When you think about the ultimate surf trip, you probably imagine a sandy beach with crystal clear waters in some unknown part of the world. You definitely don’t imagine walking to a river in the centre of a historical European city with a giant Bavarian pretzel in hand. If you haven’t guessed the location already, I’m talking about the world famous Eisbach River wave in Munich, Germany.
Munich is known globally for its rich culture and Oktoberfest celebrations, but the Eisbach River wave is a major tourist attraction all by itself. This world renown standing wave attracts crowds of surfers and spectators from around the world and has had famous surfers such as Mick Fanning, Jack Johnson and Garret McNamara travel great distances just to surf it. The wave is located at the southern entrance of the English Garden and has been around since the late 1960’s or early 1970’s, though it was actually illegal to surf up until 2010.
When planning your trip, booking around incoming swells isn’t much of an issue because unlike most surf trips where you are constantly watching the weather to make sure you get optimal surfing conditions, the Eisbach breaks 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. In terms of your packing list, you’ll want to bring a thicker wetsuit as the water temperature sits between 4 degrees and 18 degrees celsius year round. Though local shops like Santo Loco, rent out boards, wetsuits and booties if you feel like travelling light. Before you jump into the river, Munich has a beginner wave located a short distance from the main wave that is strongly recommended for all to try, in order to get the feel for river surfing dynamics. Popular YouTubers, Sickos, have a video on what it is like to surf both these waves, as well as proper surf etiquette and techniques for the river.
Though it’s not exactly the tropical paradise you might have been dreaming of, Munich offers a completely unique surfing experience that you are unable to find anywhere else in the world. So if you’re willing to trade palm trees for historic European architecture, and the thought of steins of german beer and unlimited waves sounds appealing, this land locked surf trip is definitely for you.
Source: Eisbach Riders