Here you can go river or bungee surfing
In principle, any river can be surfed. With a winch, a river can be surfed even if it is "Shallow". With a skim or wakeboard, water can be surfed from a depth of 10 cm, but for proper turns it needs at least 20 cm. It should be said that this is the absolute limit, and in case of a fall, serious injuries are to be expected. From a water depth of 60-80 cm, you can be sure that even in a fall, no injuries occur due to the river bottom. For bungee surfing the river has to be at least waist high anyway, otherwise you won't be able to tension your bungee rope at all. However, a river is not the same depth everywhere and it is worthwhile to swim along the line you want to ride in advance, with your legs bent. This way you can make sure that there are no stones or other obstacles (jammed logs) in the way, as well as that it is deep enough.
The width is also not necessarily decisive. Even a small river with only 2 meters width can be surfed, but this should only be tried by experienced surfers. Know your skills is the be-all and end-all when surfing. For nice turns and a real surf feeling we recommend a river that is at least 10-20 meters wide. This way you can make sure that even if you lose control, you won't end up on the shore.
To be able to bungee surf, your spot should also have enough water flow. To see if you have enough water flow at your spot, throw a piece of wood into the fastest part of the river. If you have to go fast to keep up with the log, you have enough water flow. Even a slow river may well have spots where it speeds up. Look on a map where the river narrows. This is usually an indication that the river is flowing faster there. It may also be that the river flows over a gradient for a short time and this is not visible on the map. Therefore, a walk along the river is recommended in any case to find different spots. It is advantageous to have several spots, because if the water flow is different, another spot will always work better. It is advisable to always have a tape measure with you when searching for spots, because the right mounting height is essential and should be known from the beginning. The more spots you surf, the better you get at estimating the correct length of the bungee rope. It's also a good idea to look for small swirls and swim over them with your legs bent to see if you touch a rock. If it is 50 cm or deeper under the water, this will not be a problem. Also make sure that your chosen spots are not in a nature reserve or swimmer's zone.
So, we can say that big rivers are the most suitable, because they usually have enough water, are deep enough and wide enough. Such rivers are for example the Aare, Limmat, Reuss, Rhine or Rhone. Of course, smaller tributaries can also be surfed, but mostly only in spring or after heavy rainfall. Under the following link you can find already surfed spots with helpful information. www.seporsurf.ch
Where are natural river waves?
Natural river waves are unfortunately a rarity in Switzerland. Either they are very difficult to find (mostly such waves are kept as a secret) or they run only 5 times a year and this only after heavy rainfall. The only stable river waves in Switzerland we now present to you.
River wave in Bremgarten
A little outside the sleepy town of Bremgarten is probably the most constant river wave in Switzerland. It is built and kept instant by the local canoe club, but mostly used by surfers in spring. With the beginning of the snowmelt, the wave in Bremgarten also starts to run and you can be sure that even at 8 o'clock in the morning you won't be the only surfer on the spot. You can find all the info at www.flusswellebremgarten.com
River wave in Thun
Not natural, but still the same principle offer the two river waves in the middle of the picturesque town of Thun. Directly behind the 2 locks you can surf there at ideal water flow. These waves are so centrally located that you don't have more than 3 minutes from one to the other and no more than 1 minute to the next shopping possibility. If you want to visit these waves, you will find all the information you need here. www.flusssurfen.ch
When is the ideal time to surf the river?
And when are the right conditions or when is the surfing season in the Swiss rivers? For passionate surfers the season starts in winter. When there is little water in the river, the best spots are checked out and all obstacles such as stones or tree trunks that are not visible at high water levels are noted. Know your spot is trump when river surfing. Basically, the season for surfers begins in spring with the melting of the snow and the resulting meltwater. From then on, the temperatures are also pleasantly warm and most spots for bungee surfing have enough water. From then on also the natural river waves start to run. This usually lasts until October and it can thus be good 7-8 months a year to surf.
We hope we could give you useful tips in your search for the right place to go bungee surfing. We wish you a lot of fun while searching.
Your SEPORSURF Team
