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Paddlers versus ships: summer, sun, standing

2020-08-13T09:31:18.224Z


This year it is full not only on the water but also on the water. This is mainly due to the trend sport stand-up paddling. The boards are cheap, agile and fast - this becomes a problem in Hamburg.


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"Yes, there are days when it's really tight here."

"Yes, I noticed that this morning too. Sure, weekend, Corona ..."

"It's busy, but it's still water."

Clear. It's still water. But not only on the water, but also on it it is quite - let's say - lively this summer. 

Philipp Heindl notices that too. He runs a boat rental on a Hamburg Alster Canal. And this is what his jetty looks like on a sunny Saturday. The difference to the rest: 

Philipp Heindl, boat rental company
"Last year it was the case that the jetty was stormed here with absolute top temperatures of 30, 35 degrees. Now 25 degrees are enough."

"If I see it that way, Corona is playing into the cards of the boat rental companies."

Of course there are still rowing boats and pedal boats. Those who stayed at home prefer to populate the surface of the water this year on the "SUP". This stands for "stand-up paddling", which means that ideally you paddle standing up. Not always easy, given the traffic situation. 

"I was rammed! That was really bad, from behind! I didn't see it coming either."

The increased risk of falling into the water doesn't seem unattractive, however. 

"SUP not before 4.30 p.m." - "Okay, crap." - "I'm sorry."

There are now around 300 SUP schools in Germany; according to the German Surfing Association, they are completely overloaded this year.  

As a common household, this sport can also save space. 

Philipp Heindl, boat rental company
"The Alster only has a certain capacity. We cannot give out endlessly because otherwise we can jump from one board or from one canoe to the next."

Well - jumping is not a good idea on the water anyway. Instead there's still something like one

"Water Traffic Regulations". 

"I think if everyone adheres to the traffic rules to a certain extent, always on the right, avoiding passenger shipping, then that will be fine."

But there is also room for interpretation. 

"Right before left and always scream when someone is in the way. Something like that."

But there can also be something bigger in the way. After all, 16 excursion boats operate on the Alster for round trips. And now they sometimes get their problems.  

Jürgen Sawatzki, captain
"You really have to brake very often. There are a lot of people on the way who then don't control the boat one hundred percent."

The captain sometimes has to shift into reverse. 

Jürgen Sawatzki, captain
"Personally, I now say: better once more than once too little."

Jürgen Sawatzki has had many years of service on the Alster - 32, to be precise. It's never been as full as it is now, he says. 

Jürgen Sawatzki, Captain
"These stand-up paddlers have really exploded in the last few years. They are fast and also very agile, these little boards, you have to be very careful, right?" 


"This is really one of the hotspots here."

It is also full because more and more recreational athletes are arriving with their own boards. Entry-level models for inflating for a mere 300 euros are now available in abundance from discounters and hardware stores. 

"It just makes sense because you can quickly pack it in your backpack, in the car or even on the train, of course it works too."

"It's actually quite funny how quickly it suddenly happened. Three years or so ago it was definitely not that much."

Right. It is estimated that 120,000 SUP boards were sold in Germany last year. In 2020 there were around 200,000 - in the first half of the year alone. It becomes even more critical for motorized shipping in the evening hours when water sports are combined with another "leisure activity". 

Jürgen Sawatzki, Alster captain
"The more alcohol, the braver they get, and then it comes to the attempts that they really want to ram the Alster ships."

At some point, the fun stops. And what if it gets even busier for the next few years? 

Jürgen Sawatzki, Alster captain
"Then I will hopefully retire."

Source: spiegel

All business articles on 2020-08-13

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