Stand-up paddle-boarding, one of the trendiest Swiss summer sports of the moment, is not as peaceful and harmless as it seems, says a Swiss accident insurance provider.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/dos
Since 2015, when the numbers of those practicing the sport started to take off, accidents reported have increased by 50%, says the Suva insurance group, which now logs some 500 paddle-related injuries each year.
The list of types of accidents and injuries is diverse, but most involve a loss of balance leading to a fall, either onto the board itself, or into the lake or river. Some boarders end up being hit by their own flailing paddle. Bruising, sprains, and open wounds have all been reported.
Some 90% of the accidents have happened to over-30-year-olds, Suva says, while two-thirds happen to men.
The insurance provider recommends a combination of good equipment and prudent practice to avoid accidents. For example, the cord attaching the board to the surfer’s foot should be long enough to avoid a big collision upon falling, while proper protection against both cold and warm weather should be planned.
Finally, those venturing further than 300 metres from a coastline are obliged in Switzerland to wear some form of life-jacket.
E-cars account for 10.5% of new registrations in the canton of Zug
This content was published on
Nowhere else in Switzerland are electric cars as popular as in Zug. Currently, 10.5 per cent of cars registered in the canton of Zug are purely electric, as new data from the online platform Energie Reporter and Energie Schweiz and Geoimpact show.
ETH climate researcher honoured with the German Environmental Award
This content was published on
Swiss climate researcher Sonia Isabelle Seneviratne from ETH Zurich receives the German Environmental Award 2025. She shares the prize, endowed with 500,000 euros, with the management duo of the steel galvanising company Zinq.
Police end attempted occupation of Zurich’s Platzspitz square
This content was published on
A large contingent of police prevented an attempted occupation of the Platzspitz area behind the National Museum in Zurich on Friday afternoon. They checked over 200 people and ordered them away. The group of occupiers cited anti-capitalist motives as the reason for the action.
Adoption reform for Swiss children conceived from donated sperm
This content was published on
Swiss government wants to make it easier for children conceived from donated sperm to be adopted by the partner of their legal parent.
This content was published on
Media coverage of BASE jumping and mountaineering accidents in Switzerland begs the question: why aren’t “extreme” sports more closely regulated?
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.