Key takeaways 

Popular water sports on holiday

Here are some of the most popular holiday water sports and adventure water sports for Aussie travellers: 

• Scuba diving: an open water course or a guided dive with a licensed instructor opens up reefs, wrecks and marine life. Read our guide to scuba diving holidays, and find out how travel insurance for scuba diving works.

• Jet skiing: jet ski tours and hire are common at beach resorts, usually with a licensed operator.

• Sailing: from a day on a catamaran to sailing holidays on a chartered yacht. Find out how travel insurance for sailing works.

• Surfing: many beach destinations have surf schools where you can learn to surf on gentle beginner breaks, while experienced surfers head to reef breaks. Surfing holidays are popular in Bali, Sri Lanka and along Australia's east coast. Find out how travel insurance for surfing works.

• White water rafting: rafting trips are rated by the grade of rapids, from gentle family floats to fast, technical rapids for experienced rafters.

• Stand up paddle boarding: a relaxed way to explore calm bays, rivers and lagoons, and easy to try with a lesson or a hired board.

• Snorkelling: one of the easiest outdoor water activities, with many reefs reached straight from the beach or on a short boat trip. Snorkelling holidays to the Great Barrier Reef, Fiji and the Philippines are popular with families.

• Kayaking: river and lake kayak tours are a popular way to explore gorges, rainforest and calm waterways.

• Water skiing and wakeboarding: usually done behind a boat with a licensed operator, on lakes, rivers or calm bays. 

Where to try water sports 

Here are some places for water sports on holiday: 

• Bali: water sports in Bali range from beginner surf lessons around Canggu to experienced reef breaks near Uluwatu, plus snorkelling, diving and jet skiing. See our Bali travel guide. 

• Gold Coast: surf beaches, jet ski tours and stand up paddle boarding on calm waterways. See our Gold Coast travel guide.

• Cairns and Far North Queensland: snorkelling and diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and white water rafting on rivers in the rainforest. See our Australia travel guide.

• The Philippines: island hopping with snorkelling and diving among coral reefs. See our Philippines travel guide.

• Sri Lanka: surf breaks on the south and east coasts, and snorkelling in calm bays. See our Sri Lanka travel guide. 

• Goa: beach water sports such as jet skiing on the coast.

• Hawaii: surfing, stand up paddle boarding and snorkelling with turtles.

• Thailand: snorkelling and diving around the islands, and jet ski tours at beach resorts. See our Thailand travel guide.

• Fiji: snorkelling and reef diving close to resorts, plus surfing for experienced surfers. See our Fiji travel guide.

• New Zealand: white water rafting, jet boating and river kayaking through spectacular scenery. See our New Zealand travel guide. 

Rules, licences and conditions differ between destinations, so it's worth checking local requirements and Smartraveller advice before you go. 

Choosing a water sports operator 

A licensed, well-reviewed operator makes water sports safer and more enjoyable. When comparing operators, consider:

• Licensing and reviews: check that the operator is properly licensed and look at recent reviews. Travel insurance often has conditions too, such as doing the activity with a licensed operator. With Fast Cover, jet boating, jet skiing, water skiing, speedboating, wakeboarding and tubing are only covered with a licensed operator.*

• Safety briefing and gear: a good operator explains the safety rules and provides well-maintained life jackets, helmets and equipment that fit.

• Experience level: choose a trip or lesson that suits your experience, and ask about the conditions on the day.

• Group size and guides: smaller groups with experienced guides are easier for beginners.

• What's included: look for transfers, equipment hire and what happens if bad weather cancels your trip.

Water safety tips 

Here are some beach safety tips and water safety tips for any water activity:

• Swim and surf between the red and yellow flags at patrolled beaches.

• Learn to spot rip currents and how to escape one.

• Wear a life jacket for boating, kayaking, rafting and jet skiing.

• Check the weather, tides and water conditions before you head out.

• Hold the right licences for what you're doing, and only do an activity without a licensed guide or instructor if you're trained and experienced for it.

• Avoid stunts and dangerous manoeuvres. Travel insurance can exclude them too: with Fast Cover, water skiing, jet skiing, speedboating, wakeboarding and tubing must be with a licensed operator, with no competition or racing, and no stunts or jumping off ramps.*

• Protect yourself from the sun with sunscreen, a hat and a rash vest.

• Stay hydrated, and take breaks between sessions.

With Fast Cover, it is a condition of cover for all activities that you act in a reasonable way to protect yourself. The best way that you can do this is to enjoy your activities with a properly licensed outdoor pursuits or sports organisation and to follow their instructions.* 

Travel insurance for water sports 

Water sports aren't always automatically covered by travel insurance, and cover can differ from one activity to the next. With Fast Cover:

These water sports are included in our Covered Sports and Leisure Activities:*

• surface water activities (other than sailing) up to 2 nautical miles off any land mass. In the PDS, surface water activities are body boarding, body surfing, paddle boarding, surfing, skim boarding and windsurfing.*

• snorkelling

• rafting, kayaking or canoeing on rivers or rapids graded I to III, or on lakes or canals

• jet boating, with a licensed operator, no competition or racing, and no stunts or jumping off ramps

• scuba diving to no more than 10 metres, with an open water diving licence recognised in Australia or an instructor licensed for the activity

• sailing up to 10 nautical miles off any land mass.

See our Covered Sports and Leisure Activities.

These water sports need the Adventure Pack:*

• jet skiing, water skiing, speedboating, wakeboarding and tubing, with a licensed operator, no competition or racing, and no stunts or jumping off ramps

• rafting or kayaking on rivers or rapids graded IV or V, with no competition or racing

• scuba diving from 10 to no more than 30 metres, with the same licence or instructor condition

• sailing from 10 to 15 nautical miles off any land mass, with no competition or racing.

See our Adventure Pack. 

The Adventure Pack is available to Aussie travellers aged 74 and under at the date of policy issue, and isn't available with the Basics policy.* If you're injured while doing water sports overseas, Fast Cover's international policies may be able to help with overseas emergency medical and hospital expenses, in circumstances covered under your policy.* 

Expert tip

"Adventure activity operators often ask you to sign a waiver on the day, and some offer their own cover for an extra fee, with terms you may only have a few minutes to read. Before you travel, check whether your adventure activity is covered. Some activities are included in our standard policies, and others can be covered by adding our Adventure Pack to an eligible Fast Cover policy. Limits, conditions, exclusions apply. For example, you may need to use a licensed operator and follow their instructions. Overseas medical costs can be very expensive, so it’s worth checking before you go." — Dean Van Es, Fast Cover's CEO 

General advice only, and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Eligibility criteria, policy terms, conditions, exclusions and limits apply. Consider the PDS prior to making a decision.