Storm Chase 2012 - Dates And Early Booking Offer

[Lt. Dan]

I got my insurance quotation today with Walk about. He did say that they were reviewing it but I think the difference is if you are going with an organised tour group because that was question that he asked me. It might be that they are worried about go it alone people.

Tom

yea that would make sense - I remember they asked me that as well now, panic over!

[Tim]

I've just emailed gowalkabout travel insurance about storm chasing travel insurance and at the moment they don't know if they are able to continue offering this type of insurance so have not provided me with a quote. Does anyone know of anywhere else where you can get it?

[Dorsetbred]

I've just emailed gowalkabout travel insurance about storm chasing travel insurance and at the moment they don't know if they are able to continue offering this type of insurance so have not provided me with a quote. Does anyone know of anywhere else where you can get it?

Doesn't appear in their Activity Pack lists anymore does it?

Best I can find is a company offering activity insurance for a Tour Led Safari trek :unsure:

And I have scanned MANY activity based insurers and they will not cover storm chasing.

Possibly in light of last years activity in the USA storms, maybe gowalkabout have figured it's now a higher risk than Gorilla Trekking, or Fruit / Vegetable Picking, oh yes and Snooker. Yes ALL are classified as a dangerous activity sports!

I have yet to find anybody prepared to offer specific insurance, so if you did get gowalkabout insurance for this year consider yourself lucky, in the know that a headlong surge into a tornado is covered, whilst everybody else stays at least 5miles away.

Edited March 15, 2012 by Dorsetbred

[DubWeatherAddict]

LAds ... whats this all serious talk about having to get SPECIFIC storm chase insurance?... ANy good personnel insurance will simply do.

ANy of us here in ireland have to go by that as no1 in ireland do anything of the sort . I even contacted the insurance brokers and explained my trip and they simply said any extreme sports / activity insurance will do.

60 euro per trip... done and dusted.

[IanM]

Thanks Dub, you might need to check the fine print to be certain and most underwriters have a mild dizzy spell and hang up when asked about specific storm chasing cover.

Go Walkabout will know how their underwriters will be working next week, it's down to a huge increase in the number of chasers, from individuals driving blindly into the wrong place and the wrong time, to the potential exposure of a tour group of 15 people, all with the same insurer recreating the flying cow scene.

I am speaking with the various insurance companies to make sure we can get cover in place for you if Go Walkabout pull the plug, and will update next week once we know if/how they plan to cover chasers this year.

Ian

[davelp]

Thanks Dub, you might need to check the fine print to be certain and most underwriters have a mild dizzy spell and hang up when asked about specific storm chasing cover.

Go Walkabout will know how their underwriters will be working next week, it's down to a huge increase in the number of chasers, from individuals driving blindly into the wrong place and the wrong time, to the potential exposure of a tour group of 15 people, all with the same insurer recreating the flying cow scene.

I am speaking with the various insurance companies to make sure we can get cover in place for you if Go Walkabout pull the plug, and will update next week once we know if/how they plan to cover chasers this year.

Ian

I think we need to use a phase we coined in my old profession. 'Of course we weren't chasing, we were just following'

[Cookie]

Thanks Dub, you might need to check the fine print to be certain and most underwriters have a mild dizzy spell and hang up when asked about specific storm chasing cover.

Go Walkabout will know how their underwriters will be working next week, it's down to a huge increase in the number of chasers, from individuals driving blindly into the wrong place and the wrong time, to the potential exposure of a tour group of 15 people, all with the same insurer recreating the flying cow scene.

I am speaking with the various insurance companies to make sure we can get cover in place for you if Go Walkabout pull the plug, and will update next week once we know if/how they plan to cover chasers this year.

Ian

if we already got cover by Go Walkabout should we be ok?

[davelp]

if we already got cover by Go Walkabout should we be ok?

Yes because they accepted the risk and entered into a contract with you.

[duckeyh]

Yes because they accepted the risk and entered into a contract with you.

Sadly not a simple as this. It maybe worth checking with them as there may be a clause in the small print which allows them to change the cover especially if they only refer only to Activity 3 cover but they should notify you in writing if they do make any changes,because as Dave says you've entered into a contract....

[davelp]

Sadly not a simple as this. It maybe worth checking with them as there may be a clause in the small print which allows them to change the cover especially if they only refer only to Activity 3 cover but they should notify you in writing if they do make any changes,because as Dave says you've entered into a contract....

I got specific amendment to activity pack 3 in writing to state 'Storm chasing' I would hope they send this out to everyone who has paid up.

[lewisosd]

Yep the writing in your go walkabout policy should state storm chasing

[Dorsetbred]

Busy or not busy year, here's he count so far:

Edited March 19, 2012 by Dorsetbred

[lewisosd]

If you are leaving it late to book flights NOW is the best time. BA have a sale on until 27th March for all flights through May and June. £530 return to Dallas on direct BA flights

[lewisosd]

Just got this email from go walkabout as I was concerned about my insurance

"Thank you for getting in touch. I can confirm that the current review of storm chasing cover has no effect on policies already purchased, cover continues as normal.

Please get back to us if we can be of further assistance."

[Cookie]

nice one

[Tim]

Unfortunately I've just had this email from them:

"I'm afraid we've just heard that we aren't going to be able to offer storm chasing cover for the foreseeable future. We've just placed a message to this effect on our website.

If you are struggling to find cover from another provider I would suggest contacting a local insurance broker, the British Insurance Broker's Association have a find a broker helpline who can offer assistance in this regard:

http://www.biba.org.uk/

Apologies that we are unable to be of assistance in this instance."

Will try that broker helpline and hope something comes up!

Edited March 19, 2012 by Tim

[Tim]

The broker helpline has been no good, they all have that as an exclusion :-S

[icbinb]

I believe Ian is trying to sort something regarding insurance, so no need to worry just yet. No pressure Ian!

[Tim]

I've tried this

http://www.quoterack.co.uk/BasicDetailsForm.aspx

but not heard anything yet. Also have emailed this place http://www.jsinsurance.co.uk/sports_and_activities.php as they seem to have a lot listed but not storm chasing.

[Paul Sherman]

This has left me absolutely bemused as the facts on this are staggering.

No Storm Chaser has ever died as a result of chasing since 1973 (Thats 40 years next year)

I would have thought this is safer than even White Water Rafting as the chances of hitting your head on a rock in that pursuit is far greater than Storm Chasing ??

I can only think the Insurers are basing this turn around on what happened in 2011 in Alabama etc.

Strange Lot

[ItIsGee]

What does anyone advise?

we were due to get our insurance at the end of MArch but seems to be at a loose end now!

Gee

[davelp]

This has left me absolutely bemused as the facts on this are staggering.

No Storm Chaser has ever died as a result of chasing since 1973 (Thats 40 years next year)

I would have thought this is safer than even White Water Rafting as the chances of hitting your head on a rock in that pursuit is far greater than Storm Chasing ??

I can only think the Insurers are basing this turn around on what happened in 2011 in Alabama etc.

Strange Lot

Sadly also watching too much discovery channel. They really do paint a bad image in the pursuit of good tv. Much like Jaws did to the great white. :-(

[davelp]

Insurers are a truly weird bunch. I have been a professional driver for 30 year to a standard higher that the Institute of Advances motorists require. I retired and with in the space of a couple of months my insurance went up by over £100.

When I questioned the rise the reply was 'well sir your retired'. At the comment of not requiring a zimmer frame just yet, I drive fewer miles and at considerably less speed and don't need the car for business! The very helpful young lady told me 'It makes no sense to me, but that what the underwriters tell us'. So on the face of that in two days my IQ dropped by half and I became infirm.

What finished me off was the cost of insurance as a teacher / trainer was even more..... Dangerous people these teachers... Go figure. lol because if you don't you'll cry.

[Dorsetbred]

This has left me absolutely bemused as the facts on this are staggering.

No Storm Chaser has ever died as a result of chasing since 1973 (Thats 40 years next year)

I would have thought this is safer than even White Water Rafting as the chances of hitting your head on a rock in that pursuit is far greater than Storm Chasing ??

I can only think the Insurers are basing this turn around on what happened in 2011 in Alabama etc.

Strange Lot

Well.... I am in the insurance industry(don't shoot the messenger) and insurance rates are set by actuaries, who review the market and history constantly. It's a really complex algorithm that seems to take an age and include copious factors.

They look at the "opportunity of a claim" and of course last year being what it was in the USA has raised concern for those undertaking such a venture.

Unfortunately those who set the rates and define what is, and what is not, are not often in tune with the circumstances, they generalise, because that's what insurance is, a "Risk cover" on how much are you likely to get hurt on a specific task.

So, not understanding what the team does or how it approaches any chase means, "you f....g nutters that go around the country (sometimes at high speed), and travel gozillions of miles, to get hit by debris at least, or tornado at worst" are a high risk.

Even more so than gorilla hunting, or playing snooker.

I know for sure what I'd sooner face.

So as we all know Storm / Tornado chasing can be dangerous, none of us are under illusion about that, neither are the insurance companies.

</Sermon over>

Remember (don't shoot the messenger) I'm not an actuary

Edited March 19, 2012 by Dorsetbred

[davelp]

Well.... I am in the insurance industry(don't shoot the messenger) and insurance rates are set by actuaries, who review the market and history constantly. It's a really complex algorithm that seems to take an age and include copious factors.

They look at the "opportunity of a claim" and of course last year being what it was in the USA has raised concern for those undertaking such a venture.

Unfortunately those who set the rates and define what is, and what is not, are not often in tune with the circumstances, they generalise, because that's what insurance is, a "Risk cover" on how much are you likely to get hurt on a specific task.

So, not understanding what the team does or how it approaches any chase means, "you f....g nutters that go around the country (sometimes at high speed), and travel gozillions of miles, to get hit by debris at least, or tornado at worst" are a high risk.

Even more so than gorilla hunting, or playing snooker.

I know for sure what I'd sooner face.

So as we all know Storm / Tornado chasing can be dangerous, none of us are under illusion about that, neither are the insurance companies.

</Sermon over>

Remember (don't shoot the messenger) I'm not an actuary

I don't know some of the splinters you can get from those snooker cues are really dangerous....