Which sports are automatically covered by my policy?

Having fun is what holidays are all about – which is why we include over 150 sports and activities you will automatically be covered for, whether you fancy abseiling, canoeing or riding in a hot air balloon. The full list of what is included is laid out in the policy wording and can also be found below. 

Before you head off on your travels, it’s important to check that you’re covered for everything that you have planned.

Here’s the full list of activities included in Columbus travel insurance policies: 

Abseiling (within organiser’s guidelines), Aerial safaris (in chartered aircraft and an organised excursion), Aerobics, Angling, Archaeological digging, Archery ‡*, Assault Course, Athletics ‡*, Badminton, Bamboo rafting Ω, Banana boating Ω, Bar and restaurant work, Baseball ‡*, Basketball, Beach games, Billiards, Blading (no stunts), Board sailing Ω ‡*, Body boarding Ω, Boogie boarding Ω, Bowling/Bowls, Bungee jumping ‡*, Cable car ride, Camel riding/trekking ‡*, Canoeing/Rafting/White Water Rafting/Kayaking up to grade 3 Ω, Canoeing/Rafting/White Water Rafting/Kayaking grades 4 and 5 Ω‡*, Catamaran/Yachting/Sailing Ω‡*, Clay pigeon shooting/small bore target shooting/rifle range ‡*, Climbing (on climbing wall only), Cricket, Croquet, Cross country running, Curling, Cycling (excluding mountain biking, BMX and touring) ‡*, Dancing (including lesson participation), Darts, Deep sea fishing Ω, Dinghy sailing Ω‡*, Dry slope skiing / boarding, Dragon boat racing Ω‡*, Elephant riding/trekking ‡*, Falconry, Fell running (up to 4,000 metres), Fell walking (up to 4,000 metres), Fencing ‡*, Fishing Ω, Fives, Flag American football, Flying as a passenger in an aircraft (private plane/helicopter/glider), Football, Fruit or vegetable picking (under 3 metres), Frisbee/Ultimate frisbee, Glass bottom boats/bubbles, Gliding as a passenger and with a qualified pilot, Go karting (up to 120cc, wearing a helmet) ‡*, Goalball, Golf, Gorilla trekking (organised tours only), Gym – Fitness, Gymnastics, Handball, Helicopter rides (passenger only), Hiking up to 4,000 metres, Hobie cat sailing Ω‡*, Hockey (field), Horse riding (wearing a helmet and excluding racing, jumping, hunting and less that 7 days) ‡*, Hot air ballooning (passenger only), Hot dogging up to grade 3, Hot springs, Hydro zorbing, Ice skating (rink only), In-line skating (no stunts), Ice surfing ‡*, Ice cricket ‡*, Jet boating (passenger only) Ω‡*, Jogging, Kayaking (incl. White Water) up to grade 3 Ω, Kayaking (incl. White Water) grades 4 and 5 Ω‡*, Korfball, Llama riding ‡*, Land skiing, Mopeds (maximum 125cc, and passed CBT training, wearing a helmet) ‡*, Motorcycling (maximum 125cc, and passed CBT training, wearing a helmet) ‡*, Mule trekking ‡*, Netball, Octopush, Orienteering (up to 4,000 metres above sea level), Ostrich riding ‡*, Parachuting tandem only ‡*, Parascending/Parasailing (towed by a boat over water) Ω, Pedalos Ω, Pilates, Pony trekking (wearing a helmet) ‡*, Pool, Power boating (passenger only) Ω‡*, Racquet ball / Rackets ‡*, Rambling (up to 4,000 metres above sea level), Reverse bungee ‡*, Rifle range ‡*, Ringos Ω, River bugging ‡*, River sledging ‡*, River tubing ‡*, Roller skating/blading/in-line (incidental, wearing pads, helmet and no stunts), Rounders, Rowing Ω, Safari in a vehicle/trekking/tracking (organised tour, no fire arms), Sailing/Yachting European waters only Ω‡*, Sandboarding ‡*, Sand skiing ‡*, Sand surfing ‡*, Sand yachting ‡*, Scuba diving - to a depth of 30 metres (if qualified or accompanied by qualified instructor and not diving alone) Ω, Sea fishing Ω, Sea kayaking (within European waters, no racing) Ω, Shark diving (professionally supervised in a cage) Ω, Skin diving - to a depth of 30 metres (if qualified or accompanied by a qualified instructor and not diving alone) Ω, Skateboarding (waring pads and helmet, no stunts), Skydiving (Tandem only) ‡*, Sledding/Sledging or Sleigh riding (passenger only if pulled by Horse, Dogs or Reindeer), Small bore target shooting ‡*, Snooker, Snorkelling Ω, Soccer, Softball, Speed boating (passenger only) ‡*, Sphereing, Spinning class, Squash ‡*, Surfing Ω‡*, Swimming Ω‡*, Swimming with dolphins Ω‡*, Swimming/Bathing with elephants ‡*, Sydney Harbour Bridge walk (organised and walking across clipped onto a safety line), Table tennis, Tall ship crewing Ω‡*, Team building, Ten pin bowling, Tennis, Touch football, Trampolining, Tree top trekking/canopy walking, Trekking (below 4,000 metres only), Tubing, Tug of war, Volleyball, Wake boarding Ω, Walking (below 4,000 metres only), Water hockey, Water polo, Water skiing (no jumping) Ω, Wicker basket tobogganing, Whale watching Ω, Wheelchair basketball, Windsurfing Ω, Wind tunnel flying (wearing pads and helmet), Yachting/Sailing (European Waters only) Ω, Yoga, Zip-lining/trekking, Zorbing/Hydro zorbing

We are unable to provide cover for anyone participating in any sport or activity under the following circumstances;

• Participating in or training for a competition
• Participating on a professional or semi-professional basis
• Participating in a touring event
• Water based activities must be on in-land waters, or within 12 nautical miles from the coastline (All sailing and yachting activities are covered within European waters only).
• For any sport or activity listed under “Sports and Activities not Covered” in the policy wording.

Cover is subject to you using recommended safety equipment (such as a helmet, harness, knee and/or elbow pads), and you following all the safety procedures, rules and instructions of qualified instructors.  If the sport or activity is provided by a local operator you must ensure they are appropriately qualified and licenced.

Sport and activities marked as follows have additional restrictions:

‡ no cover under the Personal Accident section

* no cover under the Personal Liability section

Ω covered on inland waters or within 12 miles from the coast only

We may be able to offer cover for other sports and activities which are not listed. If you plan to participate in a sport or activity that does not appear in the lists above, you should contact Customer Services. If you do not tell us about your planned sport or activity, we may not pay any claims arising from your participation.