Holiday caving insurance.

[amw]

An interesting point well to me, I am sure most already knew this? I travel outside the UK on a regular basis mostly France as that is where some of my family live (they being French understandable ). I normally go for several weeks (three plus sometimes). This is a split of “touristing”, visiting family and caving/cave diving. The caving bits are normally a week’s meet up with friends. I have taken out rescue insurance from one of the available providers for the caving bit of the trip. On reading the small print (I know I should have done that years ago) it seems the dates you need to select for cover are not the caving bit, but all of it! So, if you go for three weeks but just one caving you still need to cover three weeks even though you will not be going near a cave for two of the weeks. Basically, UK to UK trip dates. I did contact two providers and they both conformed this I assume some form of legislation? You could stretch the truth on dates, although insurance companies like to find a reason for not paying.

 

[Leclused]

Would it not be better to just join a local club and take the insurance via that club? I presume the insurance will be handled by the FFS then.

I don't know what you pay for that insurance but in Belgium it will cost you around 100€ to join a club and get insurance via the VVS (similar to the FFS)

 

[ChrisB]

I don't think it's legislation, but it a is standard travel insurance requirement. The BCA caving holiday cover has the same requirement, see https://www.bcacavingcover.co.uk/faqs

You might be able to separate the holiday insurance from the caving insurance by taking out caving cover in France. One way might be to join FFS, annual membership is €112 (makes BCA look live very good value!), 30 day membership for foreigners is €53.

 

[darren]

I don't think it's legislation, but it a is standard travel insurance requirement. The BCA caving holiday cover has the same requirement, see https://www.bcacavingcover.co.uk/faqs

You might be able to separate the holiday insurance from the caving insurance by taking out caving cover in France. One way might be to join FFS, annual membership is €112 (makes BCA look live very good value!), 30 day membership for foreigners is €53.

ChrisB you are implying the BCA caving insurance and FFS provide the same level of cover. The BCA caving cover will repatriate you after a caving incident. Will the FFS insurance do this to a UK address? (I've been trying to find this out for years) Standard travel insurance will not repatriate you after a caving incident, even if you get out of the cave.

 

[ChrisB]

ChrisB you are implying the BCA caving insurance and FFS provide the same level of cover. The BCA caving cover will repatriate you after a caving incident. Will the FFS insurance do this to a UK address? (I've been trying to find this out for years) Standard travel insurance will not repatriate you after a caving incident, even if you get out of the cave.

No, sorry, I didn't intend to imply anything about the level of cover, apologies if you thought I was comparing FFS with the BCA travel insurance. I meant to compare FFS membership at €112 with BCA membership at £32 although, as is clear from the FFS page I linked, FFS standard membership does include personal accident while BCA's is just public liability.

You raise a good point about repatriation. I wouldn't expect FFS insurance to include repatriation, and ordinary holiday insurance wouldn't cover you for repatriation after a caving accident. I was thinking mainly of public liability which, as in the UK, is something that you can't really cover without insurance. Cave rescue is, I believe, by volunteers as in UK, and medical treatment should be covered by reciprocal schemes. I think, if you want cover for repatriation, you would have no option but to buy UK caving holiday insurance for the whole trip.

 

[Benfool]

I think FFS membership does include repatriation:

Options d'assurance - FFS

Découvrez le Options d'assurance de la Fédération Française de Ski sur notre site.

ffs.fr

FFS membership can be included in SUI membership, so I can only assume it can repatriate to somewhere outside of France.

It would be great if the BCA could look into this as if the cover is sufficient it might make a great option for caving expeditions.

B

 

[ChrisB]

I think FFS membership does include repatriation:

Your link is to the Fédération Française de Ski, not Spéléologie.

I haven't been able to find any details of what the FFS caving insurance includes. SUI membership includes an option for FFS membership but following the links through to their insurer, the details of what the insurance covers are only visible to paid up FFS members (which is not a very smart way to advertise!)

 

[Benfool]

haha, serves me right for trusting claude without checking!

 

[darren]

I think FFS membership does include repatriation:

Options d'assurance - FFS

Découvrez le Options d'assurance de la Fédération Française de Ski sur notre site.

ffs.fr

FFS membership can be included in SUI membership, so I can only assume it can repatriate to somewhere outside of France.

It would be great if the BCA could look into this as if the cover is sufficient it might make a great option for caving expeditions.

B

It would be nice to know how much the SUI membership that covers repatriation costs.

Couldn't find out in link.

 

[Leclused]

Site FFS (speleo)

Féderation francais speleo

 

[ChrisB]

It would be nice to know how much the SUI membership that covers repatriation costs.

Standard SUI membership is €33.50, SUI membership with FFS membership is €122.00, so the addition of FFS costs €88.50, see https://www.caving.ie/membership/ The SUI website says the FFS membership includes "limited (Option 1) personal accident insurance" - but I have no idea what's included in that, or whether it includes repatriation to France Ireland or anywhere else. Following the links, you need to log in with current FFS membership to see what's included. But I'm sure SUI would tell you if if you ask them.

 

[ChrisB]

I've just remember that BCA Public Liability insurance is Worldwide so if you're a BCA member there's no need to pay extra for that when going abroad, although it would probably be included with personal accident if you bought that.

 

[darren]

Just gone to SportsCover Directinsurance and it appears they do bolt on insurance for sporting activities on specific days (option 3) is this what you wanted?

 

[amw]

I have looked, cave diving seems not to be covered?

 

[Cantclimbtom]

I have looked, cave diving seems not to be covered?

But won't DAN Silver insurance cover that?

 

[badger]

BCA cover does cover public liability worldwide. However does not as far as I know cover medical or repatriation, as far as I am aware BCA and Snowcard only cover those that live in the UK. I would look very carefully at the small print re medical or repatriation from any cover taken out in another country if you dont reside there.
Cave diving I would read small print carefully.
Most travel insurance unless specialist like snowcard or BCA will not cover caving.