Windsurf-Island-Hopping

Dennis Adventure

Ideally equipped with fatbikes and reacha bike trailers for the beach and minimal camping gear like a throw tent, self-inflating mattress, sustainable sleeping blankets, a stove and a small cooler bag, Dennis and his girlfriend started their windsurfing adventure. The equipment was transported on two reacha SPORT with beach tires and so the island hopping adventure could start.

The light breeze from the west carried us from Norddeich with a tailwind first to Nessmersiel, where we took the ferry to our small neighboring island Baltrum. The captain steered the ship very carefully along the east side of Norderney along a shipwreck and plenty of seals. This alone is an experience to watch the curious, free-living predators at close range. As soon as you sat on the ferry, you felt directly relaxed.

Our first goal on each island was to visit the surf school and the locals to learn about the best spots. At sunset and low tide we could survey an ideal shallow tideway from the promenade, where numerous windsurfing beginners tried their hand in a light breeze. Both days the North Sea showed its rare mirror-smooth face. From the stories of Ulli Mammen, who built up the surf school on Baltrum in 1979 besides his teaching job, he reported how versatile the spot can be. He asked me a very interesting question: Why do you think the sand on Baltrum is so fine? A grain of sand from the east end of Norderney needs about 7 years until it arrives at the beach of Baltrum and is grained so fine during the long journey. With dreamlike sunset and live music I was already thinking about a perfect flat water session to low water and good north sea conditions at high water. The island offers something for every surfer. Thus, we had more time to spend our first island stop to explore the areas and residents of the smallest East Frisian island.

The car-free islands make you feel as if time has stopped in many areas. Which I found totally positive for an action-packed water sports vacation with high relaxation factor of the rest of the day. Horses are still used here as means of transport for people and goods. With our Maxx fatbikes and the wide tires of our reacha bike trailers, we were able to overcome every obstacle to the east end and already catch a glimpse of the next island. The eighteen meter high tower on the dune is the most prominent landmark of Langeoog. But only back to the mainland only 10 km further you hop from Dornumersiel already on the next island.Along the dike one follows dreamlike cycle tracks past flocks of sheep. Only the many gates throttled our average speed. Contrary to a Roadtrip you sometimes have to plan a whole day for a short distance. The heavy luggage and possible headwind can be quite demanding on the legs.

How do you get from island to island?

Slightly shocked, the nice employees of the ferry companies always welcome us with our oversized luggage. I sometimes felt like at the airport counter. But with normal equipment, board bag and adjustable reacha you can easily make it to any East Frisian island.

We also liked Langeoog very much with its idyllic settlement character and nice culinary town center. We visited the next windsurf pioneer of the East Frisian coast Walter Petersen. The Petersen family with son Toni, who leads the surf courses in the summer months, welcomed us warmly on their breakfast terrace at their surf hostel in the middle of the settlement. After sharing some insider information, the surf instructors and Toni finally wanted to show me their spot.

With the fatbikes and the reacha SPORT we cycled directly to the spot on the north beach, where one of the two surf school locations, the wave climber area east of the sandbanks and the surf spot is located. We quickly set up our boards and sails and had a blast in the small breaking waves of the sandbars. Afterwards, the surf instructors cycled straight on in their wetsuits to their windsurfing courses on the west beach. The way led us past the Galloway pastures and the spot inspired me again with ideal flat water and training conditions.

We completed the windy day with an evening session before sharing a meal and beer at Haus Petersen, where we had some exciting stories to tell. The next day we grabbed our fatbikes and explored the eastern part of the island.

Dennis Müller with his reacha SPORT, fully loaded with windsurfing equipment

Fortunately, the wind forecast developed into a fat storm. In contact with Wave Local Stefan Kruse from the island of Wangerooge he signaled the alarm for fat wave conditions. Spontaneous as we were in our journey, we first crossed over to Wangerooge before reaching the island of Spiekeroog. This time only carrying the small equipment we checked in at the Deutsche Bahn in Harlesiel. Without the info and the knowledge that we were in the next county, we were made aware 5 minutes before the ship departed that a negative rapid test is mandatory for the crossing. Funny enough, our luggage was already loaded and an emergency solution was needed. The only chance to get to the island at 5:40 p.m. was to travel by plane chasing our luggage. The nearest airfield was equipped with a test station, so we booked a flight and took the Cessna to Wangerooge. It was a dreamlike scenery to admire the islands from above and after six minutes we were already at the station, faster than our luggage.

I didn't let myself miss the almost dreamed-out wave session in the evening until absolute darkness and slashed some cutbacks into the perfect Wangeroog waves with Stefan.

Two more crazy wave days followed. So the only question I asked myself was why the hell I didn't take a waveboard with me. But I have to say, even the Freestyler makes a good shape in the waves and is super versatile. Only two or three locals and vacationers accompanied me on the next sessions. Stefan had the best view of the spot only unfortunately not on the water and had to serve his guests in the Diggers. I was extremely enthusiastic about the wave conditions on Wangerooge and I have to say that as a Norderneyer I was a bit jealous of the conditions with big wave gaps on those days. The reason is that the Jade water runs so close to the island and therefore the waves are very ordered, reported Andreas, owner of the surf school and the Surfcafe's directly at the spot. Imagine there are three perfect sideshore wave days predicted from the west and you share the spot with two - three people, you almost feel like in the Australian Gnaraloo or in Wijk aan Zee without people.

Back via Spiekeroog we let ourselves be infected by the relaxedness of the island without surfing equipment. The island has its own rhythm and has totally decelerated our tight island program. We were enchanted by the idyllic and pure nature of the ecological island. The settlement has a very special charm. If you love this kind of spa vacation, Spiekeroog is the right place for you. Of course you can also surf here. For beginners in the tideway at low tide and bump & jump conditions arise at high tide.

On the longest bike stage from Neuharlingersiel we stopped at Norddeich during the drizzle. Strengthened with a fish sandwich and dry clothes, we reached the Pilsum lighthouse after seventy-five kilometers at sunset over Greetsiel. Awakened by the sheep, we shot a few photos of Otto Walkes apartment from his 'The Disaster Movie' in the soft morning light. Arriving in Emden we headed for our second to last destination of our island hopping tour: The island of Borkum. And also here we caught a perfect freestyle session in the tide-independent tidal creek of the north beach at a dreamlike sunset.

The return trip to Norddeich demanded everything from our thighs with frontal north wind. With a chilly light shower from above, we just missed the ferry to Juist to complete our adventure. I did not want to accept this and already on the bike we had the idea for a Plan B. The north wind would be perfect to surf from Norderney to Juist. So we took the ferry to the west beach of Norderney. In the distance you could already see a good spray between the islands and strong waves in front of Juist. With a proof selfie with Juist town center as background, I fought my way back through the Juist breakers and reached my home island of Norderney. Visibly relieved, Kati took me in her arms, because you quickly lose sight of each other in the wave troughs on the almost ten kilometer stretch. To top it off, the north wind blew all night and gave me a great welcome session in the surf bay with my friends at the home spot. It's no secret that Norderney is one of the most diverse and challenging spots in Germany. Be it a session in the protected surf bay on the mudflat side, lab freestyle conditions on the sandbank or a fat wave session at the Januskopf in front of the surf cafe, everyone gets their money's worth.

A big thank you goes to the company reacha, which provided us with two trailers of the model reacha SPORT. The lightweight and at the same time robustness of the trailer has saved us a lot of sweat in the headwind on the North Sea coast. In combination with the 20" beach Fat tires no sand or other obstacles could stop us. In addition, the quick size adjustability simplified a lot of things for us to easily react to the space limitations on the ferries or when passing the shank gates.

More impressions from Dennis adventure