Germany: Hamburg tour with the SUP board

...No wonder that three Fanatic team riders - Paulina Herpel, Kai Nicolas Steimer and Klaas Voget - call Hamburg their home.

Harbour, city centre or secluded nature. In Hamburg, everything is just a paddle stroke away from each other. Paddling into the city centre for a coffee or a pilsner is no problem at all in the far north. With 2,500 bridges, the Hanseatic city is the undisputed leader by far in this category among Europe's major cities - Venice has just 400. And where there are bridges, there is usually water underneath. The perfect SUP playground.

The canals run right through the city centre, through incredible parks, past even more incredible villas and almost all end where rowing in Hamburg originated: on the Outer Alster. Oh, what am I saying in Hamburg - in the whole of Germany.

"Gentlemen! We want to row!" With these words, 23-year-old Johan Cesar VI Godeffroy launched the Hamburg Rowing Club in 1836. It was modelled on the English model, which the young merchant knew from his apprenticeship in London. This was also the birth of German rowing. Today, there are ten rowing clubs in Hamburg, none of which have yet been able to really get to grips with SUP. This is partly due to tradition, but also because the boathouses are already completely full. But in the future, one or two rowers are sure to get on board. At the latest when SUP starts to flirt with the Olympics. Or rather: the Olympics with SUP. As there are so many waterways in Hamburg, the mostly secluded jetties of the rowing clubs are not even necessary to put the board in the water. There are plenty of opportunities to get started without a lot of running around. Klaas Voget: "I just get on the underground with my iSUP. After ten minutes, I'm in Eppendorf on the canal and off I go." If you want to take friends with you who don't yet have their own boards, it's best to start the trip at one of the central SUP hire stations. In the city park at Stadtparksee and in Eppendorf (Isekai 1 & Eppendorfer Landstr. 180), you can hire equipment by the hour from the "SUP Club Hamburg" or "SUPCO". It's always easy to meet like-minded people here. Paulina Herpel: "It's simply cool to paddle through the centre of your home town. Everything looks completely different from the water."

Paddling makes you thirsty

If you know how to stop for a bite to eat on the piste, you will certainly get your money's worth on the Hamburg Canal Tour. More than one pub is located directly on the water and attracts thirsty paddlers with its own jetty and fresh barley brew. The circular route around the Outer Alster is busy around the clock at weekends and in the mornings and evenings during the week. Caravans of joggers do their laps, supported by tourists from all over the world. On windless days, it's damn cool to simply power out on your SUP board instead of joining the queue. And the view is unique anyway.

Warsaw!

However, if the wind is forecast to be stronger than four, you should think twice about the Outer Alster. On the one hand, there is a lot of sailing traffic, and on the other, short choppy waves and the gusty wind can quickly turn the trip into a strenuous one. By the way: If it gets crowded on the water, keep right before left. Only the Alster boats always have right of way. If "Warsaw" is shouted in your ear from behind, you should get out of the way as quickly as possible. Rowing eights at full speed or dragon boats don't like to brake. The search for a parking space can also be annoying. The west bank of the Alster offers the most options here. "Alsterperle", "Bodos Bootssteg" ... There are plenty of places for after-SUP chilling. And you can prepare yourself for a few questions: "Isn't it difficult, isn't it easy to fall in?" Despite the World Cup in Hafencity, stand-up paddling has only really arrived in Hamburg in the last year in the eyes of the general public.

Captain, take me on the journey with you

If you don't fancy a normal harbour tour and aren't afraid of rowdy barge captains, discover the huge harbour area from the water on a SUP. And if you can't go a day without a wave, try your luck a little way up the Elbe. A ship will come and then ... But one thing at a time.

Before venturing onto the canals of the Speicherstadt, you should take a close look at the tide. At low tide, some fall completely dry - and wading through the mud here is certainly the last thing you want to do. What's more, where there are high and low tides, currents are not far away. It is therefore best to choose your route with the current. Incidentally, in some places the currents are much stronger than you would expect when you first look at the canals. The water is at its calmest one hour before and one hour after high tide. Information on the tide levels can be found on the website of the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (www.bsh.de). Search there for the Elbe water level for Hamburg St. Pauli. It always gets really exciting when a barge zips through the canals. And that's not so rare. You don't have to count on consideration here - after all, time is money for the boat captains. Then the water sloshes from all directions and you sometimes struggle to stay on the board. It's best to set sail here in the mornings and avoid the weekends. Then you have much more peace and quiet and can take a closer look at the buildings built on old oak timbers. Incidentally, the area is the largest contiguous warehouse complex in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A ship will come

Even for those who can't imagine SUP surfing without waves, Hamburg has a spot for you: if you're lucky, you can catch a small freighter wave or two near the Schulhauer Fährhaus - always head towards Wedel from the city centre. Kai Nicolas Steimer reveals: "I live right on the Elbe, so I train on the river almost every day. The current and the waves always make the whole thing exciting. And when a huge container ship passes by, it's a spectacular view." However, it is also important to keep an eye on the current and always keep enough distance from the big ships to avoid getting into trouble with the water police. If you're really clever, you can find out the arrival and departure times of the ships in the harbour and know exactly when the next wave might be coming. The website of the Port of Hamburg (www.hafen-hamburg.de) is a good source for this. Here you can also find precise harbour maps for discovery tours. Contrary to my initial assumption, paddling is permitted throughout Hamburg. Exceptions are the shipping lanes in the harbour and on the Elbe. So let's cast off!

Klaas Voget (SURF author) is not only one of the most talented windsurfing pros in Germany, he also has a professional eye for beautiful pictures in water sports.

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INFO HAMBURG

Hire & training

- SUP Club Hamburg powered by "Freerider Shop": Directly under the restaurant "Noas". One of the first hire stations in Hamburg. You can also start here with a pedalo or kayak. Boat hire "Noas", Isekai 1, 20249 Hamburg (Eppendorf); about 10 minutes to the Outer Alster. Rental equipment: Naish & Quickblade. Training: beginners to advanced, special race courses. Yoga and guided tours. Price for courses: approx. 35 euros for 1.5 hours including equipment. www.supclubhamburg.de , www.noas-hamburg.de/bootsverleih.html

- SUPCo: Eppendorfer Landstraße 180, 20251 Hamburg (Eppendorf); approx. 20 minutes to the Outer Alster at the Barmeier boathouse. Afterwards a piece of cake directly at the café. Equipment hire: Naish & Starboard. Instruction: beginners to advanced, special race courses. Yoga, Pilates and guided tours. Price for taster courses from 28 euros per hour, for 5-7 participants.

-Alstersurfer: Directly on the Alster, the exact location for 2015 has not yet been finalised. Rental equipment: Fanatic. Training: Beginners, personal coaching and guided tours. Price: Beginners' course 90 minutes incl. equipment 35 euros, www.alstersurfer.com

- HaiQ: Hegestr. 27, 20249 Hamburg (Eppendorf); about 15 minutes to the Outer Alster. Small but nice and always very personal. Rental equipment: Fanatic & Starboard. Training: Beginner courses, personal training & race training. Price: from 35 euros for 90 minutes incl. equipment. www.haiq.de

Take-off tip - Stadtpark station: Südring 5b, 22303 Hamburg (Winterhude), directly on the Stadtparksee lake; approx. 20 minutes to the Outer Alster. A perfect launch site, not only for children's birthday parties. www.sup-co.com

Small selection of SUP-Ins

- Café Canale, Poelchaukamp 7, 22301 Hamburg. Ring once and you'll get coffee and cake directly on board. www.cafecanale.de - Bodos Bootssteg, Harvestehuder Weg 1b, 20148 Hamburg. A Hamburg institution. - Alster Cliff, Fährdamm 13, 20148 Hamburg. Also beautifully situated on the Alster, opposite Bodos Bootssteg. www. alster-cliff.de - Alsterperle, Eduard-Rhein-Ufer 1, 22087 Hamburg. It couldn't be more perfect: enjoy a beer at sunset. www.alsterperle.com