Ocean and sea – surf theory

Around 71% of the earth’s surface is covered by water. Good for us surfers, as there are great waves for surfing on almost every coast.

The world’s oceans and seas offer waves to ride on almost every coast of the world. Even in the relatively small seas such as the North Sea and Baltic Sea, surfing takes place somewhere almost every day. Surfing is even possible on Lake Constance. We would first like to introduce you to the three largest oceans on the planet, as the potential for perfect waves is highest on the coasts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.

The Pacific – the Pacific Ocean

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Area: approx. 165,200,000 km²

Volume: approx. 696,190,000 km³

Deepest point: 11,034 meters (Mariana Trench)

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The Pacific Ocean (Latin pacificus ‘peaceful’), also known as the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Ocean or Great Ocean, is the largest and deepest ocean on earth and borders on all other oceans. Everything about the Pacific is huge! It is almost twice the size of the Atlantic Ocean and covers a third of the Earth’s entire surface. It is the deepest ocean and is home to the largest (underwater) mountain on earth, the largest coral reef and, more importantly for you as a surfer, it is home to the biggest waves.

The violent storms over the Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific and the storms of the “Roaring Forties” ensure constant swells from all directions. The Pacific is framed by the Ring of Fire: 452 volcanoes lie on the edge of the Pacific Plate, stretching from New Zealand via Alaska and Japan all the way to Chile. Hawaii rises majestically out of the Pacific in the middle of this huge tectonic plate and forms the center of the Ring of Fire as well as the surfing universe.

The Atlantic – the Atlantic Ocean

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Area: approx. 81,705,000 km²

Volume: approx. 345,700,000 km³

Deepest point: 8,605 meters (Puerto Rico Trench)

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The Atlantic Ocean, also known as the Atlantic, is the second largest ocean on earth after the Pacific. Its boundaries are the polar circles and the meridians through Cape Agulhas in the east and Cape Horn in the west. Compared to the larger and deeper Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic may not seem as impressive at first, but it also has a few exciting superlatives. The Atlantic is the stormiest ocean in the world, it is home to the largest tidal differences and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge forms the longest (underwater) mountain range on earth. This mountain range is as long as the Himalayas, the Andes and the Rocky Mountains combined. The Atlantic covers 25 percent of the earth’s surface and receives the most fresh water from rivers of all the oceans. In comparison, most people live on the shores of the Atlantic.

Indian Ocean – The Indian Ocean

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Area: approx. 74,970,000 km²

Volume: approx. 291,900,000 km³

Lowest point: 8,047 meters (Sundagraben)

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Most of the Indian Ocean is located in the southern hemisphere. It borders the continents of Africa, Asia and Australia as well as the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and, along the southern 60° parallel, the Antarctic Ocean. Although the Pacific Ocean is the largest and the Atlantic Ocean the stormiest, the best waves are still found in the Indian Ocean. Why is that? The “Roaring Forties”, a region north of Antarctica where one low pressure area chases the next, generate waves almost continuously.

On their seemingly endless journey through the southern Indian Ocean, they find no land masses that could slow down the waves. This very stable storm area at 40° latitude in the southern hemisphere therefore constantly sends perfect swells northwards. Indonesia and a few scattered small islands soak up these waves and turn them into world-class breaks against a tropical backdrop. It’s not for nothing that Indonesia is the number one surf vacation destination.

In addition to the 3 large and most important seas and oceans, we also have two special seas in Germany that we don’t want to keep quiet about here. The North Sea and the Baltic Sea.

The North Sea – one of our German seas

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Area: approx. 575,000 km²

Volume: approx. 54,000 km³

Deepest point: 725 meters

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For many of us Germans, the North Sea provides the basis for surfing. Whether off Sylt, the East Frisian Islands, Helgoland or in Holland and Denmark, people surf regularly everywhere. The locals share a kind of love-hate relationship with the North Sea. The fact that it is quite small and shallow, with an area of around 575,000 square kilometers and an average depth of around 90 meters, means that real ground swells rarely form. As a rule, North Sea surfers therefore surf blown and choppy wind waves that are generated by low-pressure areas directly over the coasts.

We often battle against the elements, which in turn is what makes our home-and-home wave machine so charming. And those who remain loyal to the North Sea despite all the circumstances and regularly head to the coast are always rewarded with surprisingly good days. North Sea surfing is definitely worth it once you have come to terms with the cold water and the wind! It is often only a few hours’ drive from home and offers the occasional nice weekend trip.

The Baltic Sea – our second German sea

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Area: approx. 412,500 km²

Volume: approx. 20,000 km³

Deepest point: 459 meters

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The Baltic Sea is the largest brackish sea in the world and, compared to the North Sea, is even less reliable when it comes to surfable waves. Our German Baltic Sea spots such as Weißenhaus, Timmendorf, Damp, Kühlungsborn etc. run 99% of the time only through strong onshore winds. This usually means short periods and extremely choppy chaos. However, the Baltic Sea locations now know their coast so well that they always get amazingly good sessions. But you’d better be in the right place at exactly the right time, otherwise you’ll quickly become frustrated. So, get on well with the locals and maybe you’ll get an interesting call from time to time!