Swim instructor insurance is a policy providing liability coverage for someone who directly oversees training. When trying to find insurance, know that the providers of this insurance sometimes lump swim instructors into “sports instructors,” which cover a range of athletic activities. Thus, insurance options vary widely.
Ideally, a policy that combines professional liability and general liability is the best type of swim instructor insurance. Fortunately, some insurers offer a policy that carries both general and professional liability insurance. A standalone general liability policy is fairly affordable, ranging from $170 to $400 per year.
Thimble is one provider that offers a dedicated policy for swim instructors. Whether you’re a private instructor or an independent contractor working for a larger aquatic facility, you can receive a free quote in 60 seconds and purchase same-day, customized coverage.
Best Swim Instructor Insurance Providers
- Thimble: Best overall provider
- Tivly: Best for finding the right insurance for swim instructors
- Sadler Sports & Recreation Insurance: Best for clinic instructors
- K&K Insurance: Best for private instructors
- CPH Insurance: Best for part-time instructors
Thimble: Overall Best Provider for Swim Instructors
Pros
- Scalable insurance for growing businesses
- Get a quote and purchase a policy online or through the app
- Adjustable limits during the quote
Cons
- Does not have its own claim adjusters
- No 24/7 call center for claims or customer service
- Speaking directly with someone at Thimble can be a challenge
Standout Features
- Designs its policies for independent contractors, but coverage is available for more traditional swim instructors, too
- Lets you add equipment coverage to the swim instructor liability policy with minimal increase in price.
- Has an app for iOS and Android, which you can use to manage your policy, handle claims, and contact the company; if you need to adjust coverages, you can do it through the app, too
Financial stability: Thimble is an online brokerage that works with multiple carriers. This specific policy was underwritten by National Specialty Insurance, which has a rating of A (Excellent) from AM Best, a credit rating agency.
Tivly: Best for Finding the Right Insurance for Swim Instructors
Pros
- Has no state limitations on coverag
- General liability and professional liability are available
- You can initiate a quote online quickly
Cons
- You can only start a quote process online
- As a marketplace, Tivly doesn’t handle claims
- Account maintenance and services depend on the provider
Standout Features
- Works with over 200 different providers, MGAs, and agencies, making it a great option for swim instructors looking to find insurance
- Lets you start a quote online or call and speak with a representative who will work with you to help find the right insurance company
- Enables you to purchase any of the types of insurance your business may need with Tivly’s assistance, whether property for a large indoor pool or professional liability
Financial stability: Tivly works with top-rated carriers. One carrier is Liberty Mutual. Liberty Mutual’s AM Best rating is A (Excellent).
Sadler Sports: Best for Clinic Instructors
Pros
- You can initiate a quote online
- Prices are clearly published online
- Live online chat to speak with an agent for help
Cons
- Only available during weekdays
- There is no 24/7 claims service
- You cannot purchase insurance online
Standout Features
- Focuses on helping sports organizations or individuals like coaches and instructors find insurance
- Lets swim clubs or private instructors purchase insurance through Sadler, which has created policies for those specific types of risk
- Has tiered levels of coverage for swim clubs, giving you some control over purchasing the right level of coverage for your business
Financial stability: As an agency, Sadler can work with multiple providers to find coverage. Some of the companies it partners with include Travelers, rated A++ (Superior) by AM Best and Chubb, rated A++ (Superior) by AM Best.
K&K Insurance: Best for Private Instructors
Pros
- Get a quote online
- Professional liability included with general liability
- Online account to manage your policy
Cons
- K&K does not directly handle any claims
- No 24/7 customer service center
- You cannot apply over the phone
Standout Features
- Focuses on sports and competitive event space; has created an insurance program specifically designed for swim instructors who instruct at private residences
- Has an in-house risk services department to help review your business practices and eliminate areas where you may be at risk for a loss
- Has a great online account system that lets you manage your policy and file and track a claim; if you need a COI to show to a potential customer, you can generate one through the online portal
Financial stability: In 1993, Aon purchased K&K Insurance. Aon has a rating of A (Excellent) from AM Best.
CPH: Best for Part-time Instructors
Pros
- Licensed in all 50 states
- Online policy system to manage claims, policy, and proof of insurance
- Mobile coverage that is not limited to a specific location.
Cons
- Only open on weekdays for customer service
- Closes earlier on Friday, so it is unavailable for weekends and Friday afternoon
- As an agent, it does not handle claims
Standout Features
- Works to provide swim insurance and has separate policies for full- and part-time instructors; if you work part-time, such as 24 hours a week or less, CPH has a very affordable policy
- Lets you get a quote quickly online that comes with a variety of levels of coverage, including charges of sexual misconduct.
- Its coverage was among the most affordable options from the quotes I obtained; $110 for short-term and $140 for a full-time annual policy
Financial stability: CPH works with Philadelphia Insurance Companies, which is rated A++ (Superior) by AM Best.
Swim Instructor Insurance Costs
Type of Swim Insurance | Limit | Estimated Annual Cost | Deductible |
|---|---|---|---|
General Liability | $1 million | $170-$400 | $0 |
Professional Liability | $1 million | Included with general liability | $0-$500 |
Inland Marine | $25,000 | $250-$350 | $500-$1,000 |
Like any type of coverage, when calculating a premium, insurers will take several common data points into consideration. The reason they do so is in these areas, historically, the insurance companies have enough points of data that they can accurately assess their risk in insuring your business. There are five common points they will collect about your business.
- Location: Local laws influence litigation, and the location of your business will impact the rates.
- Revenue: The estimated or actual revenue your business receives indicates the size of your clientele.
- Claims history: Whether your business has filed a claim in the past three to five years or not will not only influence the premium but possibly make it harder to find coverage.
- Venue: Do you teach at a public pool or a private pool that employs you as a contractor? The locale where you teach will have an impact on which policy carries the primary liability in a loss.
- Employees: If your business is a swimming school with multiple employees, this will likely increase the cost of liability insurance for your business.
There are actions you can take to help manage the premium. For example, increasing your limits will result in your premium rising. However, the increased costs may be minimal. For example, through CPH, a provider listed above, coverage with a $3 million aggregate professional liability policy is $110. Increasing the aggregate limit to $6 million only adds $14 to the annual premium. Costs change with the level of coverage and type of coverage you choose.
Types of Swim Instructor Insurance Coverage
Sport and swim instructor insurance policies commonly include general liability and professional liability. Inland marine coverage can be added to general liability when instructors have a small amount of business-owned equipment like kickboards. Instructors with more expensive equipment or who own a physical location often need standalone commercial property insurance.
General liability insurance for swim instructors covers bodily injuries. For example, a parent coming to practice slips on water that has splashed out of the pool and is injured. This will be a bodily injury claim under a general liability insurance policy for their medical bills or your legal bills if they sue.
General liability also covers third-party property damage. For instance, while coaching someone, a pool noodle you’re carrying knocks their smartwatch off the bench and into the pool. This is an example of a third-party property damage claim that your general liability policy could handle.
This is the most important type of coverage for instructors, covering allegations that your professional services fell short. Many providers will include professional liability with general liability for service-based industries, like swim instructors. There’s some overlap between the two coverages. Professional liability is sometimes called errors and omissions because it provides coverage for a mistake made in advice or in fulfilling a service-based obligation.
For example, when it comes to overlap while practicing with a kickboard, a student loses their grip and the kickboard shoots out of their hand and damages the pool filter. The damage may be attributed to an accident (general liability) or incorrect instruction on how to handle a kickboard (professional liability).
On the other hand, if you guarantee students will be able to swim by the end of 10 weeks, but at the end of 10 weeks, they can’t, then a case could be made if you failed to fulfill your contractual obligation. If this leads to expensive consequences, you could file a claim for your professional liability.
Inland marine insurance is first-party coverage for your equipment and business property and pays to repair or replace the damaged property. Most swim instructors use equipment in their daily operations, such as computers, video equipment to review lessons, and instruction aids.
This insurance helps if your property is damaged or lost because of theft, vandalism, or fire among others. It is especially useful because inland marine insurance covers the equipment wherever you use it. So, if you store it at one location and take it to work or even different private pools, the coverage travels with the equipment.
Plus, look at the name: Swim instructors should have insurance called inland marine insurance. Right?
Since many swim instructors run their businesses from home, check if your business property can be added as a homeowner’s insurance endorsement or if you need a BOP.
This insurance is necessary not only for a swim instructor but also for a swim school. If you own a swim school with a permanent indoor or outdoor pool, then you will need commercial property insurance for the building, pool, and property where the school meets. This is a first-party coverage that will usually be designed to cover the property on a named peril basis. This could be a fire or someone breaking in and vandalizing the property.
Swim Instructor Insurance: What Others Say
A lot of people involved in swimming instruction wonder if they need insurance and are also curious about how much swim instructor insurance costs. When reviewing comments on Reddit by swim instructors, I noticed this is the most common trend.
The most popular providers, based on Redditors, that people are turning to are Thimble, CPH, and K&K. The prices that instructors are paying for insurance match the costs I was able to average based on published data along with mock quotes I obtained for this article.
Fortunately, within the industry, there is general agreement that you really need to purchase insurance.
What Swim Instructor Insurance Doesn’t Cover
Insurance policies don’t cover every situation and type of loss. Insurance policies have a section where named exclusions from coverage are listed—so ask your insurance agent and read through the policy to fully understand what’s covered. Most swim instructor policies are only for individual instructors and coaches, and typical exclusions for a swim instructor policy include the following:
- Accusations of criminal behavior
- Instructions in open water, such as lakes, rivers, and oceans
- Physical therapy sessions
- Amusement devices, such as bungees, climbing walls, and dunk tanks
- Professional athletes and organized team sports
- Intentional criminal acts
- Abuse and molestation
Some exclusions can be “bought back” to use insurance lingo through riders you can purchase to help defend against false accusations of abuse and molestation. Speak with your agent or provider to ask about your options.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
While liability is not required by law, it is a good idea to have it. In many cases, if you are working as a contractor, the employee may require it to work in their facility, or an organization may require insurance for you to be certified to work under their umbrella.
The minimum insurance a swim instructor should consider is a liability policy with $1 million. A higher policy, of $2 to $3 million, is a safer amount to have insured. The difference in cost between $1 and $3 million will usually be fairly minimal.
You need swim instructor insurance to protect yourself, help others, and promote your business. All it takes is one person slipping on deck and being injured to ruin your business and maybe your personal finances. However, in that scenario, not only would swim instructor insurance protect and help you, but it would also make you more marketable to potential clients and vendors.
Bottom Line
Running a small business is a sink-or-swim world. Swim instructor insurance helps you keep your business afloat by protecting it from liability claims. Thimble can help your business by offering quotes quickly and providing a convenient mobile experience that lets you create a COI.
