The Peculiar Insurance and Safety Needs for PWC and Watersport Boat Owners
Published: Thursday, August 2, 2018
By: Scott Croft, Vice President BoatUS Public Affairs
If you want pure, clean fun on the water, personal watercraft (PWCs) have long been recreational boaters’ water toy of choice, with wake-and-ski boats likely running a close second. Modern PWCs give families the ability to carry a driver and spotter in comfort while towing a third person aboard a tube, and today’s watersports boats can now shape the wake you’ll ride to just your liking. Both types of watercraft also have their own peculiar boating safety and boat insurance needs.
Credit: Kawasaki
For starters, 46 states require some or all PWC operators to have a boating safety certificate, and many specify the minimum age to operate is 16. To get a certificate, a boater must take either a classroom or online boating safety course approved by the state. If you want to save a few bucks, the BoatU.S. Foundation offers a free online boating safety certificate course approved for 36 states at BoatUS.org/Courses. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and U.S. Power Squadrons are also good bets for classroom courses, as are local boat clubs or law enforcement.
When it comes to insurance for PWCs, it’s common to find both agreed hull value policies and actual cash value policies. They are both simple to understand: Agreed hull value coverage means you and your boat insurer agree to the value paid on the vessel if there’s a total loss. Actual cash value policies cost less, but they take into account the current market value on a total loss. Keep in mind that most vessels depreciate in value over time.
If you store your PWC at a marina or boat club, you may need dock-contract liability coverage as well. Marina-slip or storage-yard contracts almost always require that your boat be covered by a marine-insurance liability policy with a certain minimum limit. Many marinas also require that your vessel also be covered by hull insurance.
To boaters who want to bring more than three aboard at a time for on-the-water fun, a ski- or wakeboat may better fit the bill. If you are old enough to remember the towboats from the waterski trick haven of Cypress Gardens, Florida, today’s watersport boats may be unrecognizable to you. With ability to control the size and shape of a wake as you lounge comfortably with eight or more of your best friends, they are like comparing a Tesla to the Model T.
Keep in mind that carrying more people means a potential greater risk for injury. You may want to consider managing this risk by increasing the medical payments coverage on the boat policy. Also of great importance to wake- and ski-boats are their prized water toys, such as expensive wakeboards, skis, scuba, or inflatable towables. Look for a policy that includes coverages for these unique items.
Credit: Sea Ray
For $30 added to any BoatUS Marine Insurance Program policy, a “Watersports” coverage package adds up to $5,000 in actual cash value coverage for your waterskis, inflatables, wakeboards, and scuba or snorkel gear; increased medical payments coverage to $5,000 per person; automatic tournament coverage; and entry-fee reimbursement for competitive wakeboarders or waterskiers should an insurance claim cause them to miss an event.
Find out more at www.boatus.com/insurance.
tags: Education, Insurance, Personal Watercraft, Towables, Water Toys
