Excited about today’s trip to the lake, I started looking into some cool gear for spending time on the water. Let’s say I’m interested in the GoSun Electric Board - would I need any kind of permit to use it on lakes like Walensee, Klöntalersee, or even smaller ones like Ägerisee?
Also, do you know of any other fun alternatives, kind of like a “lounger for adults”? It doesn’t necessarily have to be electric, but it’d be great if it could fit 3-4 people and a dog (thinking rather scatch-resistant)
You should be good to go, as the motor is under 8PS a licence is not required.
Local rules will always apply, it is worth checking them out but in general small boats are allowed, just not under the influence…
That boat looks fun for a family. I like the idea of being able to dive in from the roof.
There is a difference between the need to register the boat (over 2.5m) and the need to have a motor boat drivers licence (over 8PS). The regulations are having difficulty coping with all the new and wonderful things appearing on the water. At the moment we have stand-up foil boards sharing the same space with swimmers which is going to lead to trouble.
Let me throw in a related question. We went with friends to Cham and parked conveniently at Parkplatz Seeweg, just a few meters from the lake. We planned to inflate the float with a 12V pump near the car and launch it using the nearby ramp (there’s a sailing club there).
It actually worked great in the morning when it was quiet - but on the way back, we were told it’s private property, and we deflated it but would like to avoid surprises in the future. At the same time, we didn’t really want to drag the whole island into the public badi.
Would any of you know of a spot around 1-1.5 hours from Zurich that’s a bit less crowded, with good lake access and parking right by the water? That would make this whole setup way easier
looks fun. I saw one of those in the water (Hünenberg See) yesterday. Some slipways are public access, some are controlled by a club, you just need to ask. If there are boats going in and out, they may object to something sitting in or near the approach. This is a bit bigger than the average inflatable so there are going to be more eyebrows raised than usual. AFAIK, with no motor, the restrictions should be minimal.
Note that before you can use licenced boats on Walensee that have been used anywhere else in the preceeding 3 years you have to register with the authorities and perform a deep clean of the boat (until end May you weren’t allowed to bring it to Walensee at all). This is (try to) prevent the Quagga Mussel reaching Walensee. I think the same applies to at least some of the other lakes on your list.
Unlicenced boats under 2.5m also are required to be properly cleaned but don’t have to be registered.
According to this source, this length inflatable (a long canoe or paddle board does not) does require to be registered:
Personally I would not be happy trying it out on a river such as the Reuss. The current means you are going to be a hazard to others unless it is moored.
wow this thread has come a long way. From a 7K-$ electric thingy to an inflatable monster mattress. You told us nothing about how enjoyable it was but as you’re asking for other places I take it, it suvived the first day.
So now are we all keen on what KiwiSteve’s birthday-dream will turn into?
Although his original dream is pretty cool, I admit. Specially in a country without sea. At the same time I’m not surprised these boards are not legal here. I guess about 90% of the people here don’t know how to surf, when they fall off the board they will cling on to that handheld power control and the lakes will be full of lonely boards gone wild.
This inflatable island is actually a pretty cool thing. You can easily spend the whole day on the water - it’s covered, so you can comfortably lie down, and there’s also a net in the middle where you can float. Iit can be fully inflated in 10 minutes with an electric pump (not included). The material is scratch-resistant too - we had a dog with us. The only downside, as you might imagine, is the limited maneuverability, I definitely wouldn’t take it on a river. Two paddles are enough to push off the shore and slowly drift somewhere though.
