The best Swiss boating schools

How to find your perfect boating school

While you prepare yourself with the BoatDriver online course for the theory of motor boating and sailing, you can start with the practical lessons and put your knowledge into practice. Great, isn't it?

We at BoatDriver will happily continue to guide you and would like to put you in good hands for the best practical training - to a boating school that is perfect for you!

Since there are so many providers to choose from, so we would like to give you a few important tips when choosing a suitable school.

Choose a boating school near you

For the practical training, you need about 15 to 20 boating lessons. These can usually be booked by the hour in single or double lessons. The lessons last between 45 and 60 minutes, depending on the provider.

Some boating schools offer group courses, which last the whole week. Thus, sailing or motor boating can be learned very compactly in a short period of time.

When choosing a boating school, you need to consider the location and be aware of the travel distance. The boating school must be in your canton of residence, since the practical training can only be completed in canton of residence. If this is not possible, a justified request must be submitted to the shipping office.

For the above reasons, we recommend choosing a boating school that is located near you in your canton of residence. It is a different matter if you want to take a week course with a subsequent exam, during vacations, for example.

Boating lessons for two

It is recommended to take the practical lessons in pairs. This way, each can benefit from the other. This applies to sailing and/or motor boating. In sailing, one person is at the rudder as helmsman and the other person operates the headsail as a crew member. So ask your friends if they want to start boating with you.

Another advantage: numerous boating schools offer a discount on lessons when it's two people taking it.

Is the boating school trustworthy?

To find the right one among the numerous boating schools, you should definitely compare the detailed offers and have a close look at them:

• Is the website appealing?
• Are the prices transparently displayed?
• What does the school boat look like?
• What are the web reviews of this boat driving school?

Even more importantly:

• What is the response to the assessment?
• Does the school handle criticism constructively?

If you have found a suitable boat driving school, we recommend that you visit the selected boat driving school to get a first impression. Book a trial lesson: a reputable boating school will be happy to offer you one.

Is the boating school qualified?

It is important to know that anyone who holds a boating licence can open a boating school without having completed a boating instructor training. However, if the boat driving school is a member of the VSMS, the Association of Swiss Motorboat and Sailing Schools, the school has gone through a strict admission procedure and completed an association training of several days.

Optionally, the boating school has also acquired the degree of boat driving or sailing instructor with a federal certificate. Students can expect quality training from association members of the VSMS.

The costs at the boating school

The cost is not the most important thing. What is important is that the quality is right. Therefore: Save on the practical training, not on the number of boating lessons. The more practical experience you can gain, the more confident you will be on the boat. In this respect, trust your chosen instructor and your own instincts. This usually does not deceive you.

We cannot predict the exact cost of the practical lessons to a T, but we can give you an overview. Boating lessons at a school are usually between CHF 90.– and CHF 110.– per hour. For the practical training, we calculate about 15 to 25 driving hours, i.e. approx. CHF 1'500.– to CHF 2'500.–. In addition, the boat rental for the practical boat examination of approx. CHF 80.– must be reckoned with.

You can find a detailed cost breakdown under the following links: 

How much does the motorboat exam cost?
How much does the sailing exam cost?

We have curated a useful checklist for you:

• What are your goals? Sailing or motor boating? Choose the boating school accordingly.
• Choose a boating school in your canton of residence.
• Membership in the VSMS is an advantage.
• Visit the boat driving school on site: What does the training boat look like? Is this in a good and well-maintained condition?
• Is the boating instructor sympathetic, or rather short-tempered and dismissive? You will benefit immensely from an experienced, open and communicative boating instructor.
• Can you make flexible appointments that work for you and are they kept?
• Do you have a cost limit for the boat licence and would like to know in advance approximately what your sailing licence or motorboat licence costs? Then have a cost summary presented to you. Keep in mind that the preparation for the boating exam takes several lessons and that this needs to be considered when budgeting.
• Does the boating instructor inform you about your actual performance before the exam? Does he then specifically recommend the deepening of manoeuvres that still cause you difficulties? Does he recommend that you practice the manoeuvres that are still difficult for you?
• Are training and examination usually carried out on the same boat?
• Review and compare the cost of a boating lesson.

On the following map, you can find almost all boating schools in Switzerland. Click on a pin near you to get further information about the corresponding school.