Extreme sports do not automatically rule out life insurance, in Aviva's words, and in many cases cover is still offered: a hobby such as scuba diving, climbing, motor racing or skydiving is something the insurer asks about, and your answers can lead to ordinary terms, a higher premium or an exclusion for that activity. Which of these applies turns on the insurer, the activity and how seriously you take part, and each insurer sets its own terms.
Our short form is free: fill it in if you would like your own hobby looked at, and an FCA-authorised broker rings to discuss it.
What do insurers ask about hobbies when you apply?
Legal & General's application form (W11904, February 2026) is the version advisers use, and it says it "does not always match the questions in our interactive application". Its hazardous activities question asks: "Not including your occupation, do you regularly take part in any of the activities listed opposite or do you intend to do so within the next six months?" The tick-list includes caving, paragliding, motor car sport driving, mountaineering or rock climbing, powerboat racing, motorcycle sport riding, parachuting, sky diving or BASE jumping, underwater diving, and flying in any role except as a passenger who pays a fare. Each activity ticked has a questionnaire of its own. Its consumer page on extreme sports, dated 11 November 2025, says it decides "on a case-by-case basis", weighing where the activity takes place, whether it is done alone, how often, and membership of "a recognised professional body".
Lists differ by insurer. Its page on high-risk life insurance (6 May 2026) names skydiving or parachuting, scuba diving, mountaineering, extreme sports and motorbike riding as hobbies that might make you high risk, and calls its list "just an example". Royal London's Measuring Risk guide (June 2026), which is for financial adviser use only, wants to know how often and how many times a year the person takes part, where (and in which countries, if abroad), and any qualifications or club membership.
What do the diving, climbing and motor sport questionnaires ask?
Royal London's adviser library lists separate questionnaires for motorsports, mountaineering and rock climbing, sports diving and parachuting, which the client completes and signs; the diving, climbing and motor sport forms carry no print date. Legal & General's questions sit inside its application form. Examples of what they ask:
| Activity | Questions on the forms |
|---|---|
| Any activity | Legal & General: whether you take part "as a professional", club or professional body membership, where it is done, whether you ever do it alone, and times and hours a year. |
| Diving | Royal London: "the average depth you dive to", "the maximum depth you have dived to", whether you have been below 50 metres, solo diving, mixed gas, wreck penetration and cave diving. Legal & General: the maximum depth in metres. |
| Climbing | Royal London: years climbing, club membership, areas, "the maximum technical grade (4a, 4b...7b, 7c)", maximum height, solo or rope-free climbing and overseas expeditions. Legal & General: maximum height and a "severity level". |
| Motor sport | Royal London: licence type, vehicle, engine capacity, races in the last 12 months, the Isle of Man TT and testing. Legal & General: the type of motor sport and maximum engine size in cc. |
| Skydiving | Legal & General: whether you take part in free-fall parachuting, competitions, sky diving or sky surfing. |
Private flying has its own questions, in life insurance for pilots; if your job is the risk, see life insurance for construction workers.
Does a hobby bring a higher premium, an exclusion or nothing?
Royal London's guide sets out its decisions. At "Standard rates" the person "shows no evidence of increased risk"; when "Rated", increased risk was found and an extra premium charged; with an exclusion, the underwriter offers "cover with particular aspects excluded", and mountaineering is one of the examples given. A rating and an exclusion can also be combined.
The sports table in the same guide sets out separate terms for life cover, critical illness, total permanent disability and income protection. "Indoor climbing or bouldering only" is at ordinary rates on all four. "UK only, mountaineering or rock climbing up to UIAA grade 6" is at ordinary rates except on income protection, where the activity is excluded. Recreational diving to 40 metres has a row of its own; diving deeper than that, wreck or cave diving and untrained divers go to individual consideration. For motor sport the guide says "Full details of the type of car/motorcycle, number of races and location will be required before quoting terms."
Legal & General's Underwriting explained (W10188, September 2025) lists similar outcomes and says a hazardous activity may be excluded where the risk is too high for an increased premium to cover. On life cover specifically, its adviser pages (undated, read October 2026) say "We never offer an exclusion on Life Cover unless your client specifically requests it", and that where a hazardous activity carries an additional premium the client "can request to have the risk excluded from the plan, rather than pay the additional premium". Its consumer guide adds that some activities can be covered "at standard rates", with an organised bungee jump where safety procedures are in place as the example, or "at an adjusted premium".
So a hobby does not always change the terms, and choosing an exclusion over a premium is one insurer's practice, so ask whether it would be offered to you. What moves the price of life insurance applies alongside. A broker can put your depth, grade or racing class to several insurers in one conversation, and filling in the form here sets that up, although an offer is never guaranteed.
Does a policy still pay if you die doing the activity?
The answer is in the policy wording rather than a general rule. Legal & General's policy terms (QGI12849, October 2026) put any exclusions in the Policy Schedule, which arrives after cover is taken out, so that is where to check what counts as taking part. Its guide to extreme sports says it cannot pay a claim for anything a policy excludes, and that some additional policy benefits, Accidental Death Benefit among them, do not cover a death that happens while you take part, or try to, in hazardous activities, extreme sports included.
On deaths from other causes, Royal London's adviser guide says a claim for anything excluded may not be considered, while the client remains covered for "all other conditions". Other insurers word this for themselves, so ask how any exclusion on your offer is worded and which benefits it applies to. Cover abroad is dealt with in does life insurance cover you abroad, and income protection exclusions in what income protection covers.
What should you declare about a dangerous hobby?
Answer what the form asks, including any activity abroad, and give depth, grade or class where asked. Legal & General's consumer guide says to "make sure that you mention any extreme or dangerous activities that you plan to take part in", and its Underwriting explained says "You must tell us of any change" between application and the policy starting; for changes after that, ask your insurer. LV= (27 April 2026) says that failing to disclose relevant details "could invalidate your policy later". Royal London's questionnaires warn that if you do not give "all the facts that are likely to influence the assessment and acceptance of this application, any plan issued as the result of this application may be cancelled or the terms changed, and any claims may be refused".
The duty to take reasonable care when answering comes from the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012: what you must disclose explains it, and when a life insurer can refuse to pay covers what it means for a claim.
If you are declined or the terms look wrong, see what to do if declined for life insurance; how insurers assess applications more generally is in health and underwriting. When you want terms for your own hobby, the free form here puts your answers with an FCA-authorised broker, and they ring you.
Frequently asked questions
Does life insurance cover scuba diving?
Aviva lists scuba diving among hobbies that may make you high risk, and Royal London's diving questionnaire asks about depth, solo diving and wreck and cave diving. Whether diving is excluded depends on the offer you are made, so read its wording before you accept.
Does riding a motorbike affect life insurance?
Aviva's page names motorbike riding as an example of a high-risk hobby, and Legal & General's form asks about "Motorcycle sport riding". For racing, the forms ask about engine size and the number of races.
Can you get life insurance for climbing or skydiving?
Aviva says that in many cases insurers can still offer cover, sometimes with an added premium, and that these activities do not automatically prevent you getting life insurance. Terms depend on what the insurer is told, such as grade, height and how often you take part, and for skydiving whether it is free-fall or competition jumping.
Sources
- Legal & General, OLP Connect Application Form (SA26) (W11904 02/26, adviser form), read 20 October 2026. legalandgeneral.com
- Legal & General, Does life insurance cover extreme sports? (11 November 2025), read 20 October 2026. legalandgeneral.com
- Legal & General, Underwriting explained (W10188 09/25), read 20 October 2026. legalandgeneral.com
- Legal & General, Product exclusions and BMI limits and lifestyle (adviser site), read 20 October 2026. legalandgeneral.com
- Legal & General, Policy Terms and Conditions (QGI12849 2026/10), read 20 October 2026. legalandgeneral.com
- Royal London, Measuring Risk (for financial adviser use only, June 2026, P8G0011/15), read 20 October 2026. royallondon.com
- Royal London, adviser underwriting forms and sports diving, mountaineering and motor sports questionnaires (undated), read 20 October 2026. adviser.royallondon.com
- Aviva, High risk life insurance (6 May 2026), read 20 October 2026. aviva.co.uk
- LV=, High-risk life insurance guide (27 April 2026), read 20 October 2026. lv.com
- legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012, sections 2 and 3, read 20 October 2026. legislation.gov.uk