KIT33R said...

Ozoned said...

NSWKBA used to have a free shirt with the membership but since it went through AKSA from last year it doesn't inlude that now.
Maybe a free shirt might soften the blow for some???

NSWKBA has always been a part of AKSA. The new insurance premiums came into effect before the start of the membership year meaning that AKSA had to cover the shortfall from existing funds.

Due to an unusual number of claims against the public liability insurance in recent years premiums went through the roof. That's why your membership is up.

Keep safety a high priority on the water if you want to keep premiums down.

Paul,

You also have to look on the amount of people that have car insurances, vs people looking for kiting insurance. Premiums are also calculated on demand, and available competition in the marketplace, to provide a competitive price. If there are only a small handful of insurers prepared to underwrite a policy, there isnt much competition, so prices stay higher.

I agree that AKSA, should provide more details on the types of claims, that have been claimed. ss this would provide people with greater understanding, to minimise risk. Insurance is all based on a risk assessment, and at the moment mitigating problems cant occurr without learning from previous mistakes, errors or accidents.

KR

Hey Paul
Ur compulsory 3rd party (paid with your rego) doesnt include fire & theft or property damage. Just personal injury to other parties - your KSA insurance covers this and includes damage to others property.
If you are talking optional 3rd party insurance on your car then this wouldnt include the personal injury liability that your KSA membership offers.
So no real comparison can be drawn bw the 2 as no-one knows what proportion the compulsory 3rd party takes out of your annual rego fee.

In assessing annual premiums insurers also look at existing unresolved claims. If there is a pending liability they will cover for it without regard to the chances of the claim/s being paid in full. Apparently this allocation is a statuatory requirement on insurers so you cant even argue the point that some claims may be frivolous or over-the-top. If there are outstanding claims these probably add to the premium more than actual pay-outs. I know at the time AKSA was advised of the massive increase it was more to do with unresolved lodged claims than the few which had been paid & settled.

i take back everything i have said about the insurance . Just got a quote from WFI for third party cover and personal injury cover for kite surfing and they quoted me $800 per year

Nothing against the $65 for insurance.....

However as someone who does not compete, I'm not
clear where the other $60 go and what I'm getting out of it

And don't tell me about keeping the beaches open now.
This is mostly done by local kiters and the local kite industry (schools,shops).
Some volunteer from KBV attending is welcome, but does
not justify all members paying $60..

What's about the option, buying the insurance for $65 only ?
More people buying it should reduce premiums and help everyone...

Id rather pay the extra knowing im covered by insurance in the event something seriously goes wrong one day and i injure someone else. I dont want to be 60 and still paying of medical bills for someone i injured when i was 20 or 30.

Im also lead to believe AKSA has already looked around for something cheaper and this was the best they could find. Good insure these days is hard to find and insurance companys are covering their asses big time. I work for the Rail industry and the minute u mention rail the insurance premiums triple, and given Kiting is labeled an extreme sport id suspect we get the same sort of treatment.

This also highlights a need to self regulate to protect ourselves and our beach access. With every insurance claimed lodged the AKSA yearly premium will increase which will then be passed onto us, the general kite community. So if u see someone who doesnt know what they are doing, or is doing the wrong thing, give them a hand or politely clue them into the ramifications of their actions.

PS just a thought but dbabicwa if you think $125 is so unreasonable how about u investigate and find something cheaper and let us all know what u find.

Rooboy said...

PS just a thought but dbabicwa if you think $125 is so unreasonable how about u investigate and find something cheaper and let us all know what u find.

Hih, "Single membership for junior members under 18 as of the 1st of Jan on the year of membership." - $95

What the heck?:) Me thinking, 18yo could be on the water more than 42yo :) Should pay more, not less. What's the reasoning in here?

Also "Non kiting member this membership does not include Insurance." - $40???
How much of this goes to the state assoc? Unknown. But will go with this I guess.

I'm not ok with $125 this year, $250 next year and so on...Me not in mining:(


Also, $1200/year PayPal fees for WAKSA? That's insurance for 20 people...Hey, wake up.

that's a pretty steep rise , maybe aksa could of explained the reason for it a little more clearly to us all before doing it.
However when I'm on the water I don't want a potential $100 000 law suit in the back of my mind while I'm zoned out and enjoying my session.( and I won't mention how close I got to that swimmers head when he popped up from underwater last summer, and yeah I was at FULL speed!!!!!!!!!!)
So if I wanna boost off waves at my local beach where the general public think it's exciting to swim amongst the kiters despite hundreds of meters of safe beach to use (basically Scarborough beach stretches from Trigg rocks right down to Cottosloe - that's gotta be over 15k's) , then I'll cut down on my off season beer intake and find a lousy $120 and PAY THE INSURANCE !!!!!!!!!

jas73 said...

Pay the insurance. Dont pay the insurance. Kite. Dont kite. The choice is totally yours. It is what it is and there is noting anyone can do about it except the insurance company them self. By the way have you found anything cheaper yet?

It's not black and white, mate. Yes I did, went o/s.

What it means for the sport is higher fees, less members, less leverage with the Counsels, less open beaches...
Yous still don't get it, do you?

I get it fine mate. Us kiters are a small minority compared to some sports. We practice a pretty dangerous activity at times. You and i might know what we are doing but it only takes one person with little experience who are entitled to the same insurance as us to take out a joe public and it will go up again. If anything we should maybe have to fill out a form of some sort to give our experience and be charged on that basis. Just like getting a rating for driving. But at the end of the day it still is not that expensive when you look at the sport from the outside in.

dbabicwa said...

jas73 said...

Pay the insurance. Dont pay the insurance. Kite. Dont kite. The choice is totally yours. It is what it is and there is noting anyone can do about it except the insurance company them self. By the way have you found anything cheaper yet?

It's not black and white, mate. Yes I did, went o/s.

What it means for the sport is higher fees, less members, less leverage with the Counsels, less open beaches...
Yous still don't get it, do you?

One problem with that Jev is that to run events - even social days there is a requirement that all participants are insured. It would be a logistical nightmare to inspect everyones private insurance arrangements.
Councils also like to know that the insurance coverage is appro for Australian claims and that any litigation is not confined to offshore courts. (many insurers have those clauses)
Only way for the KSA's to be able to guarantee appro cover is to have one policy which can be sited and checked by the councils. They also, almost invariably, ask that they be listed on the policy specifically as parties of limited liability acknowledged by the policy.
Beach access is inevitably going revolve around the need for councils to be assured that ALL kiters on the beach are suitably insured. A single policy Aust. wide will be the only acceptable option to the powers that be.

Good logical thinking Jev but just not possible.

I really cant see why this issue creates such angst. The AKSA is now a confederation of all state KSA's administered by a board of one volunteer rep per state. The states use the AKSA to combine forces on any matter they control which can be best handled by a central body. The only outgoings of your money from AKSA is directly back to the states and to mutually agree agents engaged to undertake tasks which need to be handled efficiently and effectively by professionals who are not distracted by having limited time to act eg - sending out memberhip tags etc.

I was on the inside for a long long time and can assure everyone out there that whilst our state & national KSA's are young and evolving they are 100% member oriented. They are moving in very positive ways, under the control of every voluntary state c'tee and every voluntary state c'tee member, to do whatever is identified to make our sport as enjoyable & as safe & as free & as professionally administered as possible.

My personal opinion is that supporting your state KSA (and protecting yourself) should be a top priortiy of EVERY kiter. After all you are talking about one annual fee that is less than the cost one night out on the slops - way less than for most of us .
Its a no-brainer.

taaa - done

Would be a good idea for renewing members to get a reduced rate that way you would be more inclined to keep people signed up and steady members?

spreader said...

All of these comments and not 1 from waveslave
come back and play pete, same old boring blah blah
we need some wise words of wisdom

When your wonderful death-leash fails miserably ...
Club insurance is the great back-up plan.
It can save your arse, it can preserve your precious personal assets.
To hell with the victims.
lol.

I still think it's cheap it's not even the cost of a good night out
I think Aksa should have a 3 month membership for newbs doing lessons the schools could sign them up and collect $ it would help raise revenue and that may help keep membership low