for studying marine life in the UK’s rivers and lakes, UK inland waterways authorities like the Canal & River Trust will usually insist that you have a basic level of kayak insurance in place before you go kayaking on their rivers or canals.

While most kayaks don’t cost a fortune to replace if they’re ever damaged or stolen, the reason inland waterways authorities insist on this is to protect third parties you might have an accident with while you’re on the water.

That’s why the minimum level of cover you’ll need in order to go kayaking on these inland waterways is known as third party boat insurance.

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Will ‘third party only’ be enough when I’m taking out kayak insurance, or should I get a more comprehensive policy?

Third party boat insurance is the minimum level of cover you can take out for your boat, which means it is likely to be more economical than some more fully comprehensive boat insurance policies.

And while owners of more expensive boats (such as yachts, catamarans, power boats and speed boats) would be well advised to consider upgrading their basic boat insurance for a more comprehensive policy that insures their own vessel as well as those of third parties, some kayakers may decide that the relatively low cost of replacing their kayak means they aren’t taking such a big risk by opting for third party cover.

Of course, this does mean the kayaker won’t be covered if their kayak is ever stolen or damaged in an accident, so it’s important to weigh up the costs and benefits of each policy.

How much does kayak insurance cost?

It’s difficult to predict how much you’re likely to have to pay for kayak insurance, because insurance providers take a wide range of risk factors into consideration when they are calculating the premium. For instance, the type of kayak you own, its estimated value, where you paddle it and where it’s stored when you aren’t using it can all affect the cost of your insurance.

The best plan is to use our price comparison service to compare kayak insurance quotes from a range of different insurance companies, and then go with the one that offers the best coverage at the best price.

If I only plan to kayak on open waters like lakes or the sea can I forgo kayak insurance?

Some lakes are managed by inland waterways authorities, which means if you plan to kayak on those you will still require a waterways licence and kayak insurance.

However, some UK lakes don’t require a waterways licence (some of the lakes in the Lake District, for instance), which means you can paddle there without a licence or insurance.

Similarly, kayak insurance usually isn’t a prerequisite if you only ever plan to go sea kayaking.

However, even where kayak insurance is entirely optional it’s still worth considering, because it can help cover the cost of third party liability claims if you’re ever involved in a kayaking accident that was deemed to be your fault. If you didn’t have kayak insurance in place at the time of that incident you would be obliged to cover any liability claims (and accompanying legal fees) yourself.