Welcome to the

swiss riversurf guide

Surfing in Switzerland, especially surfing in the Swiss rivers is becoming more and more popular. That's why in this blog we will try to tell you everything you need to know about surfing in the Swiss rivers. We from the SEPORSURF team are enthusiastic riversurfers and don't miss any opportunity to start a surf session in the river. This enthusiasm has not only led to the development of new innovations and systems, but also to further developments that get the most out of river surfing. We would like to pass this knowledge on to you, so that you too can enjoy a safe and action-packed session. Besides tips and tricks for river surfing, you will learn everything about safety, material, when and where you can surf in Switzerland, as well as the origin of river surfing and what the future will bring, and all this without CO2 emissions. So, enough about our project, let's start with the most important question.

what can you surf in the rivers?

It all started with a wooden board and a natural wave in the river. By temporarily lowering and raising the riverbed, a so-called natural river wave (standing wave) is formed. This can be surfed with a lot of skill and is Variation 1 a great way to surf in the river in Switzerland.

For Variation 2 you need a rigid rope that is attached to a bridge or a tree. You can only surf left and right, but anyone who has tried it will agree that even this is an indescribable feeling.

A rigid rope? Is that all? Of course not. Soon the rigid rope was swapped with an elastic rope and it was possible to surf upstream. This became known as bungee surfing. First with climbing ropes, then with rubber ropes and as the latest option with latex/silicone ropes. Bungee surfing was invented in Switzerland and is our Variation 3.

Variation 4 is a newly developed pulley system called SeporFlow, which is powered by the flow of water and by pure muscle power. This allows distances of several 100 metres to be surfed and it can be used anywhere there is a river. It can be installed without much effort and offers an unforgettable experience in the river. It was developed for surfing in Swiss rivers, but the system is now also being used successfully in Germany and Austria.

And what do we do when the river flows slowly? That's where we turn to a variant that has only recently become available. Not the system itself, but in such a way that it can be used for surfing, namely Variation 5, an electric winch. With ease, the winch will pull any surfer up to speeds of over 70km/h with breathtaking acceleration. Ideally, this system is used in slow flowing water, but as we will show you later, the winch can also be used in strong flowing water.

Last but not least is probably the most comfortable way to surf in Switzerland. Variation 6 is the SUP, also called the Stand UP Paddleboard. Due to the large volume of the board, balance can be practised on the surfboard even without great speed. You can paddle along the river in peace and quiet, and if you encounter a natural river wave on the way, you can surf it with this board without any problems.

These are our 6 variants, which we would like to present to you in more detail in the next chapters. All these systems are CO2 neutral and environmentally friendly (so they do not pollute the environment). This was an important point for us and will also remain in the foreground for future projects. Surfing should pollute our environment as little as possible and therefore we have tried to develop a variety of different systems so that there are also different offers and variants in river surfing.

Ok, you now know what you can surf in the rivers, but where exactly can you surf?

where can I surf in Swiss rivers?

Basically, any river can be surfed. Even if it is shallow. With a skimboard or wakeboard, water can be surfed from a depth of 10-20 cm, but you need a bit more for proper turns. We advise you not to do this, however, as serious injuries are certain to occur in the event of a fall. From a water depth of 60-80 cm it becomes safer, in case you have a wipeout, i.e. a slip. The best rivers are those that are deep enough (waist-high), wide enough (10-20 metres) and have enough water. In Switzerland, these are the Aare, Rhine, Reuss and Limmat, to name the largest. In the later chapters, we will give you more information on this topic and talk specifically about the different surfing variants, as there is a perfect river for each variant.

If you live in Switzerland and are interested in trying it out, you can either book a course directly or find out what's going on in your region using the following links. (The surfing season usually starts in April or May).

Bern: www.bungeesurfing.ch

Zurich: www.seporsurf.ch

When is the best time to SUrf in Switzerland?

And when are the right conditions or when is the surfing season in Switzerland? For passionate surfers, the season starts in winter. When there is little water in the river, the best spots are checked and all obstacles such as stones or tree trunks that are not visible at high water levels are noted. Knowing your spot is trump card when river surfing and minimises the dangers many times over. Basically, the ideal season for surfers begins with the melting of the snow and the resulting meltwater in spring. From then on, the temperatures are also pleasantly warm. This usually lasts until October, so you can surf for a good 7 months of the year. Thanks to various heating solutions, you can also surf in winter and if you are once hooked on surfing, the cold will no longer play a big role.

We hope we have been able to give you a first brief insight and have aroused your interest in river surfing. We will go into more detail on these topics and much more in the next chapters. Be curious and see you soon.

Your SEPORSURF Team