Denmark
Country/State Data
Regions
1
Breaks
14
Coastline
7,314 KM
Cost of living
Capital
Copenhagen
Current Time
Security
Health
Positives
- 3 different swell sources
- Mostly sand-bottomed surf
- Lots of jetties and groynes
- Good surf and kite destination
Negatives
- Heavy west coast onshores
- High tide storm surges
- No wind equals no waves
- Fines for free camping
Where to surf in Denmark
Denmark is battered by fierce westerly winds all year-round and these winds can throw up some headhigh waves in half a day. Although small, Denmark is surrounded by three different bodies of water, which divide up the surf zones.
North Sea
The best area is the west coast stretch. To the south the Jutland coastline of small bays and long, rock groynes help clean up the surf nicely, but expect messy onshores and all swells to come and go quickly. The best area is the stretch of beachbreaks from the mussel-covered reef in Klitmøller to Agger, with the popular Nr. Vorupør situated in the middle. Good windswell can be ridden in breezes from S to NE and the coast is well exposed to occasional groundswells from the SW to NW. It’s less consistent and there’s less protection from the wind heading south towards Hvide Sande, but E winds will bring semi-hollow, clean conditions.
Kattegat
North facing Kattegat is the closest place to surf from Copenhagen but the waves are pretty pathetic. It takes at least six hours of 15m/s W or NW winds to kick up some waves to ride between Gilleleje and Aalsgaarde on Zealand’s north coast, while Hundested and Liseleje need N/NE. More spots are found on the mainland east coast north of Ebeltoft, needing very strong Kattegat winds between N and E.
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is surfed around Stevns Klint and Rødvig. Stevns breaks on a moderate onshore E or SE wind and Rødvig needs a stronger E to blow for at least 8 hours. Other areas with potential include Moen to the south, but the best Danish Baltic waves are on the island of Bornholm. Countless points and bays facing many different directions with a long fetch from the NE–E makes every windy day surfable. Bona fide surf info about the island is scarce, but rumours say that it gets as good as the North Sea coast of Denmark.
Surf spots in Denmark
Research the 14 surf breaks in Denmark and discover what spots suit the current conditions.
Break lowdown
We’ve collated the wave data giving you a unique insight into the 14 breaks in Denmark.
When to go
Surf and weather statistics to help plan your surf trip to Denmark
- jan
- feb
- mar
- apr
- may
- jun
- jul
- aug
- sep
- oct
- nov
- dec
Travel Information
General
- Current Time
- Tourists
- 12,749,000
- Population
- 5,792,202
- Tourist Info
- Tourist Info
Security
Health
Money
- Currency
- DKK
- Exchange rate
- $1 = 5.74 Dkk DKK
Cost of living
Communication
- Dialing in
- +45
- Dialing out
- 00
- Emergencies
- 112
- Language
- Danish
Electricity
- Plug Type
- ek
Visas
Denmark is a Schengen state and citizens of most EU countries do not need a visa. Citizens of USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand do not require visas for visits up to 90 days and the latter three can apply for a working holiday visa. All others, including South Africans and those planning to stay more than three months, must obtain a visa from the Danish consulate in their home country.
Getting There
There are two international airports, the main one being Copenhagen Airport with links to the Americas and the Far East. Billund Airport in Jutland covers all major European city connections including SAS, British Airways, Easyjet, Norwegian and Ryanair.
With so much water around, there are many ferry companies. DFDS Seaways link Denmark with Norway and Sweden. Scandlines operates ferries from Sweden and Germany via the Baltic. Stenaline links Denmark with Sweden. Ferries to Bornholm operate from Denmark, Sweden and Germany.
Well connected to the rest of Europe by train (London 15hrs, Berlin 7h30). Trains connect with ferry ports. Eurail and InterRail passes are valid on DSB rail services and Scan Rail passes are good value for unlimited rail travel in expensive Scandinavia. Unfortunately, baggage is limited to 100cmx60cmx30cm, so bodyboards only.
Getting Around
Few people choose Denmark as a surf travel destination, but it’s a good idea to take a board if one is going there anyway. A car will maximise the chances of being on top of the shifting conditions. Drive time from Copenhagen to Klitmøller is around 5hrs, and about 2.5hrs from Billund. Roads are good with average speed limits (130km/h motorway, 80km/h national roads, 50km/h towns) rigorously policed by radar and all offences attract heavy on-the-spot fines. Motorways are free but the Oresund and Storebaelt Bridges, charge tolls. Many Germans take the relatively short drive up to Jutland and stay for weekends or weeks, but the Danish police wont tolerate free-camping and issue big fines, payable immediately. The Swedes take the ferry over to Frederikshavn (3hrs) and then the 2hr drive out to the west coast, whenever a decent swell is predicted. There are campsites within walking distance of Klitmøller, Agger and Nr. Vorupoer. Rental cars are really expensive and so is fuel.
Denmark has a good public transport system with buses and trains (in danish) covering most coastal towns between them. DSB operates approx. 80% of passenger train services in Denmark, while a few minor routes are run by small private railway companies. The X-bus routes connect large towns in Jutland with only a few stops in between. Copenhagen to Thisted (13kms from Klitmøller) takes about 6-7hrs.
Activities
Travel Gallery
Surf Culture
Cultural surf gallery for Denmark
History
The Stormrider Passport
Get your Stormrider Passport to explore 5000 surf spots for as little as £1 a month.
What’s in it for you?
- 01.
5,000 DETAILED BREAK REPORTS
Access to 5,000 detailed surf spot descriptions with ability to save spots for offline access.
- 02.
10 STORMRIDER ICONS FOR EVERY SPOT
Compare our iconic, easily recognisable symbols, highlighting 10 crucial factors for every surf break.
- 03.
VIEW 4,000+ PROFESSIONAL SURF PHOTOS
Feast your eyes on over 4,000 surf shots from professional photographers.
- 04.
WINDY FORECAST FOR EVERY BREAK
Get the latest surf conditions from our forecast partners at Windy, plus webcams and forecasting links.
- 05.
COMPARE REGIONAL SURF SPOT DATA
Compare regional break data and statistics to quickly discover your ideal surf destinations.
- 06.
CREATE YOUR PERSONAL WORLD SURF MAP
Easily build a map of your worldwide surf travel adventures, or create a bucket list of future destinations.
Upcoming Features
- 01.
Partnerships
In the future we will be partnering with the coolest surf content commissioners to bring you some great value deals and collabs.
We've got more in the pipeline
Signing up not only gives you access to the World’s best surf information, it allows us to create even more amazing features in the future.