Floating Wave is not open yet. The developer is targeting 2027. It runs Floating Wave (proprietary) in Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Verified September 2026
An unusual, well-specified plan for a city with surfers and no wave, with the pontoon builder already contracted. Everything now depends on the permit.
Floating Wave is a planned standing wave on a floating pontoon in the Altona fishing harbour in Hamburg, opposite the Dockland building, rather than on land. The platform is designed to carry a 12-metre-wide wave alongside a tapas bar and two terraces, with room for about 200 people, and uses filtered Elbe water with no chlorine. MEYER Floating Solutions, part of the Meyer Werft group, was awarded the pontoon contract in 2025. The building application first filed on 23 December 2025 had to be resubmitted to the Altona district office after a change to Hamburg's building code; the new application arrived in June 2026 and is under review. The operator gives 2027 for opening.
A stationary river-style wave 12 metres wide, ridden in place, with sessions of up to 10 surfers mixing all levels and coaches on hand. The operator says its pump and wave system uses about 50 percent less energy than other artificial waves in Germany. NDR, cited by entwicklungsstadt, reported a platform of about 20 by 40 metres and a wave of around 1.5 metres; earlier press figures differ, so treat dimensions as approximate.
Hamburg surfers who want a wave in the city, and beginners, since the operator plans mixed sessions with coaching. It also plans an acoustic system to help blind surfers and kids' sessions with the Social Surf Club. Watching from the pontoon is planned to be free.
The operator has named planned prices of 25 euros for 30 minutes and 50 euros for an hour, as reported by entwicklungsstadt in August 2026. Nothing can be booked yet.
Nothing to book and nothing to see on the water yet. The permit decision is the milestone that matters, because construction cannot start without it.
Technology
Floating Wave (proprietary)
Skill Levels
When does Floating Wave open?
Floating Wave is under development, with opening expected in 2027. There is no building permit yet: the application was resubmitted in June 2026 and is still being examined, so the 2027 opening depends on that decision. A floating surf platform in a working harbour has little precedent to speed the process.
Where is Floating Wave?
Floating Wave is in Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
