Insurance..

[Andy-j]

How many people actually have kite insurance?

Is it really necessary, what are the pro's/con's?

Because you kite abroad?

Because you kite at a busy beach?

Because you compete/go to events where you have to have it?

 

Discuss...

[The Geoff]

Just in case, basically. The gamble of £25 for £5,000,000 cover seemed a decent enough one. You could easily throw that much away on the Grand National.

 

I don't kite anywhere where insurance is required, so I don't strictly need it.

[Andy-j]

Who's gonna sue you though? If (god forbid) you get airlifted off your local beach is having insurance going to help in any way at all?

[jjpython]

its more the person whos car your kite hits and smashes into a tree, or the dog who your kite hits and injures, or the person you plow into along the beach and they need time off work, need i go on,

i have insurance and have since i started, and now need because i race buggies, but regardless i would still have, as geoff says for the £30 a year it costs for peace of mind

[Andy-j]

But those are all avoidable low risk incidents imo, my beaches are quite safe/quiet though.

[StarKitesUK]

It only takes one time, even if its not really your fault. Public liability insurance is a must. It also helps keep beaches open to kiting if the local councils feel you are being responsible and thinking of others.

 

If you've not already guessed I'm insured through the BKSA :-)

[BigE]

Insurance by it's very nature is to cover the "what if". If things do go t!ts up 9/10 you may get away with it but, there is always the chance that when you don't someone will be waiting to make a claim on you. I don't fly in public areas very often, but it's there for when I do or if I fancy dropping in to EKS. I've had one close escape from being claimed against and the fact I had insurance meant I'd be able to cover the bill.

[slide]

were i fly we need it to fly there , and its only £28 with SPKA , and if it makes the authorities happy then all the better

[too much wind]

All insurance is about risk. Insurance won't lower the risk of my kite hitting an innocent bystander but if it does i at least will have the means to pay for their recovery/damages and not leave them totally up sh4t creek. For the small sum of £25 i think its a small price to pay also the beaches i use can get very busy in the summer.

If you really believe that you will never need it then don't take it out.

 

TMW

[Dragnfly]

I do. It could be the best £25 you ever spend, for all those reasons noted above. It could also cover incidents and accidents on the water as well as dogs, cars and members of the public.

[The Geoff]

Yeah, as far as I'm aware my (SPKA) insurance is third party only, it doesn't double up as travel insurance, health cover or rescue costs (which is free in the UK anyway), it's in case I do something really dumb or get unlucky.

 

Drop kite, leash comes off, kite hits car which swerves and hits a house injuring the driver - that's potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds you may have to pay out.

[Awesome]

i really dont want to be paying insurance every year.

but i do,

if i injure a fellow kiter who has no insurance,,,,, how would i feel?

[Duderino]

I wont judge anyone for not having insurance as its up to the rider to search his own mind but i just wouldn't do it without.

[C00KIE]

I have insurance but would be interested to know if anyone has ever claimed on theirs. We all have it in case the "what if" happens but has it ever happened? I dont have push bike insurance but its probably more likely that i swerve a dog causing a car to crash etc. Geoffs post makes me wonder why we insure our kiting but not all walks of life.

[Andy-j]

[quote=;2391386]Geoffs post makes me wonder why we insure our kiting but not all walks of life.

The point i am trying to get to exactly.. I mean i go snowboarding in scotland a lot and i'm not insured for if i hurt someone else, it's no different and i'm not sure it's worth the £25pa.

 

I do agree if you did hurt someone it would be nice to know that they are getting well cared for/compensation but i mean treatment to get you back to a fit working state is part of the serivce the NHS provide that we all already pay tax for.

 

I have a personal healthcare plan and imo people would be better of going down that route. It basically means i could go from beach to theatre within a week instead of waiting 3 months for a scan on the NHS.

[Blast]

I've been kitesurfing for 13 years now.

 

A few weeks back, (my first session back after breaking my ankle) we all got hit by a squall...60mph gusts were recorded. Anyway, I was getting lofted out onto the beach from the water, I pulled the QR and immediately saw my kite fly off into the distance, the leash had snapped!!!

I shouted to warn other kiters down wind of me but one kitesurfer was clipped by the bar/spun around and slammed into the beach..he was concussed! He had a huge swelling above the eye and bleeding, long story short he went to hospital and after a full check up was fine BUT I am so relieved to have the insurance covered just in case.

 

There were kites and boards flying off everywhere, one friend was hit in the back...by his own board.

The beach was chaos for a while with everyone chasing kit etc

 

If it had been a member of the public this would have turned nasty for sure.

 

I simply cannot believe anyone would risk not having cover for kiting

MTB or even snowboarding is far less likely to involve third parties.

[Maro]

I have BKSA, I don't usually fly at busy spots and there's not normally any vehicle close by. Having said that, there is the odd fisherman at my usual haunt, I wonder if insurance would cover damages to his kit? I fly abroad normally once a year where there is sometimes learners and public in fairly close proximity, another reason why i have it. I feel a lot happier when I know everyone else around me is responsible enough to take out insurance for those "what if" moments.

 

I am a paying member of a land based club also, most of my membership costs is for insurance (so I guess I'm doubley covered), we do a lot of trips to beaches all around the south west and Wales, the membership fee is worth paying for that alone.

[Yeharr]

[quote=;2391386]I have insurance but would be interested to know if anyone has ever claimed on theirs. We all have it in case the "what if" happens but has it ever happened? I dont have push bike insurance but its probably more likely that i swerve a dog causing a car to crash etc. Geoffs post makes me wonder why we insure our kiting but not all walks of life.

I know of a massive claim made by a windsurfer sailing on starboard, who was hit by by another windsurfer sailing on port, the at fault guy was not insured and it almost wrecked his life, it happened at the Leigh and Lowton sailing club,Lancashire, nightmare for his family, he hit a doctor who had to have time off work.

 

I hit a windsurfer whilst racing in Egypt, he collapsed into he water clutching his ribs, my second thought was where my insurance certificate was. He did not speak English and just moaned at me, sorry worked, butI was glad to know I had insurance if sorry did not work.

[Dragnfly]

[quote=;2391386] I dont have push bike insurance but its probably more likely that i swerve a dog causing a car to crash etc. .

 

I think that would still go down as the car drivers fault actually.

[The Geoff]

[quote=;2391386]I have insurance but would be interested to know if anyone has ever claimed on theirs. We all have it in case the "what if" happens but has it ever happened? I dont have push bike insurance but its probably more likely that i swerve a dog causing a car to crash etc. Geoffs post makes me wonder why we insure our kiting but not all walks of life.

 

Swerving on a bike is already covered in law, "the cyclist is entitled to his wobble" - essentially you can take up as much space on the road as a car, including swerving about to avoid stuff, and the cars have to give you that space.

 

Run somebody over on a pavement, however, and you're in trouble and could end up paying out a hell of a lot.

 

One point to remember with third party insurance is that they only cover you if you're being sensible - launch a 14m kite in 35mph on a crowded beach and you're probably going to be on your own, it covers genuine accidents, not muppetry.

[slide]

:eek:third party insurance only covers the injured party and they would be paid out regardless of wether the insured was flying dangerously or not !

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Open your kite bag/garage whatever.

Tally up how much you've spent on kites buggys boards ect.

 

£25 for a year is a drop in the ocean and if your gonna kite in public areas then it really should be a must have.

 

Even if you never have to claim through it at least if that million to one chance, read joe public fuckup factor, comes Into play your covered and hopefully so is the beach/field ect

[andrewjohn]

Just reminded me to renew mine.

Interesting how those who have voted NO have not explained their reasons why?

[mick]

Insurance is a completely useless waste of money till you need it.

[slide]

interestingly at the mo its 11 no and 22 yes - slightly worrying really 50% (that are honest) have no insurance