Are you covered for dangerous holiday pursuits?

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Half of British holidaymakers are impulsive bungee jumpers and scuba divers, among other 'dangerous' pursuits, while they're abroad, new research shows.

The top ten popular escapades include parasailing, rock-climbing, white-water rafting and bungee jumping, according to research by price comparison website moneysupermarket.com.

But if you break a leg or worse, need hospital treatment and perhaps and air ambulance back to the UK, will your holiday insurance cover the cost? Or might you end up saddled with thousands of pounds of debt?

Holiday fashions are changing and while Brits may think having a go at a daredevil pursuit abroad is covered by their travel insurance, moneysupermarket.com suggests they think again as most standard policies are unlikely to cover you.

Richard Mason, director of insurance at www.moneysupermarket.com, said: "Our research shows Brits don't think twice before deciding to take part in impulsive activities while abroad. But many insurers such as Marks & Spencer and Norwich Union Direct classify these as dangerous sports and will not cover you in their standard policies if anything goes wrong."

Policies can vary significantly with exclusions and caveats commonplace. Read the small print to give you peace of mind and make sure you are covered for any eventuality.

You need to think about the specific activities you want insurance for, as well as the level of cover you need, before shopping around for the best value policy.

If you're just going to soak up the rays on a beach and the thought of climbing a rock face or bungee jumping fills you with dread, then a standard policy will be right for you.

However, if you're planning to do anything a little more adventurous, you should make sure you are covered and aware of any exclusions in your policy. For example, scuba divers should be aware they are usually not covered below 30 metres.

Here are the top-ten most common impulse holiday pursuits:

• Loan finder
• Compare loans
• Loans guide
• Refused credit
• Best buy loans
• Online credit check
• 0% interest credit cards