Written by Lachlan Campbell.
There are many ways to prepare for a wave pool session.
Studying online clips of the wave pool in question. Sussing out a more freshwater-friendly epoxy board. Surfing more.
Funnily enough, tipping litres of German bear down your gullet the night before isn’t one of them.
Alas, it was going to take more than bleary eyes and bubbly guts to stop me from sampling the newest reason to visit Bavaria’s verdant capital, a.k.a. The Village of One Million. O2Surftown Munich, located not 5 minutes from the international airport and 30-minutes drive north of the city centre, is Germany’s first outdoor wave pool and Europe’s largest (for now).
As an Aussie expat living in Portugal I’m not starved for waves. But after seeing the footage from opening day and talking to a pro surfer friend from Germany, I couldn’t resist double dipping (Oktoberfest + Surftown = a naughty amount of fun). So, how does it stack up to Urbnsurf’s Melbourne and Sydney offering?
Well, in terms of sleek, minimalist architecture, trendy eateries and sunglass-wearing surf coaches with their trademark air of unearned superiority, the difference is marginal. The biggest contrast between the two tubs comes down to how the waves are created and the end result.
Urbnsurf uses Wavegarden tech. Surftown leverages Endless Surf. This is an innovation from the same people who built the first surf pool in the industry at Disneyland Florida’s Typhoon Lagoon in 1989. Thankfully, they’ve come a long way since the late 80s.
I won’t go into the hardware that underscores their different systems. You can read more about Wavegarden Cove and Endless Surf tech here. What I am interested in is how their tech translates into the overall surfing experience, and after sampling both, I have to say that the difference is significant.
Firstly, o2Surftown is one big pool. This makes it easier on the eyes than the dual-sided Urbnsurf pool. It also feels more open and spacious when you’re sitting in the lineup. Similar to, one might say, a feeling akin to sitting in the ocean.
The waves also come at 30 seconds intervals instead of sets – one of the signatures of the Endless Surf system. Personally, I like the flicker of anticipation that’s triggered by the mechanical sucking that signals an approaching UrbnSurf set, but the short pause between waves at o2Surftown made for a more relaxed surfing experience.

Besides, with half a minute between waves and only a short distance to travel in almost waist deep water between the side of the pool and the takeoff spot, you can huddle around and talk about your last wave with your surf buddies before wading into the water and nabbing your next wave just before it arrives. It was kind of like those random little rock jump chats you have while waiting for a lull.
This configuration also means that if someone goes down on the wave before your turn, they have more than enough time to surface, grab their board and even shoot a few furtive looks towards the peanut gallery before paddling off to the side. Personally, I’ve never had an issue with people stacking it on the wave prior, only to cause a semi-submerged pileup of bodies and boards in the exact spot you’re about to bottom turn, but if you have, problem solved.
Wave-wise, there are two wave settings available to the general public: A-frame and point break. These wave settings are broken down into skill categories such as Kids, First-Timer, Rookie, Progressive, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert and Pro (coming soon). Regardless of what you choose, your wallet is going to be much lighter… especially when you factor in the exchange rate.
I opted for the lefthand expert A-frame and the lefthand advanced point break setting (goofy foot, sue me) with board hire. This cost me a total of €308 ($500 AUD) for a total of just over 2 hours’ surfing and around 22 waves, whereas an equivalent day of surfing at Urbnsurf would set me back about $243 AUD.
Naturally, I tried not to think about this and instead focused on the novelty of surfing 700 km from the ocean.
The pointbreak setting was by far the superior of the two wave types. This is despite the fact that the takeoff verges on gutless, with a 2-3 second window for speed generation before it walls up and folds down the length of the tub. Most decent surfers average 3-4 turns on one wave. Your local boardriders ripper is quite possibly doubling that before hammering the end section. On the Expert and Pro settings there’s even a little tube on the inside.
As for the A-frame wave, it’s limited but perfect if you want to practise the same single manoeuvre again and again. You don’t paddle against the wall when catching waves either, but instead surf towards it. This means you can play with how deep you want to take off behind the barrel. A fun little bonus, if nothing else.
Beyond the waves, it’s worth noting that o2Surftown is stacked with fresh boards from Pukas, Channel Islands and Firewire. This is a curse for anyone paralysed by decision fatigue, but a blessing if you’re interested in trying out different sleds. Get ’em while they’re snow white and patchwork-free.
Wetsuits were decidedly less glamorous, as they often are, and I was surprised that they don’t have middle sizings (i.e. MT or LT). I had to choose between wearing a post-gastric bypass second skin or a suit that gave me the male equivalent of a moose knuckle. If you can, bring your own wetsuit. Otherwise, men, don’t try the simultaneous kick out-to-board grab unless kids aren’t in your future.