PWC Insurance Articles

Personal Watercraft Insurance is an interesting topic that many people don’t understand. A personal watercraft is a boat, but with some subtle differences. Insurances account for these differences and make appropriate adjustments to the insurance policy. Personal watercraft insurance helps insure you and your personal watercraft against accidents, vandalism, and liability.

There are many questions about having personal watercraft insurance. One of these is the necessity for year round insurance. Why insure the watercraft if it in storage? It may seem that, since you’re not using your watercraft in the winter, you don’t need personal watercraft insurance. This is a risky way of looking at insurance, and one that has cost far too many people far too much money. Just because you’re not on the water doesn’t mean that your personal watercraft can’t be damaged. Things can happen in storage that can end up costing a lot of money to repair. If you don’t have insurance in the winter when the watercraft is in storage, you will not have any assistance in paying for the repairs. That’s why it’s so important to keep active insurance coverage on your personal watercraft year round.

Another interesting question is the coverage of a passenger. A good insurance will insure a passenger. They will be covered under your policy’s liability coverage (if you are found legally liable for their injuries) and medical payments coverage. This should give you peace of mind when you are whipping them around while you are doing donuts.

Do you really need watercraft insurance when you have a homeowner’s policy? It’s a common myth that your personal watercraft is adequately covered under your homeowner’s or renter’s policy. In most cases, you need additional coverage. For real peace of mind as you ride the waves, you need a policy that offers important coverage specifically designed for personal watercraft.

So before you go out and tear up the lake or surf with your personal watercraft, make sure you have sufficient insurance just in case.

Have fun!

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What does a personal watercraft (PWC) insurance policy actually cover? This is a good question. Insurance is sometimes a vague and confusing world. Deductibles, co pays and other issues make insuring anything confusing. Hopefully, we can clear up what a common personal watercraft insurance policy will cover.

A personal watercraft (PWC) policy typically insures you against many common liability losses regardless of whether you operate it yourself or loan it to another person. In situations like these, you may be covered for things like damage to another craft or dock; bodily injury or death to another person due to your negligence; the negligence of another driver while using your watercraft, towed water skiers; wake boarders or knee boarders who are injured while attached to your watercraft; physical damage to the machinery, hull and equipment; an injury to you caused by an uninsured watercraft driver; and even towing assistance if you break down on the water.

Some things are NOT covered. These are important and you should ensure that you understand that these exclusions can cause you all kinds of headaches if accidents or theft occur. Exclusions to most insurance policies include a watercraft that has been customized to increase speed or performance, operation of a watercraft after dark, and operating a watercraft without a valid driver’s license.

Because insurance needs differ depending on the type of watercraft you own, read the details in your policy to see what is covered and what is specifically excluded. This is something most people don’t do and some will pay for this down the road. Don’t let it happen to you.

While the official definition of a personal watercraft (PWC) varies from state to state, there are two common types: a stand–up and a sit-down. The stand-up type allows for one rider that either stands or kneels on the watercraft, as opposed to sits. Typical brands of stand-up watercrafts include Kawasaki and Yamaha. The sit-down types, which allow the rider to sit or stand, can usually carry 2–4 people and often have the ability to tow skiers and wake boarders. Sea-Doo and WaveRunner are two common brands of sit–down watercraft.

The bottom line is to remember to understand your personal watercraft (PWC) policy. If you have any questions or concerns, contact your insurance agent and get clarification. It could save you money in the long run.

Have fun!