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Lyø, May 2023: The wind is blowing at 20 knots, the sun is shining and we find flat water behind a long headland - ideal for practising new freestyle tricks. But it's also a dream for freeriding and racing. We do a few laps on our own directly on the 500 metre long headland. Then it's time to practise: stroke by stroke, move by move. After the third session of the day and a total of six hours on the water, we've had enough. Exhausted, but with new moves and lots of footage, we head back to the harbour. Tomorrow, the forecast again shows five Beaufort from the north-west all day. In the evening we head into the island's interior: past barrows, well-kept thatched-roof houses, small fire ponds, lush flowers, pheasants and hares to Købmand with its beer garden - there's no better way to end a day of surfing.
For whom?
The South Funen Archipelago is home to empty spots and perfect flat water, either with a standing area or deeper water for foiling, in a very small space. Both intermediates and freeriders as well as freestyle cracks get their money's worth. There's even a wave or two for waveriders in Bagenkop on Langeland. The variability of the islands offers a wide range of conditions for every skill level.
The area is perfect for a surf trip and holiday with non-surfers who don't want to wait out a sandstorm on the North Sea coast. The distances are short: while there is plenty of pressure for windsurfers on the unprotected headlands, sun worshippers will find sheltered beaches for swimming on the leeward side of the island after a short walk. There are also wonderful hiking and cycling trails through the hilly, flooded moraine landscape of the islands, which lead to idyllic little villages. Each island has its own flair and is worth discovering. The area is suitable for lovers of deserted spots who are not put off by travelling by ferry and can do without surfing infrastructure.
The best windsurfing spots in the Danish South Sea
1. Ærøskøbing
Æroskøbing is the historic centre of the 30-kilometre-long island of Ærø. With its narrow streets and listed half-timbered houses from the 18th century, it is also popularly known as the fairytale town. The harbour is the starting point for the ferry to Svendborg.
The surf spot is also close to the harbour. In south-easterly to northerly winds, you can ride directly north-west of the harbour. If the wind is more westerly, you can surf on the other side of the land nose. Directions from north to west work here. There is a standing area with a sandy bottom close to the shore. However, this is interspersed with clearly visible, smaller and larger stones (be careful with longer fins!). The spot is purely flat water in all wind directions. If you move a little further away from the shore, the water quickly becomes deeper. The spot is therefore also suitable for wind and wind foiling. The seaweed typical of the Baltic Sea can be a little annoying. You can park and spend the night at the Ærøskøbing campsite, which is around 100 metres from the water and has around 150 pitches.
2. søby
Søby ferry harbour is located in the north of the island of Æro. You can surf from north-west to east directly at the harbour. There is a car park and camper van site right by the harbour. There is a small sandy beach to the east from which you can set off. As the nearest islands are a few kilometres away, a lot of chop builds up here. The spot is therefore okay for beginners, but better conditions can be found at Æroskøbing. On the other hand, the spot scores with good infrastructure and ferry connections.
3. Lyø Havn
When you dock with the blue and white ferry, you already have a great view of the spot at the harbour. This is a bay that is open to the north and can therefore be travelled in all wind directions from west to east. Both to the west and east of the harbour there is a shallow water area as far as the eye can see. You can set up on a small grassy area in the east of the harbour, from here you can either ride on the western or eastern side of the harbour and enjoy the nice atmosphere and the flat water. One advantage of all the spots on Lyø described above is that you can often do without a grass fin here. However, you have to be careful with your fins and boards, especially at low water levels, as there are two large boulders to the west of the harbour. Although these are marked by buoys and visible at low water levels, they are easily overlooked. Otherwise, the spot is perfect for beginners as there are no currents. In addition to good surfing conditions, there is also a nice little village, many barrows and numerous cycling and hiking trails. Bicycles can be hired directly at the harbour. You can also enjoy a good meal at the Hly restaurant in the old village school.
4. Lyø Trille
What is definitely the best spot on Lyø can be ridden in practically all wind directions. Watch out! Access to the Trille is only permitted from 16 July to the end of February, as it is a bird sanctuary. If you don't fancy a long walk to the headland, you can simply set up next to the harbour as usual and surf to the headland. You get the flattest water and the best wind when it blows from the north-west. With this wind direction, it is a good idea to head out from the harbour in one or two strokes. From then on you have completely flat water, a short, sandy standing area and constant wind. Once you arrive, everyone will have fun here, regardless of ability. Tip for beginners: The water is flattest close to the headland - ideal for learning a beach start.
5. Lyø Sand
The headland in the east of the island, which is shorter, higher and rockier than the Trille. However, this also offers a spot with perfect shallow water - and depending on the water level, constant wind and standing water. Here, too, you have to decide between walking to the spot or travelling there. Safety tip: Always go upwind first and then downwind, so choose the headland upwind of the harbour depending on the wind direction. There is a steeply sloping edge here where there can be a strong current in strong winds. For beginners, it is therefore advisable to sail closer to the harbour or the trill. This is the best spot for foilers. The water is too shallow at many other spots.
6th Avernakø Havn
Similar to Lyø, Avanakø is an island that offers many spots with shallow water. Here, too, you set up next to the harbour. You then have to decide which side of the harbour to go on. In both cases, a beach serves as an entry point. However, the beach to the north-west of the harbour is much rockier and has a steeper slope. On the east side, on the other hand, there is a large standing area - and unfortunately often seaweed. The spot is ideal for beginners, freeriders, freestylers and intermediates. If you want to refresh yourself after a session or enjoy the sunset with a drink in a sun lounger, you can do so in the Avernakø Havnecafén next to the harbour (only open in summer). Weed fins are often necessary and can rarely be avoided. There is also a headland in front of the harbour, which is either slightly under or above water depending on the water level.
7th Avernakø Trille
The neighbouring island of Korshavn is connected to Avernakø by a causeway - and has been part of the island of Avernakø for many years. There is a secluded bay in the far east. Only a narrow road leads here, which means that the spot is usually deserted. Park in the bend of the sandy path. A small, steep sandy beach then provides access to the deep bay. In summer and at weekends, many sailing boats anchor in the bay with its beautiful sandy beach in light or offshore winds. North and south wind directions ensure turquoise shallow water behind the headland. The spot is particularly suitable for people who can hold their height safely. However, as the shore drops off very steeply, the spot is ideal for foiling. There is no shallow area for this.
8th Drejø Gammelhavn
The spot is located near a tiny harbour in the north of the island, which is connected to the Baltic Sea by a channel barely four metres wide. Next to the harbour is a small meadow with an overnight spot for water hikers. You can set up here undisturbed and use the stony beach next to the harbour as an access point. A huge bay then awaits you, which offers standing room almost everywhere and is open to the north. Once in the water, both beginners and intermediates benefit from the slowly sloping standing area, which offers perfectly flat water in almost all wind directions. You can usually do without weed fins here. The more southerly the wind blows, the further away from the shore you have to go to get a constant wind. This makes the spot the most beginner-friendly: not only because it can be ridden in all wind directions except south, but also because there are many standing areas. In addition, hardly any chop builds up regardless of the wind direction.
9th Drejø Havn
The ferry docks at a small sailing harbour. There is a playground, toilets, a meadow for setting up and a short walk to the town centre in the middle of the island. There are some cute houses and cafés in the centre. If you're lucky, you might spot the magnificent white fallow deer. We recommend setting up on the meadow next to the playground. To the south-west of the harbour, there are some nets in the water marked with metal rods, which are best kept away from. Otherwise, there is a good standing area on both sides, making the spot suitable for beginners. A weed fin is mandatory here all year round. North-easterly to south-westerly wind directions ensure constant wind and moderate chop here.
10th Skarø Havn
The tiny, flat island of Skarø with only 20 inhabitants scores with a particularly idyllic village, nice cafés and the very tasty, locally produced Skarø ice cream. There is no grocery shop - so bring everything you need with you. The boat is moored on one of the two sides of the harbour, from where you can easily get on and off. Caution is advised here, especially in the east, due to the erratic blocks. These are scattered in the bay and can easily be overlooked. The further west you go behind the headland, the shallower the water becomes. There is also a longer standing area and better wind. As the entire island is very flat, you can also surf here in offshore winds. North-westerly to south-easterly directions blow most consistently here. There is hardly any chop in north-westerly winds due to the long headland in the north-west of the harbour.
11. Skarø headland
Even from the small harbour of Skarø, you can see a very long headland in the north-west that is only a few centimetres high. The northern orientation with an arc to the east offers a perfect flat-water runway in westerly and easterly wind directions. It is best to surf the 500 metres from the harbour to the headland. The area around this is sandy and slopes more steeply to the east than to the west. Depending on the wind direction, you will find perfect flat water conditions on both sides of the needle-shaped headland and it is a great experience to surf there.
12th Skarø Sand
Around one kilometre south of the harbour is a shallow, sandy bay - it is open to the south-east. All southerly directions are particularly good here, but westerly and easterly winds are no problem either, as they blow across the flat fields of Skarø without losing any of their strength or quality. It is easy to set up on the green area at the water's edge, from where you can also access the board directly. From beginners to freestyle cracks, surfers of all levels will be happy here.
13. bagenkop
Compared to the other islands presented here, Langland is large. The best wave spot here is Bagenkop in the south-west. Here too, the base is a harbour area surrounded by small holiday homes. These have a sea view and are only 20 metres from the beach. Other houses can also be found further away from the water, and there is also a small caravan site a few metres away. But in addition to the nice ambience, there are also good wave conditions. The south-westerly wind behind the pier creates clean lines for riding and jumping. In onshore winds, two metre breakers quickly develop here - unfortunately with lots of seaweed.
Area information Danish South Sea
Journey
By car and ferry: The numerous ferry connections make a beautiful round trip through the Danish South Sea possible. Coming from Germany, you can cross from the Danish peninsula of Als either to Søby on Ærø or to Bøjden on South Funen, depending on your plans. From Bøjden, it's a 15-minute journey to Fåborg, from where the ferries to Lyø and Avernakø depart. Alternatively, it takes 45 minutes to get to Svendborg with ferry connections to Skarø and Drejø. From Svendborg there is another ferry connection to Æroskøbing on Ærø. The wavespot Bagenkop can be easily reached by car from Svendborg via a bridge with a detour to Langeland. You can also get to all the spots presented here by your own or chartered boat. You can either anchor in the lee of the islands or moor in one of the many small harbours. You can find prices and bookings for the ferry connections under the following links:
Wind & weather, neoprene recommendation
Due to the many small islands, the wind is channelled between the islands and strengthened accordingly. Even when there is little wind in the forecast, surprisingly good sessions can be achieved, as local jet and thermal effects strengthen the wind in spring and summer. In autumn, there are also many low-pressure areas, which usually offer more wind on the islands than on the German mainland. Due to the many small islands, there is an ideal surf spot for every wind direction. It is also worth exploring further away from the spots presented here.
In general, the water and air temperatures are identical to those in northern Germany. In summer it can get nice and warm with water temperatures of around 20 degrees, 3/2 or 4/3 wetsuits are then advisable. On summer light wind days, you can also surf with board shorts, as the water heats up particularly strongly in bays and standing areas. Spring and autumn require 4/3 neos due to the colder air and water temperatures - and 5/4 neos for those who like it warm. Shoes are usually recommended due to the shells and stones that can be found at the entrance to many spots.
Good to know
- From 01.03. to 15.07. (breeding season), many headlands are bird sanctuaries from which a distance of 50 metres must be maintained.
- As usual in the Baltic Sea, weed fins are a must. However, behind the headlands and in sheltered bays of the islands you can often get by without them even in summer.
- Round-the-island trips and crossings offer a great challenge for advanced surfers, preferably in pairs for safety reasons.
- Food prices on the small islands tend to be high - and the choice is often limited. It is therefore better to shop on the mainland for the trip. The small Købmand shops (often with beer gardens) are the main meeting places on the islands: The locals are very friendly and many things can be organised on request.
- Important: In many places, local products are offered at small street stalls on a trust basis by inserting money into a small till. Bicycle hire also works in the same way - so carry crowns in small notes and coins.
- The main season on the small islands is limited to the summer months. After that, many accommodations, cafés and restaurants are often only open to a limited extent.
- The South Funen Archipelago is a paradise for water hikers. Anyone dreaming of a surfing trip with a windsurfer LT or similar is in the right place here. There are numerous "primitive campsites" and simple shelter pitches, often right on the water. Reservations and overview at visitfyn.de
- There are no surf shops or rental centres on the islands - and only in rare cases are there other surfers who could help out in an emergency.
Accommodation
For all accommodation, please enquire in advance about availability and opening times. Many offers are the result of the commitment of individual islanders! In addition to the well-known and local holiday home providers, you can also find numerous private accommodations via Airbnb.
Langeland
The Danish holiday home rental company Torben Hansen Ferie offers numerous holiday homes on the island of Langeland. These include some directly at the Bagenkop wave spot. There is also a nice campervan pitch right by the spot.
Lyø
Well-equipped campsite also for motorhomes with a direct view of the water, 400 metres from the Lyø Trille spot. Numerous small local accommodations.
Avernakø
Idyllic country hotel with adjoining restaurant and lots of animals.
Camping: by car and tent, at the harbour and at Købmand. Motorhome pitches at Avernakø Gardbutik in the village of Munke (call Ulla in advance: +45 26307471).
Skarø
There is a nice camping meadow near the harbour at Café Sommersild, with a few campervan pitches where you can stay for two days.
Ærø
There is a wide range of accommodation here, including holiday homes, hotels and campsites. Both Æroskøbing and Søby have motorhome pitches right by the spot. The island is also a dream for stand-up paddling. You can find a great report on www.sup-mag.de.
Text: Arne Jörn
