Since our sport depends on the water flow and water level of the different waters, it is very important to know how much water is where, so that you can surf in the river in Zurich or other places in Switzerland. Through constant measurements throughout Switzerland, this can be determined very well. At this point a big thank you goes out to the Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU), which makes this data publicly available. Through all these data you can see at any time which river has how much water and whether there is not too little or too much of it. At the moment (22.07.2022) there are about 260 measuring stations of which about 200 measure the discharge values in the rivers. Under the following link you can see almost all stations. (Grey points are still waters)
And what do these data bring me to surf?
You can use this data to see in advance which system is best suited for surfing the river. Important is the value m³/s (blue line). This shows how much water, i.e. how many 1×1 meter water cubes flow through the river in one second. A lot of water flow is good for the bungee cord and the SeporFlow system and less water flow makes surfing with the winch much more comfortable. The values vary a lot of course, because for example the Rhine is much bigger and flows rather slowly at 450m³/s and the Limmat in Zurich would be a raging river at 450m³/s with rapid speed. With these measurements you can estimate your spot even more accurately and you know exactly when and what works best. But you can't avoid to test the different discharge values yourself.
Tip: If you know where the sources of your river are and you find a measuring station nearby, you can see in advance at what time the river will rise.
Below you can see when and which system the Swiss Riversurf Club offers. (These values are only valid for the Limmat in the area of Zurich city and surroundings)
- 0-39 m³/s There is no surfing at these values because it is too shallow to guarantee the necessary safety.
- 40-69 m³/s The winch is used in this area. The basic course can also be conducted here.
- 70-200 m³/s In this area, the bungee rope is stretched. The basic course can also be conducted here.
- 90-250 m³s In this range, the SeporFlow system is perfectly suited. The basic course only takes place up to approx. 200 m³/s.
Under the following link you can follow the water flow every minute and see immediately if the Swiss Riversurf Club changes systems at short notice. So you are guaranteed not to miss a session with your favorite system.
www.hydrodaten.admin.ch (Station 2099, Zürich)
We hope we could give you a good clue how you can understand your spot even better. And if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Have fun surfing with the SEPORSURF Team.
