Many standard travel insurance plans don’t cover bungee jumping. Travel Guard, for example, says its standard plans exclude adventure and extreme activities such as skydiving and bungee jumping, and sells an optional Adventure Sports Bundle that removes those exclusions [1]. If your policy doesn’t mention bungee, don’t assume you’re covered. Check the wording, or ask the insurer in writing, before you jump.
This guide explains what to look for in a policy, what the waiver you sign at the jump site does and doesn’t do, and the special case of New Zealand.
Three different things: your insurance, the waiver and the operator’s liability
- Your own travel or health insurance pays your medical bills, evacuation and trip costs, if it covers bungee.
- The waiver or risk disclosure you sign at the site explains the risks and records that you accept them. AJ Hackett’s statement, for example, says that by taking part you are voluntarily assuming the risks, and lists injury, equipment malfunction, weather and emotional reactions among them [2].
- The operator’s own liability insurance protects the business. It isn’t a substitute for your own medical cover.
A waiver isn’t a health plan. If you’re injured, your treatment and getting home may still be your cost unless your own policy covers the activity.
What to check in your travel insurance policy
Search the policy document for these terms:
- “Bungee”, “bungy” or “elastic rope”, and the lists of adventure, hazardous or extreme sports.
- Whether bungee is included, available as an add-on, or never covered on that plan [1][3].
- Conditions: some policies only cover activities run by a licensed commercial operator, or set limits.
- Alcohol and drugs: most policies exclude claims if you were impaired. Operators won’t let you jump if you’ve been drinking anyway.
- Medical and evacuation limits: check they’re high enough for where you’re travelling, especially if the jump is remote or across a border.
- Pre-existing conditions: declare them if the insurer asks. Operators publish their own health lists, such as high blood pressure, heart conditions, epilepsy and previous injuries [2][4], so check those too.
Credit card travel cover often has adventure exclusions and low limits, so read it rather than assuming it covers you.
When to buy
Buy cover, or add the adventure upgrade, before your trip starts and before you book the jump. If you decide to add a jump partway through a long trip, check that the cover starts before your jump date. Keep your policy number and the insurer’s emergency phone number saved offline on your phone, and screenshot your jump booking.
Why claims get turned down
- Bungee was excluded and you didn’t buy the upgrade [1].
- The operator didn’t meet the policy’s conditions.
- You were drunk or impaired.
- You didn’t declare a medical condition the insurer asked about.
Jumping in New Zealand: ACC
New Zealand’s ACC scheme covers everyone injured in an accident in New Zealand, including visitors. It doesn’t matter that you aren’t a resident [5]. But ACC says visitors still need travel insurance, because it doesn’t cover illness, disrupted travel plans, emergency travel home, or treatment once you’re back home [5]. ACC support stops when an injured visitor leaves New Zealand, and the scheme replaces the right to sue for personal injury there [6]. Visitors should check with their travel insurer what else it covers [6].
If you’re planning a New Zealand jump, see bungee jumping in Queenstown.
Insurance doesn’t replace choosing a good operator
Insurance pays for problems after they happen. Choosing a well-run operator makes them less likely. See how to choose a reputable bungee operator and bungee jump safety standards.
FAQ
Does travel insurance cover bungee jumping?
Often not on a standard plan. Travel Guard, for example, excludes bungee on its standard plans but offers an Adventure Sports Bundle that removes the exclusion [1]. Check your policy wording.
Does the waiver mean I can’t claim anything?
A waiver records that you accept the risks of the activity [2]. It doesn’t pay your medical bills, so you still need your own cover.
Am I covered if I’m injured bungee jumping in New Zealand?
ACC covers accident injuries for visitors in New Zealand, but not illness, emergency travel home or treatment after you leave, so you still need travel insurance [5][6].
When should I buy insurance for a bungee jump?
Before your trip starts, and before the jump date if you’re adding cover partway through a trip. Check the start date on the policy.
Sources
- Travel Guard: adventure travel insurance (bungee excluded on standard plans; Adventure Sports Bundle)
- AJ Hackett Bungy NZ: risk disclosure statement
- American Visitor Insurance: adventure sports cover for bungee jumping
- Shearwater Victoria Falls: bridge activities (health conditions list)
- ACC: If you’re a visitor injured in New Zealand
- ACC: Supporting injured international visitors
Image credits
- Photo: Grand Canyon National Park / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)