SkiSafe
SkiSafe is a U.S. recreational marine insurance agency, founded in 1985, that underwrites and distributes boat, yacht, and personal watercraft insurance to over 500,000 cumulative insured boaters nationwide through a self-serve online platform, phone sales, and an independent agent network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What SkiSafe does
SkiSafe, operated by Sullivan & Strauss Agency Inc., is a U.S. recreational marine insurance agency founded in 1985 and headquartered in Lake Success, New York. The company specializes exclusively in boat, yacht, and personal watercraft (PWC/jet ski) insurance, offering coverage across boat types including bass, center console, pontoon, sailboat, ski & wake inboard, inboard motor yacht, and luxury yacht. Its product portfolio spans standard liability and physical-damage protection with add-on modules such as agreed value coverage, hurricane haul-out, disappearing deductibles, towing and roadside assistance, and environmental/fuel-spill pollution coverage. Discounting levers include multi-craft bundling, boating safety course completion, clean driving record, navigable-water restrictions, winter layup, and operator experience, with liability policies available from $85/year and average premiums in the low hundreds of dollars annually.
The underlying technology is a multi-channel distribution and servicing platform: a self-serve online quoting system that captures owner and craft information to generate instant quotes, a customer portal for policy management and document access, and a claims processing workflow with immediate acknowledgement and adjuster assignment. Distribution is tri-channel — direct online self-serve, phone-based inside sales staffed by boat-insurance specialists, and an independent agent/broker network — supplemented by a USA Water Ski & Wake Sports official partnership and dealer/marina referral relationships. State-specific SEO landing pages target the largest boat-owning states (Florida, California, Michigan, New York, Texas, Washington), and the company markets through a blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
The business model is a recurring annual premium model with policies typically paid at inception or via EZPay (25% down, balance in 30 days). SkiSafe serves an SMB/consumer customer base of 500,000+ cumulative insured boaters across the United States with a lean operating structure of 1–10 employees, consistent with an agency/MGA model that distributes policies through underwriting carriers rather than retaining full balance-sheet risk. Customer evidence indicates multi-year retention and a high-trust, specialized brand positioning versus generalist insurance providers.
SkiSafe firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SkiSafe
- Legal name
- SkiSafe
- Website
- https://skisafe.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SkiSafe is a U.S. recreational marine insurance agency, founded in 1985, that underwrites and distributes boat, yacht, and personal watercraft insurance to over 500,000 cumulative insured boaters nationwide through a self-serve online platform, phone sales, and an independent agent network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SkiSafe industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Boat and Marine Insurance
- NAICS
- Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Carriers (524126), Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (52412)
- SIC
- Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Yacht & Pleasure Craft Insurance (FSAJAHAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Marine & Aviation Insurance (FSAJAMAI)
Keywords
Where SkiSafe is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
SkiSafe business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Annual Insurance Premiums: SkiSafe generates revenue through annual boat and PWC insurance policy premiums. Policies are annual term with premium payments due at inception. Customers can opt for EZPay which allows 25% down with balance due in 30 days.
- Credit Card Processing Fees: Customers can pay up to $1,000 with a credit card online, with additional payment processing available over the phone for larger amounts via credit card or e-check.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Liability-only coverage starting at $85/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Full coverage comprehensive policies |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
SkiSafe product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SkiSafe underwrites and distributes specialized boat, yacht, and personal watercraft (PWC/jet ski) insurance policies to recreational boaters across the United States. Coverage includes liability, physical damage, medical payments, towing and roadside assistance, and specialized endorsements such as agreed value, hurricane haul-out, and environmental/fuel spill protection, delivered through a self-serve online quoting platform, phone sales, and a network of independent agents and brokers.
Product overview
SkiSafe is a specialized boat and watercraft insurance provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance products and coverage options. The core offering is boat insurance with specialized variants for different boat types including Bass, Center Console, Inboard Motor Yacht, Pontoon, PWC/Jet Ski, Sailboat, Ski & Wake Inboard, and Yacht. The company provides various add-on coverage modules including Towing & Roadside Assistance, Agreed Value, Hurricane Haul-out Coverage, Disappearing Deductibles, and Environmental/Fuel Spill/Pollution Coverage. SkiSafe also offers an online quoting and policy management platform for customer self-service.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Boat Insurance
- Bass Boat Insurance
- Center Console Boat Insurance
- Inboard Motor Yacht Insurance
- Pontoon Boat Insurance
- PWC / Jet Ski Insurance
- Sailboat Insurance
- Ski & Wake Inboard Boat Insurance
- Yacht Insurance
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 500,000 boaters insured nationwide
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SkiSafe
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SkiSafe technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
SkiSafe partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- USA Water Ski & Wake SportscoreSkiSafe is the official insurance partner of USA Water Ski & Wake Sports. The partnership involves handling promotional boats for skiers and wakeboarders and working with USA Water Ski and Wake Sports members to provide specialized insurance coverage for water sports vessels.
Scale indicators3 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SkiSafe competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- GEICO Marine: GEICO's marine insurance arm (including BoatUS) competes broadly in the boat insurance space. Its national brand and parent Berkshire Hathaway backing give it scale advantages SkiSafe must overcome.
- Progressive (Marine Insurance): Progressive offers boat insurance as part of its broader P&C portfolio. While not specialized, its scale, bundled discounts, and digital quoting make it a major competitive threat to SkiSafe's direct channel.
- Allstate (Boat Insurance): Allstate offers boat insurance as an extension of its broad personal lines portfolio. Competes with SkiSafe primarily on convenience, bundling discounts, and brand recognition rather than marine specialization.
- Nationwide (Boat Insurance): Nationwide provides boat insurance through independent agents nationwide. Its scale and bundling capabilities make it a relevant competitor, particularly for multi-line customers seeking marine coverage.
- Chubb (Yacht and Marine Insurance): Chubb's personal insurance division offers yacht and marine coverage focused on high-net-worth customers. Most directly comparable to SkiSafe's yacht and luxury inboard motor yacht product lines.
- Travelers (Boat and Yacht Insurance): Travelers offers boat and yacht insurance through independent agents. While not a marine specialist, its agent network and brand compete for the same customer relationships SkiSafe pursues.
Direct peers
- BoatUS (GEICO Marine): BoatUS is the largest US boat insurance specialist and direct peer. Now owned by GEICO, it competes head-to-head with SkiSafe across all boat types including yachts, PWCs, and fishing boats, serving the same recreational boating customer base.
- Foremost Insurance Group: Foremost is a specialty insurer offering boat, yacht, and personal watercraft coverage through independent agents. Directly comparable to SkiSafe's specialty marine focus and agent-broker distribution model.
- Markel Insurance: Markel underwrites specialty insurance including marine, yacht, and personal watercraft coverage. Its specialty focus and recreational marine expertise make it a meaningful peer, particularly in yacht and high-value vessel segments.
Emerging players
- American Modern Insurance Group: American Modern specializes in niche personal lines including recreational marine. It competes in the same specialty boat insurance space but with broader specialty P&C exposure beyond marine.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SkiSafe social profiles
Digital presenceSkiSafe financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SkiSafe leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
SkiSafe funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SkiSafe M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SkiSafe
What does SkiSafe do?
SkiSafe underwrites and distributes specialized boat, yacht, and personal watercraft (PWC/jet ski) insurance policies to recreational boaters across the United States. Coverage includes liability, physical damage, medical payments, towing and roadside assistance, and specialized endorsements such as agreed value, hurricane haul-out, and environmental/fuel spill protection, delivered through a self-serve online quoting platform, phone sales, and a network of independent agents and brokers.
Is SkiSafe a public or private company?
SkiSafe is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SkiSafe founded?
SkiSafe was founded in 1985. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SkiSafe based?
SkiSafe is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does SkiSafe make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Annual Insurance Premiums are the primary driver. The others are credit Card Processing Fees.
Who are SkiSafe's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are GEICO Marine, Progressive (Marine Insurance), Allstate (Boat Insurance), Nationwide (Boat Insurance), Chubb (Yacht and Marine Insurance) and Travelers (Boat and Yacht Insurance). Direct peers are BoatUS (GEICO Marine), Foremost Insurance Group and Markel Insurance. American Modern Insurance Group is listed as an emerging player.
Does SkiSafe have an API?
No public API is recorded for SkiSafe.
What industry is SkiSafe in?
SkiSafe's product category is Boat and Marine Insurance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAJAHAI, Yacht & Pleasure Craft Insurance, with a secondary code of FSAJAMAI, Marine & Aviation Insurance. Its NAICS code is 524126 and its SIC code is 6331.