Munich Eisbach River Wave Un-Surfable After DIY Fix Fails

Munich’s Eisbach river wave, one of the world’s most famed novelty waves, which typically flows year-round in the German city center, suddenly vanished over a month ago.

It was after a regularly-scheduled cleaning of the tributary. And since then, surfers have attempted to restore the OG novelty surf spot to its former glory, by installing DIY underwater “ramps” to make the wave stand up once again.

But city officials have removed the rogue agents’ work, rendering the wave non-existent once again. And local surfers have admitted defeat…for now.

A months-long effort to restore Munich's famous "Eisbach" wave is being disbanded, the Surf Club Munich has announced. The group cited excessive red tape and a lack of enthusiasm for the project from the city government.https://t.co/w93NmD3Nj3

— DW News (@dwnews) December 27, 2025

Following the removal of the DIY fix and the return of the wave, the local surfing association issued the following statement:

“We were pleased that the wave was working again and surfing was possible, even if, as expected, it was only for a short time. It would have been nice if the city had been more lenient and tolerated this situation. However, after recent discussions with the city administration, it was also clear that this was not very likely. For this reason, we wanted to have a similar installation officially approved.”

All of this comes after disaster struck the Eisbach river wave, back in April of this year. A 33-year-old woman was surfing the wave, when she fell, and her leash was caught on a rock. The woman was held underwater for a period of time, before being rescued by the fire department. Later, she sadly passed away in the hospital.

The Eisbach holds a rich history in the world of niche river wave surfing, dating back to the 1970s. It is the world’s original novelty surf spot, in that sense, sparking an avalanche of interest in unconventional waves still plowing ahead today.

And while the Eisbach remains un-surfable for now, locals are hopeful. Their statement added:

“We are also open to alternative proposals from the city administration and would like to have timely discussions with the political leaders to find a pragmatic solution. The goal should be to restore the wave to its condition before the stream was dredged.”