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The Eckernförde Bay cuts 17 kilometres into the interior of Schleswig-Holstein - all in all, that's over 40 kilometres of coastline in a prime location.
The small town of Eckernförde with a population of 23,000 is located at the western end of the fjord and is not only worth a visit because of its kilometre-long sandy beach. The small boats of the Baltic Sea fishermen are moored in the old harbour, here you can still get a fish sandwich straight from the cutter and in the small shipyards, the chic wooden sailing boats are now being refloated for the wealthy clientele. If you stroll along the quay wall with open eyes, you will also discover traces of the catastrophic storm surge that hit the Baltic coast in 1872 and caused great damage, especially in Eckernförde. Back then, almost the entire town area was flooded several metres high, and the old wooden bridge at the harbour was also completely torn away - an information board here today provides information about this millennium event.
A trip to the varied southern shore of Eckernförde Bay is usually an eventful experience for windsurfers. Places like Stohl or Dänisch-Nienhof are particularly popular with wave fans - with strong easterly winds, the waves roll onto the shore and sometimes gnaw violently at the cliffs. The beaches here are accordingly dotted with football-sized boulders, which were deposited here by the glaciers of the last ice age around 12,000 years ago and which now tumble out of the crumbling cliffs onto the beach.
Perfect for camping and windsurfing
The coast flattens out with every kilometre further west, the beaches become wider and offshore sandbanks offer protection from the swell that is pushed into the fjord by easterly winds in many places. Even though Eckernförde Bay has of course been developed for tourism, the region has fortunately largely retained its original charm. You won't find any large bed castles or all-inclusive hotels here; away from Eckernförde, accommodation is spread across small holiday resorts such as Schwedeneck, Noer or Waabs as well as numerous campsites, some of which are located in the immediate vicinity of the spot. As in many regions on the Baltic Sea, if you want to maximise your wind yield, you should be mobile. However, if you want to move your camper as little as possible, you should ideally stay at a campsite on the southern shore - spots such as Surendorf, Lindhöft or Grönwohld clearly have the largest wind window and offer good surfing conditions in both westerly and easterly winds. It is not without reason that you regularly see slalom, freestyle and foil cracks here getting in shape for the next regatta season. Another plus: sandbanks in front of the spots block the waves somewhat, which means that even intermediates can have fun in the shore area.
And on the northern shore of Eckernförde Bay? Even if the spots here are not lined up like a string of pearls, this stretch of coast is also worth a visit. Whether it's just to go for a hike along the beautiful cliffs around Waabs on windless days or to visit the Langholz spot in a brisk north-easterly wind.
The windsurfing spots on Eckernförde Bay
1 Stohl
The Stohl wavespot is located at the eastern end of Eckernförde Bay. The small car park is about 600 metres from the water, you carry your equipment through a small wood and down a wooden staircase down the steep coast. The reward for your efforts is a less frequented spot, which is particularly worth a visit when the wind blows from south-east to east. Depending on the strength of the wind, waves can be between knee and head high, which break surprisingly powerfully on an offshore sandbank and make even ambitious surfers happy. In south-easterly winds, it rarely gets higher than waist-high, but easterly winds can also push in larger rollers. The conditions can be quite challenging in an easterly to easterly direction due to the noticeable windward jam, shore break, current and some stones in the entry area. If the wind becomes too onshore, it is worth travelling on to Dänisch-Nienhof.
2 Danish-Nienhof
There are several car parks in Dänisch-Nienhof, but all of them require a short walk to the beach. It is not a good idea to spend the night here after a session or to stand in the no-parking zone at the side of the road when the car park is full - there are strict controls and the parking fee is consistently collected. The beach can be reached on foot through a small wood in just a few minutes. The best wave conditions here are from east to east-northeast, which blows sideshore from the right and shovels beautiful waves, usually one to two metres high, onto the beach, which break cleanly near the shore for riding. Further out, the waves also start to run over the sandbank in front of the beach if the wind is strong enough, making Dänisch-Nienhof a great combination spot for jumping and riding. Here, too, there may be some boulders in the water in the shore area and the current is noticeable. If it gets too crowded at the main spot, you can turn upwind a few strokes and relax on the sandbank. A westerly wind is also possible, but there are honestly better spots for this wind direction.
3 Surendorf
The heart of the water sports scene in Eckernförde Bay beats in Surendorf. This is because there is accommodation, a campsite, a beach and a surf school (Nordwind Wassersport). You can park your car for a fee right next to the Schwedeneck campsite, but if it gets full, you'll have to lug your equipment a bit. During the holiday season, there are many bathers on the beach, so please observe the appropriate zones and ask at the surf school if in doubt. Due to the west-east orientation, there is a wide wind window from west-southwest to north to east-northeast. Westerly directions blow from the left and offer relaxed foil, freeride or freestyle conditions with small chops. Depending on the wind direction, the offshore sandbanks are sometimes flat, so caution is sometimes required with a foil or long fin. It gets wavier in north-easterly winds, when even moderate surf waves break on the sandbanks, which invite you to jump, but do not offer anywhere near the quality of other spots in the region. Early summer easterly winds are often thermally strengthened here too, while northerly winds come onshore and are not the top tip.
4 Grönwohld
Things are usually more relaxed in Grönwohld than in Surendorf. You can park at the end of the "Kronshörn" spot right next to the campsite, where there is also a surf school on site, Wassersport Schwedeneck. The best conditions here are from east to north-east, especially in early summer, when the wind is thermally strengthened and a six-knot forecast quickly turns into a passable gliding wind. The entrance is via a beautiful and flat sandy beach, there may also be a few stones on the shore. East and west winds blow sideshore, the water is shallow for the first 150 metres and flat sandbanks form a natural barrier to the outside, which protects climbers and children from drifting away, but forces foil surfers to push their equipment a little way out in order to be able to start without stress. Further out, typical flat water to bump & jump conditions await, which are great fun for freeriders, freestylers and slalom pilots.
5 Noer
A similar set-up to nearby Grönwohld also awaits you two kilometres further west in Noer: a campsite at the spot, a sandy beach with a few stones and a somewhat smaller standing area near the shore make this spot look quite attractive. However, the beach here is orientated slightly more SW-NE and Noer works best in westerly and north-easterly winds. There are also some boulders in the shore area and, depending on the wind strength, nice shallow water to bump & jump conditions to the right of the steep coast.
6 Lindhöft
One of the most popular spots in the region is Lindhöft, where many slalom and freestyle cracks from the national regatta scene can be found when the forecast is good. The parking situation in Lindhöft has not exactly improved in recent years due to a few black sheep. Access to the paid parking area on the beach has a height restriction (2.00 metres) and there are only a few parking spaces, which are quickly filled at the weekend or during the holiday season. During the bathing season, you enter the beach to the right and left of the bathing area and access to the water is via a beach of sand and coarse stones. The first 50 to 100 metres are shallow, and there is also a shallow sandbank in front of you, which offers safety for those who want to go up, but can also slow down over-enthusiastic slalom and foil pilots. Further out it gets deep, but you should keep an eye on the marked channel. In westerly winds, there are only small chops here, while strong easterly winds can push a nice swell into the bay, inviting you to jump. Keyword easterly wind: especially in early summer, easterly winds are thermally amplified in sunny weather; if Windfinder & Co predict a few knots of easterly wind, the chance of a strong gliding wind is very high. There are toilets, a kiosk/snack bar and a campsite right at the spot.
7 Eckernförde south beach
Eckernförde boasts a veritable town beach that stretches several kilometres southwards from the town centre. If you want to hit the water here, you should do so on the south beach between the pier and the "Treibgut" restaurant, where there are also car parks. The beach is often very busy during the holiday season, so you should avoid the designated bathing areas. Provided the weather is fine, the east to north-easterly winds here can be considerably stronger thermally and because the wind can blow over the water for a long time, it sometimes pushes surf waves into the bay. The only drawback is that the wind and waves blow directly in the same direction, which is why the wave experience is limited to backsider rides and small jumps. When the wind really picks up from the east-north-east (>25 knots), the spot becomes increasingly difficult and the wave and shorebreak challenging - Langholz, Dänisch-Nienhof or Surendorf are then more relaxed to surf.
8 Long timber
Quite a few people describe Langholz as the best wave spot in Eckernförde Bay. That's true, as long as the conditions are right. And in this respect, Langholz is definitely a diva. A wind angle of 45 to 60 degrees (NE-ONE) is ideal, then the wind arrives on the beach slightly sideonshore from the left. A few degrees more north pulls the plug on the wind in the shore area, a few degrees more east and you hardly get a decent angle when riding and jumping. But when everything is right and the wind is blowing at over 20 knots, Langholz is in top form. You can park here at the spot, the shorebreak is moderate on most days and the wave breaks powerfully on an offshore sandbank. Wave heights of one to two metres are the rule, but because the waves here are powerful, you can regularly see the cracks doing 360s and radical wave rides. Caution is only advised in front of the small piers in the shore area, shore break and noticeable current require some wave experience. As is the case everywhere, you should seek out an official campsite to spend the night, e.g. the campsite a few hundred metres downwind. Theoretically, you can even start directly from here and cruise up to the spot in just a few strokes. You can also get on the water in Langholz in south to south-westerly winds - then it blows from the right, with uncomplicated bump & jump conditions.
9 Klein Waabs
If the wind in neighbouring Langholz blows a few degrees too north and creates an annoying wind cover in the shore area, Klein Waabs can be an alternative due to its better orientation. The beach here is a mixture of sand and stones, and in the shore area you should be careful of the stubby piers and some erratic blocks in the water. Because the bottom drops off quite steeply here, a small, but robust shore break quickly forms. In moderate wind speeds (<25 knots), the only option is to ride off the shore break, but this can quickly end up on the rocks and is more a matter for cracks. Further out there are swells
The swell can get head-high on strong days and sometimes builds up on a very deep sandbank in the form of steep jump ramps. You can park here directly at the spot behind the DLRG station. There is usually not much going on in the water here - probably because either Langholz or Damp often offer the better conditions.
10 Wittensee
Who travels to the sea to surf on a small inland lake? Quite a lot, because Lake Wittensee, around ten kilometres from Eckernförde, is a really good alternative, especially for south-westerly wind directions, as these don't really arrive freely in the Bay of Eckernförde. The best place to get out on the water is at the north-east end of the lake, not far east of Groß Witten-
lake in the area of Habyer Straße ("Badestelle Hoheluft"). There are car parks directly on the road, from there it's a few steps down to the small rigging meadow. A south-westerly wind is ideal, coming sideonshore from the left, blowing freely across the five-kilometre-long lake and offering top conditions for freeriding, foiling, freestyling and slalom heating, depending on the wind strength. When it's really stormy, there is even a small wave in the shallow shore area that is suitable for jumping. Otherwise, there is no infrastructure here at the spot, just forest and nature.
Eckernförde Bay - general information
Journey
Eckernförde Bay can be reached in around 1:15 hours from Hamburg via the A7 motorway. In any case, we recommend travelling by camper van or camping bus, as you should be mobile on site if you want to maximise your personal wind yield.
Living & Camping
The region offers a wide range of accommodation options, from hotels and holiday flats to campsites close to the spot. It doesn't really matter whether you stay on the north or south shore of the bay, as both shores are similarly orientated and therefore cover similar wind directions. Overall, however, the south shore offers slightly more spot options. If you want to spend as little time as possible in the car and favour short distances, you should position yourself in the Surendorf to Noer area, which has some of the best wind, standing areas close to the shore, local surf schools and accommodation within walking distance. Anyone travelling by surf bus or camper is urged to use the official camping and pitches. The situation at some spots was already chaotic in the coronavirus summer of 2020, with some spots being closed due to wild campers and blocked access roads. A high number of visitors is also expected for summer 2021, so please follow the rules: Take your rubbish with you, don't wild camp and, in an emergency, find a less frequented spot - fortunately, there is plenty of choice.
Here is a selection of campsites close to the spot:
- Baltic Sea group campsite Schwedeneck: www.gruppenunterkuenfte.de
- Camping Surendorf: www.schwedeneck.de
- Grönwohld Camping: www.groenwohld-camping.de
- Jensen campsite: www.camping-jensen.de
- Motorhome Park Baltic Sea: www.gruenerjaeger-altenhof.de/womo-park
- Camping Hemmelmark: www.ostsee-camping-hemmelmark.de
- Ostseecamping Gut Karlsminde: www.karlsminde.de
- Ostseecamping Gut Ludwigsburg: www.ostseecamping-ludwigsburg.de
- Ostseecamp Lehmberg: www.ostseecamp-lehmberg.de
- Camp Langholz: www.camp-langholz.de
- Camping Hökholz: www.camping-eckernfoerde.de
Wind, weather & neoprene recommendations
The great advantage of the Eckernförde Bay is that, due to its west-east orientation, it is optimally ventilated both during low-pressure situations with westerly winds and during easterly wind phases. Westerly winds can occur all year round in northern Germany and often bring changeable weather. In midsummer, the water temperature in the Baltic Sea is usually between 18 and 20 degrees, so a long 4/3 neo should at least be in your luggage for a longer trip to the north. In spring and autumn, shoes and sometimes a bonnet are recommended. However, the best conditions in Eckernförde Bay are in easterly wind directions. In spring in particular, there are often weeks-long easterly phases in which the wind is significantly strengthened by thermal effects in sunny weather. Added to this is the funnel effect of the bay, which further accelerates the wind - this means that a forecast of eight knots of easterly wind quickly turns into a day with 15 to 20 knots. Generally speaking, westerly winds are usually more constant and stronger in the eastern part of the bay, while easterly winds increase the further west you are orientated within the bay - this can make all the difference, especially on days with a borderline forecast.
At many spots there are also some stones in the water - shoes are generally not a mistake.
Waves & Tides
The tides hardly play a role on the Baltic Sea coast. However, the prevailing wind direction does have an influence on the water level. If it blows strongly and persistently from the west, it pushes the water out of the fjord and the sandbanks are sometimes very shallow. Conversely, the water level can quickly rise by 50 centimetres in strong easterly winds. In general, at spots such as Surendorf, Grönwohld or Lindhöft, you should briefly check the water depth on the sandbank every day before surfing over it at full throttle. Waves only occur in Eckernförde Bay when the wind blows from north-east to east. As soon as the Baltic Sea is blowing at more than 20 knots, spots such as Langholz, Stohl or Dänisch-Nienhof start to get choppy, with waves ranging from knee-high to maximum logohigh, depending on the wind strength. The good thing is that on days with strong winds from the east, you can always find sheltered spots without surf if you wish.
Surf schools & shops
There are surf schools, especially on the southern shore of Eckernförde Bay, which are equipped with the latest equipment and offer courses for beginners and advanced surfers. These are
- Surendorf: www.nordwind-wassersport.de
- Grönwohld: www.wassersport-schwedeneck.de
- Hemmelmark: www.yachtschuleborby.de
If you need replacement equipment, you can get it in Kiel, around 25 kilometres away - probably the city with the highest density of surf shops and sailmakers in Germany.
Surf Shops & Sail Repair
- Surf Depot Kiel: www.surfdepotkiel.de
- Surf Shop Kiel: www.surfshop-kiel.de
- Surf Line Kiel: www.surfline-kiel.de
- Point of Sail: www.pointofsail-kiel.de
- Moltenkin boat covers: www.molkentin-bootsverdecke.de
- Schultz sails: www.schultz-segel.de
- Feldhusen sailmaking: www.segelmacherei-feldhusen.de
Alternative programme
The pretty harbour of Eckernförde, a town of 23,000 inhabitants, invites you to take a stroll and enjoy a fish sandwich, sometimes fresh from the cutter. To the south of the town centre is the town beach, which is really busy in summer. In bad weather, a visit to the small seawater wave pool ( www.meerwasser-wellenbad.de ) or the sweet factory ( www.bonbonkocherei.de ) makes sense. Those who prefer to be active outdoors can let off steam in the city's high ropes course ( www.hochseilgarten-eckernfoerde.de ) or go for nice walks along the cliffs and around Windebyer Noor.
Good to know
As in almost all Baltic Sea harbours, seaweed is a big issue here between July and October. You should definitely pack the appropriate fins!
