Why not a kayak and a dragonboat? There is no such thing as too many waka per person
The dragonboat training has begun already - in fact over this last winter it never stopedd for the people from various Swiss clubs, who are wanting to paddle in Hong Kong midyear. There are the corporate teams, that just paddle close to an event , but also there are the dragonboat clubs, or cnaoe/kayak or rowing clubs that have a dragonboat section as well.
Griefensee and Meilen are two keen clubs in the Zurich area, with regular training sessions. Bael also has a club/ As well, on the Rhine there are teams from Shaffhaussen, a couple of other places further down stream and Grenzach, just above Basel ( my club).
I'll look up some more information that may interest you, especially if you are interested in the interclub or international paddling ( not that hard to make it into a Swiss National team)
My experience - Rubbish. I bought one and gave it away after using it once to a friend who's house is on a lake. Real pain to inflate, so unless you can store and transport inflated it's a pain.
I went out and bought a 'sit on top' canoe instead which is great fun especially with my son as it's easy to get into from the water (it's a cross between a surf board and a canadian canoe). This one: http://www.oceankayak.com/kayaks/tan...malibu_two_xl/ which I found on Ricardo for around 500chf
I also have a couple of 'fun / white water' canoes and a squirt boat.
Personally, I have not tried a commercially available sit- on that did not give me back acche and frustration at the lack of manouverablitiy ( not talking about the high performance sit on kevlar boats used by the Tsunami and others of their ilk.
THe inflatables and folding boats vary hugely in cost, durability and performance. eg: for a while I used the Sage ( now named the Sally) from INcept - for surfing in China and on gr 3 in other countries. There are several touring boats also available that are ideal for those dependent on public transport for getting too and from rivers, lakes etc. Plus they can go on aeroplanes without extra charges. ( havent been able to do that since 1995 with a rigid kayak . :-)
I feel a day trip coming on soon.... my preference is moving water, so I rather like KOnstanz to Shaffhaussen for a day trip, with a stop and stein en rein on the way. However, I a also happy to meet up with others on ZUrichsee or elsewhere.
I bought a sit on top last summer and can't wait to use it again. While I don't have anything with which to compare it, the seat back is adjustable enough that I can make it so it's very comfortable and supports my back, and I have lots of trouble with my back (slipped discs etc).
I bought mine from www.denk.com in Germany. Their service was great and the kayak took less than a week to arrive.
I have the back rest which are mega comfortable. I also think it's very manouverable considering it's size. Great for beginners and taking kids out in. Just quite heavy to carry.
Sorry for necroing the thread, but I'd write here rather than starting a new redundant one.
I got into kayaking recently, and my own inflatable one (Strenfit x500 from Itiwit) is on it's way to be delivered. I think by now I'm familiar with the few regulations (like wearing a PFD which I would do anyway) when it comes to paddling on lake Zurich, but I have failed to find any information on entry/exit points, the only clue I got is in the initial post of this thread, and Burkliplatz would be OK for me, I just wonder if that is still viable (after 8 years), also I'm curious if anyone here knows other entry/exit points within the city limits.
And last but not least, I would be happy to paddle with other people, once I tamed my yak (which is rather tippy thanks to the V shaped hull), while the summer weather still lasts.