Swim Instructor Insurance: Cost, Coverage & Providers
Swim instructor insurance is a policy providing liability coverage for someone who directly oversees the teaching and training of swimming. Swim instructor insurance costs as little as $150 per year with a $1 million general liability policy. Some insurers offer unique industry-specific policies that cover both general and professional liability.
The term “sports instructor” covers a range of athletic activities, with some carriers lumping swim instructors into sports instructors, so insurance options vary widely. CoverWallet makes the quote process easy with a couple of quick questions determining eligibility. You can get a free quote online in minutes.
Swim Instructor Insurance Providers
Provider | Best For |
---|---|
Swim instructors looking to compare policies and shop swim insurance costs | |
Small sports instructor businesses with limited smaller third-party locations | |
Instructors with multiple locations requiring certificates of insurance | |
Solo sports instructors working in client or facility-owned locations | |
Sports instructors with high-valued equipment needing coverage from theft or loss |
CoverWallet
CoverWallet is a top national insurance broker that shops your exact coverage needs with dozens of insurance carriers. It allows you to work with licensed agents and compare multiple sports and swim instructor insurance quotes from industry-leading providers that offer both standalone liability policies and comprehensive BOP.
CoverWallet is the right choice for sports and swim instructors who want to find the right mix of coverage for the absolute best price. Shopping for more than one insurance carrier allows CoverWallet to give sports instructors multiple options that protect all types of liability and business property.
Sports Fitness Insurance Corporation
Sports Fitness Insurance Corporation is a specialty insurance company with a streamlined application process and easy-to-understand policy choices, including business equipment. The company specializes in sports and fitness companies exclusively and offers a range of liability policies, including professional liability and limited cybersecurity liability coverage.
Swim instructors with no employees and who teach in small facilities less than 1,000 square feet are ideal customers for Sports and Fitness Insurance Corporation. Instructors can also obtain their certificates of insurance (COI) quickly and place additional insureds on policies for proper coverage.
Sadler Sports & Recreation Insurance
Sadler Sports & Recreation Insurance focuses on sports and fitness instructor programs for sports and swim instructor insurance. With policies starting at $500,000 and going up to $5 million for liability coverage, Sadler Sports and Recreation makes it easy to customize policies. They work with large and small sports instructor businesses.
Sadler Insurance is the right choice for a sport or swim instructor working at multiple, larger locations where each requires a certificate of insurance. These include public pools, fitness facilities, and even private homes and venues.
K&K Insurance
K&K Insurance specializes in commercial insurance for companies considered higher risk than others. As their tagline “We Take Fun Seriously” suggests, the company offers a wide variety of sports and swim instructors’ insurance. K&K Insurance has a streamlined process for swim instructors operating as sole proprietors.
K&K Insurance provides coverage for the specific risks swim instructors face at a reasonable price. In our Post-Covid world, this includes coverage for incidental claims related to virtual training.
The Hartford
The Hartford is one of the largest business insurers in the nation and covers a wide range of industries with a multitude of policies. Policies often include additional coverages for no extra cost compared to other companies, where each coverage has a different premium. The Hartford offers policies to both small and large organizations.
Sports instructors who have business equipment and property should consider The Hartford. The carrier can write standalone business property policies to cover equipment owned by the sports or swim instructor. However, its general liability policies for sports and swim instructors are somewhat limited.
Many professional organizations, such as USA Swimming, offer general and professional liability policies. Check with your organization to find out if they offer policies and whether that may be best for your business.
Swim Instructor Insurance Costs, Coverage, & Deductibles
An individual sports and swim instructor insurance policy can cost as little as $150 annually. There’s typically no additional cost when including professional liability. Sports and swim instructors seeking to protect business property as well may want a business owner’s policy (BOP), which usually starts at $250 annually.
Coverage | Coverage Amount | Premium Cost | Deductible |
---|---|---|---|
General Liability | $1 million | $150 to $350 | $0 |
Professional Liability | $1 million | Included with general liability | $0 |
Business Equipment | $20,000 | $250 | $500 |
Although costs increases are nominal, swim instructor insurance costs will increase as you add coverage. For example, the difference between $1 million in coverage with a $2 million annual aggregate through Sports & Fitness Insurance Corporation is $150. Doubling the limit only adds $15 to the annual premium.
Swim Instructor Insurance Coverage Types
Sport and swim instructor insurance policies commonly include general liability, professional liability, and medical payments. Swim instructor insurance costs change with the level of coverage and type of coverage you choose. Business property coverage can be added to general liability when instructors have a small amount of business-owned equipment. Instructors with more expensive equipment or who own a physical location often need standalone commercial property insurance.
What Swim Instructor Insurance Doesn’t Cover
The various swim instructor insurance policies have many exclusions. Ask your insurance agent and read through the policy to understand what’s covered and what isn’t covered. Most policies don’t cover coaching professional athletes or organized teams, including an organized nonprofit team. Swim instructor policies are only for individual instructors and coaches.
Some typical exclusions for a swim instructor policy are:
- Accusations of criminal behavior
- Instruction 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
Insurance policies don’t cover illegal actions and intentional acts. Swim instructors need to be aware of how language and physical contact can be interpreted or misinterpreted as abuse or molestation. There may be riders a swim instructor can purchase to help defend against false accusations.
Individual swim instructors have a legal duty to properly plan activities to mitigate the risk of injury and property damage. Proactive steps that you can take to avoid gross negligence include providing the proper equipment, disclosing risks and dangers, and the instructor supervising the activity. Instructors aren’t allowed to be grossly negligent.
Bottom Line
Swim instructors wanting to be prepared for potential injuries or accidents when teaching students need to consider purchasing swim instructor insurance. These policies are critical for protecting your business. Even if you’re a private swim instructor at someone’s residence, you should consider purchasing swim instructor insurance. When it comes to running a small business, it’s a sink or swim world. By protecting your business from liability claims, swim instructor insurance helps keep your business afloat.