Paddleboards, kayaks and small boats on Lake Geneva
Stand-up paddle (SUP, planche à pagaie), kayaks and canoes are popular on Lake Geneva (lac Léman). Under Swiss law a SUP counts as a paddle boat, so boating rules apply. This page covers equipment, the shore zone, when you need a boat licence, and registration with the Vaud navigation office. For fishing, see Fishing permits in Vaud; swimming spots are not covered here.
Key facts
- No registration for SUPs, kayaks and canoes, but the owner's name and address must be visible on the board or boat (Vaud SAN).
- Beyond the shore zone you must carry a life jacket or buoyancy aid of at least 50 N and a light visible at night and in poor visibility (Vaud SAN).
- Boat licence needed above 6 kW engine power or above 15 m² of sail (Vaud SAN).
- BFU advice: never go out alone, take an introductory course and check the weather first.
1. Paddleboards, kayaks and canoes
- No registration (immatriculation): SUPs, kayaks, canoes, kitesurfs and foils do not need plates, but must show the owner's name and address in a visible place (Vaud SAN, Autres types d'embarcations). The SSS strongly recommends adding a phone number, so rescuers can quickly tell whether someone is missing.
- Mandatory equipment beyond the shore zone (zone riveraine) or on a river (Vaud SAN):
- a life jacket or buoyancy aid (gilet de sauvetage, aide à la flottaison) with at least 50 N of buoyancy;
- a light visible at night and in poor visibility.
- The shore zone: the SSS describes an inner shore zone up to 150 m from the shore and an outer shore zone up to 300 m (SSS). Under the federal ordinance, boats shorter than 2.50 m and beach toys may only use the inner shore zone (150 m) or stay within 150 m of an accompanying boat (ONI art. 42). On Lake Geneva, unregistered boats must not go more than 300 m from the shore, unless national rules allow otherwise (Franco-Swiss Lake Geneva regulation, art. 60).
- SSS recommendation: wear the life jacket or buoyancy aid from the start, because in an emergency there is no time to put it on. On rivers, use a leash with a quick-release system.
- Inflatables and beach toys: air mattresses and similar beach toys (engins de plage) are not boats; use them only close to the edge and in supervised areas (Vaud SAN).
- You may paddle on the whole lake except protected areas (for example nature reserves) and zones closed to navigation (SSS).
2. When you need a boat licence
A boat driving licence (permis de conduire les bateaux) is needed if your boat has (Vaud SAN, Obtenir un permis bateau):
- an engine of more than 6 kW, or
- more than 15 m² of sail.
You must pass a theory exam and then a practical exam. For a motorboat licence you must be 18 or older (Vaud SAN). Below these thresholds, for example a small rented rowing boat or a SUP, no licence is required. Anyone steering a motorboat, even one that needs no licence, must be at least 14; the minimum age for the sailing licence (category D) is 14, and 18 for the motorboat licence (category A) (ONI art. 78 and 82).
3. Registering a boat in Vaud
- Boats are registered with the Service des automobiles et de la navigation (SAN), Avenue du Grey 110, Lausanne. All navigation procedures are handled in Lausanne; Aigle, Nyon and Yverdon-les-Bains offer some of them (Vaud SAN).
- Not subject to registration: boats shorter than 2.50 m, canoes, kayaks, beach toys and similar boats without an engine, windsurf boards and competition rowing boats. They must still carry the owner's name and address (SAN form 1824).
- To register a new boat you need the form, a mooring authorisation from the port authority, and insurance for motorboats and sailboats over 15 m² (Vaud SAN).
- Published fees (Vaud SAN, new boat registration): navigation permit CHF 110 for a motorboat, CHF 60 without an engine; adhesive plates CHF 30. An annual boat tax is charged on top. It depends on the boat's length and engine power (flat rate for rowing boats and pedalos), is charged for the whole calendar year and is due on 30 April (LTVB, BLV 741.11, art. 2 and 8). Fees confirmed in RE-SAN, BLV 741.15.1.
- The boat may only go on the water once the navigation permit (permis de navigation) has been issued (SAN form 1824).
4. Safety on the lake
BFU advice (Swiss Council for Accident Prevention, BPA):
- Take an introductory course, prepare your trip and never go out alone.
- Wear a life jacket or a buoyancy aid of at least 50 N.
- Protect yourself from cold (for example a wetsuit) and from the sun. Paddling against the wind or falling into cold water can quickly become dangerous.
Vaud SAN advice: check the weather forecast, tell someone your route and return time, and clean your equipment before changing lakes to stop invasive species such as the quagga mussel.
- Storm warnings on Lake Geneva: a flashing yellow light at about 40 flashes a minute warns of strong wind (gusts of 25 to 33 knots, about 46 to 61 km/h); about 90 flashes a minute warns of a storm (gusts above 33 knots, about 61 km/h). Neither says exactly when the wind will arrive (Lake Geneva regulation, art. 57 and 58). On a SUP or kayak, head for the shore.
- Emergencies: lake rescue and other numbers are listed on the emergency contacts sheet.
- Swimming spots and the SSS swimming rules: Swimming pools and the lake. Sun, heat and water quality: Heat and summer health.