Hello all,

I'm new to Switzerland and new to this site. I've just moved here from California, US where my main hobby was surfing and my last employer was a surfboard manufacturer. I've been watching youtube videos of river surfing in Zurich and Lucern, and it looks like the best alternate to ocean surfing.

I'm trying to find out exactly where these waves are, and whether there are certain times they can be ridden. It appears that some of these waves are natural, but I've read that the Zurich wave is man made. I have brought one board with me here, but its for bigger waves whenever I can make a trip, but It should be ok to test some of these waves out with.

If there is anyone out there who is interested in river surfing, or knows where to find some waves, I would love to hear from you.

Thanks

Hi,

I'm not a surfer myself, so have no idea about the sport or how good the places here are...

....but I'm just posting because I remember a day trip to Bremgarten a couple of years ago to watch the river surfing there:

http://map.search.ch/bremgarten-ag

a google search for 'Bremgarten surf' throws up a few links (e.g. here or here (scroll down to 'surf spots' for a list in Switzerland)) and also links to the swiss surfing association.


there's also 'limmatwave' in zurich... but again I don't actually know anything about it, just heard of it.
http://www.limmatwave.ch/

Hope you can find something useful among all that.

also an alternative sport you could maybe consider is wake boarding?... lots of that going on on Zürisee!

cheers
jot

Two recent fatalities river surfing. If you decide to do it, please be careful...

http://www.nachrichten.ch/detail/397454.htm

If it helps:
I just saw a documentary, I believe it was Rudy Maxa's "Europe to the Max" series. He spent a little showing the River Surfing in one of the cities.

I'm a surfer myself and although there is an annual campaign demo (www.limmatwave.ch), there isn't actually a wave in Zurich yet.

Best bet is Bremgarten (close to Zurich) or some people do bungee surfing on the rivers as well.
Another alternative is to go wake surfing behind a boat on one of the numerous lakes. Theres also a really good river surf spot in Munich if you don't mind a couple of hours drive.

If you miss proper waves like I do, then unfortunately it will mean driving 8 hours to Hossegor.

If you are used to proper surf Bremgarten sucks with a capital "S". At best its about 6inches and you can't turn properly or anything on it. Instead you have to bounce the board around and skate the wave. I went a couple of times and decided not to bother again.

Thanks for all the tips. The pics from the limmat wave do look disappointing. There are some videos of "secret spots" that look about waist high, and enough to turn on. The ASP holds their event in Hossegor sometime in October I believe. I used to work for Al Merrick and I worked with many of the guys on the tour. It would be nice to go to watch the event and get some heavy barrels. I will try to find a decent wave nearby to ride, and then perhaps go searching louis and clark style.

Thanks again.

Bremgarten can be fun, up to 1m but usually only in the spring or early summer (when there are big rain storms + melting snow).
Watch this link. http://www.hydrodaten.admin.ch/e//2110.htm
When the discharge gets between 200-260 m3/s, it’s a good time to go.


And Biarritz/Hossegor is a great surf area. Worth a visit in the fall (Sept/Oct).

Biarritz - France seems to be the place to go. Unfortunately no cheap budget airlines from Switzerland.

first riversurfing experience. I surfed Bremgarten today. discharge reported 120 m3/s. very small....knee high, and not steep enough. had to use a tow rope, different but fun.

Bah!

One time when there was a BIG storm in Geneva e got the boards out in Montreux and road the small waves there this day! happens maybe once or twice a year at the river mouth just up from the freddi statue!.. :-)

FYI discharge is over 200m3/s at the moment...looks like a good time to try it.

yep, Ive been going the past few weeks, its the best alternate, but eire is right. it sucks compared to real surfing.

If you are ever in Munich - then the river surfers always draw a pretty big crowd!
It located in the Englischer Garten.