Whether you’re paragliding in the Pyrenees or scuba diving in the Seychelles, having an activity or extreme sports insurance is just the ticket for adventurous types.

No matter what your standard of natural sporting ability, accidents do happen even to the most able or experienced. Even 007 himself came a cropper in the World is Not Enough. But what is extreme sports insurance and who is it for?

Every year more and more Brits are indulging in a wide range of sporting pursuits when abroad or in the UK. Greater coverage of extreme sports in the media has also led to a new generation of adrenaline seekers.

“Increasingly British holiday makers want to have a go at things like white water rafting, bungee jumping or rock climbing. These are activities that will not be covered by your typical travel insurance purchased from your travel agents or over the Internet.  You need to seek out specialist advice and companies that offer extreme sports cover for more hazardous sports,” said Malcolm Tarling, spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers (ABI)

If you are going in a group it’s always worth looking at getting a group insurance package. There are insurers who specialise in offering insurance for groups on activity holidays and it could save you some money as well, rather than splashing out for individual policies.

As always when it come to any type of insurance it’s vital that you know exactly what you’re covered for. It’s all too easy to think you are probably covered for an eventuality only to find that the extent you are covered falls well short of what you may need. If you know in advance the types of activities, you will or might be doing, organise proper cover accordingly.

Some travel polices will indeed include some kind of cover for certain types of activities or offer extra add on cover to your normal policy. The extent and comprehensive nature of any additional cover will vary. Although, some policies may include medical costs for injuries or treatment required, the policy may have limited pay out or even be null and void if you are injured in certain activities.  

If you are self-employed it will be important getting specialist insurance for an adventure holiday that will cover you if you are injured and are unable to go back to work for some time.

Extreme sports are a popular part of many gap years so an annual policy is advisable.

Seasoned adrenaline junkie or fledging first timer make sure you have the right insurance if planning some extreme sports action sometime soon.