Berlin's eFoil schools sit at two ends of the city
Out west, on the Großer Wannsee and the Havel, there are three bases. eFoilution rides from the Bootshaus Waller, E-Surfer teaches in the Nixe Yachthafen, and eFoil Riders sits upriver in Spandau at Marina Lanke. On the Großer Müggelsee in the southeast you find eFoilution's main station and the Fliteschool at Alle an Deck. Lets-Foil and the mobile school Let's Fly eFoil have no fixed base.
A beginner session costs €99 to €299. For €99 eFoil Riders gives you about 45 minutes on the water, while eFoilution's €250 course has you riding for 90. The schools that publish an age start at 16, the mobile school at 18. Both lakes have their stations in fare zone B, so an AB ticket gets you out and back.
You need no boat licence under federal law while the electric motor delivers at most 7.5 kW in continuous duty. The Spree through the city centre is another matter, and the Schlachtensee and the Krumme Lanke take no motor of any kind.
Wannsee and the Havel
The Großer Wannsee is a modest lake, about 2.8 km² and 9.8 m at its deepest, that matters for what it joins. It is part of the federal Untere Havel-Wasserstraße, together with the Potsdam Havel lakes, the Kladower Seestrecke and the Jungfernsee. A chain of smaller lakes to the south, from the Kleiner Wannsee to Glienicker Lake, belongs to the Teltowkanal.
eFoilution rides from the Bootshaus Waller at Am Großen Wannsee 12H, on the shore at the Großes Fenster, from mid-May to mid-October. Besides courses and rental it books a demo session and a seven-lakes eFoil tour that loops through that southern chain and passes under the Glienicker Brücke.
E-Surfer teaches in the Nixe Yachthafen at Königstraße 4B, on Aerofoils boards, which use a jet drive and have no open propeller. The lesson runs 120 minutes and costs €249 with wetsuit, vest and helmet. A radio headset in the helmet carries the instructor's voice while you ride. E-Surfer says many riders are flying after 30 minutes or less.
Scharfe Lanke and the Tegeler See
eFoil Riders works out of Marina Lanke at Scharfe Lanke 115, on a Havel bay in Spandau up to 4.5 m deep, lined with rowing and sailing clubs. § 22.27 Nr. 2 BinSchStrO closes the bay to general navigation but exempts small craft, and an eFoil is one. The school describes its canals as wind protected. Speed there is held to 5 to 10 km/h.
Further north, the Tegeler See covers 450 ha, about 54 ha of it islands, the second largest lake in the city after the Müggelsee. It is federal water, and Lets-Foil rides there. The whole lake stays at 12 km/h with no faster zone (§ 23.04), and no vessel with an engine may pass between the islands (§ 23.27 Nr. 3).
Ferries, tour boats and the 100 m band
This is working water. The BVG's F10 ferry crosses 4.4 km from Wannsee to Alt-Kladow in about 20 minutes with up to 300 passengers, and it fills up with day trippers at weekends. Tour boats run the seven-lakes circuit in 1 3/4 hours.
On lakes wider than 250 m the limit is 12 km/h, or 25 km/h more than 100 m from the shore (§ 22.04 BinSchStrO). There is no faster zone on the Kladower Seestrecke between km 13.00 and 15.50, on the arm south of the Pfaueninsel or on the Sacrower Lanke. The Untere and Potsdamer Havel stay at 12 km/h. Glienicker Lake and the Griebnitzsee are capped at 10 km/h (§ 21.04 Nr. 1 e).
Müggelsee and the eastern lakes
Everything in the east happens on one lake. The Großer Müggelsee is Berlin's largest, 4.3 km long and up to 2.6 km across, about 7.4 km² in all, and shallow for its size: 7.7 m at the deepest point, 4.9 m on average.
Federal rules run it. § 21.01 BinSchStrO lists the Müggelspree with both Müggelsee lakes, the Seddinsee and the Dahme-Wasserstraße including the Zeuthener See. A protection ordinance for the lake and its shores came in 2017, and on 5 May 2017 the sports committee of the Abgeordnetenhaus heard that the lake stays a federal waterway and boating carries on as before. Sailing, rowing, canoeing and surfing are allowed all year. The reeds are protected, and the lake doubles as a drinking-water reservoir.
Two schools on the lake
eFoilution's home base and largest station is the Weiße Villa at Josef-Nawrocki-Str. 10, in Friedrichshagen, right on the water and with the school's Lift shop. No other Berlin station publishes a year-round season. In the cold months you get gloves and booties, and a warm shower afterwards. A two-hour test ride on the Lift 5'4 Cruiser, 4'9 Sport or 4'2 Pro, with 90 minutes on the water, costs €250, and the price comes off a board you buy there.
Alle an Deck, the Surf- und Segelschule Müggelsee at Fürstenwalder Damm 850, sits right next to the Strandbad and runs the Fliteschool Berlin. Its course takes about 1.5 hours, roughly 45 minutes of it riding, with at most two people per session (couples are welcome) and no experience needed. The school charges €250 a person, cash only. E-Surfer, a partner of the school, lists that course at €279 for 90 minutes, so settle the figure when you book. A Fliteboard licence is included, and the school says it lets you rent Fliteboards anywhere in the world. The season runs from 1 May to 30 September.
The marked channel and 12 km/h
On the Müggelsee the faster lake zone exists only inside the marked channel (§ 21.04 Nr. 4 b BinSchStrO). Outside it the limit is 12 km/h. The Müggelspree runs at 10 km/h on both sides of the lake.
Only sport boats with a combustion engine running must keep to the channel (§ 21.27 Nr. 6), so an electric board is free to leave it. eFoilution, though, puts the speed at which a board lifts onto its foil at 12 to 13 km/h. Anything faster than a gentle glide therefore belongs in the channel, as we read it.
Köpenick, the Dahme and Grünau
South of Köpenick the Dahme-Wasserstraße is held to 10 km/h. The faster lake zone is switched off from the Lange Brücke (km 33.24) to the start of the Grünau regatta course (km 39.30), and from there on it can apply again on the Langer See and the Seddinsee. Grünau is a 2000 m course for rowing and canoe regattas in a bay of the Dahme, so expect racing shells on the Langer See. The Gosener Graben is closed to motor small craft.
West or east for a first session
Between mid-October and mid-May the calendar chooses for you. eFoilution on the Müggelsee is the one station with a published winter season. In summer the west offers more schools, more board brands and a chain of connected lakes, and more traffic to share them with. The east is one big lake, and outside the channel its 12 km/h cap sits close to the speed at which a board lifts.
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| West: Wannsee and Havel | East: Müggelsee and Dahme | |
|---|---|---|
| Rail stop | Berlin-Wannsee (S1, S7, RE 1, RB 37), then bus 114 | Friedrichshagen (S3); tram 61 for the Strandbad |
| Schools | eFoilution, E-Surfer, eFoil Riders, Lets-Foil | eFoilution, Alle an Deck |
| Boards | Lift, Aerofoils, Fliteboard, SiFly, Jetwave, Waydoo | Lift, Fliteboard |
| Speed | 12 km/h; 25 km/h beyond 100 m from shore on wide lakes | 12 km/h; faster only in the marked channel |
| Other traffic | F10 ferry, tour boats, Havel shipping | Motor boats in the channel, regattas at Grünau |
| Season | Mid-May to mid-October at eFoilution | All year at eFoilution; May to September at Alle an Deck |
Booking and lessons in English
eFoil Riders is the one Berlin school that names its teaching languages, German and English, and its pages are in English. E-Surfer has English pages for all three of its Berlin spots and asks you to book directly with the location. For the Wannsee that means an e-mail to wannsee@e-surfer.com; the Müggelsee course goes through the Fliteschool. eFoilution and Lets-Foil run German-only sites. There, and at Alle an Deck and the mobile school, ask for an English-speaking coach when you book.
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| School | Base | Boards | Session | Price | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eFoilution | Wannsee and Müggelsee | Lift 5'4 Cruiser | About 2 hours, 90 minutes on the water | €250; €200 each for two | German site |
| E-Surfer Wannsee | Nixe Yachthafen, Königstraße 4B | Aerofoils | 120 minutes | €249 | English booking pages |
| E-Surfer Funkhaus | Nalepastraße 18, by appointment | Aerofoils, Lift, Fliteboard | 90 to 120 minutes | €299, credited if you buy | English booking pages |
| Alle an Deck (Fliteschool Berlin) | Müggelsee, Fürstenwalder Damm 850 | Fliteboard | About 1.5 hours, 45 minutes riding | €250 (E-Surfer lists €279) | - |
| eFoil Riders | Marina Lanke, Spandau | Fliteboard | About 45 minutes on the water | €99 | German, English |
| Lets-Foil | Wannsee, Tegeler See, Spree, Stößensee | SiFly, Jetwave, Waydoo | 75 minutes, 60 on the water | €149.90 | German site |
| Let's Fly eFoil | Lakes in Berlin and Brandenburg | - | About 90 minutes | €149 | - |
The Funkhaus session is meant for buyers. The showroom carries Aerofoils, Lift and Fliteboard, you get buying advice with the ride, and the €299 is credited if you order a board. The mobile school also sells a follow-up of about 60 minutes for €119.
Schools and rental stations
eFoilution
Berlin, Wannsee, Germany
Am Großen Wannsee 12H, 14109 Berlin
- Lesson: €250, 2 h
- Rental: €150, 1 h 30 min, Lift 5'4 Cruiser, Lift 4'9 Sport
- Season
- May to October
Rents only to riders who passed a course
eFoilution
Berlin, Müggelsee, Germany
Josef-Nawrocki-Str. 10, 12587 Berlin
- Lesson: €250, 2 h
- Rental: €150, 1 h 30 min, Lift 5'4 Cruiser, Lift 4'9 Sport, Lift 4'2 Pro
Rents only to riders who passed a course
E-Surfer
Berlin, Wannsee, Germany
Königstraße 4B, 14109 Berlin
- Lesson: €249, 2 h, Aerofoils
E-Surfer
Berlin, Germany
Nalepastraße 18, 12459 Berlin
- Lesson: €299
Alle an Deck / Fliteschool Berlin
Berlin, Müggelsee, Germany
Fürstenwalder Damm 850, 12589 Berlin
- Lesson: €250, 1 h 30 min, Fliteboard
- Rental: €75, 45 min, Fliteboard
- Season
- May to September
Rents only to riders who passed a course
eFoil Riders
Berlin, Havel, Germany
Scharfe Lanke 115, 13595 Berlin
- Lesson: €99, 1 h
- Rental: €89, 45 min
Let's Fly eFoil
Berlin, Germany
- Lesson: €119 (second lesson), 1 h
- Lesson: €149, 1 h 30 min
Updated November 2, 2026
From booking to the water
- Book ahead. eFoil Riders wants at least 48 hours and puts no more than three riders on the water per slot. The mobile school e-mails the meeting point once the date is fixed.
- Sort out the age question before anyone pays. Sixteen is the floor at eFoilution, E-Surfer and eFoil Riders, which allows no exceptions. The mobile school takes riders from 18 who show ID and swim well. eFoil Riders also sets an alcohol limit of 0 per mille.
- Pack swimwear that stays put and a towel. eFoilution and E-Surfer include wetsuit, vest and helmet, Lets-Foil books the wetsuit as an extra, and own gear is welcome at eFoilution and eFoil Riders. Bring cash for Alle an Deck, and for eFoilution unless you paid online. E-Surfer has you sign a release of liability.
- On the water, eFoilution opens with about 15 minutes of introduction, sends you out on a Lift 5'4 Cruiser with a beginner wing while the coach rides beside or behind you, and closes with a 15 minute debrief. Lets-Foil spends 15 minutes on land and 60 on the water, from lying to kneeling to standing and the first turns.
- Rain does not stop a lesson at eFoil Riders, and neither does colder weather. A thunderstorm or storm warning, or water too high or too low, gets the course cancelled or moved, with a full refund.
By eFoilution's own account almost every student flies in the first course, about 70 to 80% can rent after one course and 90% after two at most. eFoilution, Alle an Deck and Lets-Foil rent only to riders who took their course (or, at Alle an Deck, hold a Flite licence), and eFoilution also wants a private liability policy you already hold. It takes no deposit.
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| School | Who may rent | Board | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| eFoilution | Its own students who master the board; ID and liability insurance, no deposit | Lift 5'4 Cruiser or 4'9 Sport | €150 for 90 minutes |
| Alle an Deck | Flite licence holders or its own graduates; cash only | Fliteboard | €75 for 45 minutes |
| eFoil Riders | With the trainer on site | Fliteboard | €89 for about 45 minutes |
| Lets-Foil | After its course | SiFly, Jetwave, Waydoo | €99 an hour; 5 rides €396, 10 rides €749 |
By S-Bahn and regional train
Zone A of the fare map is the centre up to the S-Bahn ring, zone B runs to the city limits and zone C covers the outskirts and Potsdam. Every fixed base on this page is inside the city, so an AB ticket covers the trip. A ride on into Potsdam needs ABC.
To the Wannsee and Spandau
Berlin-Wannsee station is served by the S1 and S7 and the regional trains RE 1 and RB 37. Bus 114 leaves from the interchange in front and runs along Am Großen Wannsee past the Bootshaus Waller. It also serves the Königstraße, where the Nixe Yachthafen is. For Marina Lanke, take public transport to the stop Zur Haveldüne and walk the last 700 m or so. Drivers will find parking on site.
To the Müggelsee
The S3 takes 17 minutes from Ostkreuz to Friedrichshagen. Alle an Deck sends you on tram 61 towards Rahnsdorf/Waldschänke, 7 minutes to Strandbad Müggelsee, or one stop further on the S3 to Rahnsdorf and 20 minutes on foot, 10 by bike, through the forest. The Weiße Villa carries the Friedrichshagen postcode 12587, so Friedrichshagen is its station as well.
What the waterway rules mean for you
The big lakes and rivers are federal waterways under the Binnenschifffahrtsstraßen-Ordnung (BinSchStrO) of 16 December 2011, BGBl. 2012 I S. 2. Smaller navigable waters belong to the city and follow the Berlin Landesschifffahrtsverordnung (LSchiffV BE) of 27 April 1998, GVBl. S. 91. Every fixed school base here is on federal water, while Lets-Foil also rides the Stößensee, one of the city's own. What follows is how we read the two texts; a sign on the water or the school's briefing overrides any of it.
A small craft with a mark
The small-craft table of the federal waterways directorate (GDWS, KFT-G 8.0, as of 1 September 2024) files an E-Foilboard as a Kleinfahrzeug, a small craft, not a water scooter. Above 2.21 kW it needs an official mark, and a rented board must be marked whatever its power, which leaves the mark on a rental board to the school.
Licence: the 7.5 kW line
§ 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 b of the Sportbootführerscheinverordnung (SpFV) of 3 May 2017, BGBl. I S. 1016, waives the inland licence for a sport boat whose electric motor delivers at most 7.5 kW in S1 continuous duty. By our reading nothing in that rule turns on nationality. On Berlin's own waters § 6 LSchiffV BE asks for a licence under the SpFV but leaves its exemptions untouched, so the 7.5 kW line holds there too.
The city centre is the exception. On the Spree from the Kanzleramtssteg (km 14.10) to the Oberbaumbrücke (km 20.70), § 21.24 Nr. 1 BinSchStrO bars small craft under 11.04 kW, except from 3.69 kW with a licence under the SpFV. Through Mitte, then, there is no licence-free eFoiling as we read it. The licence for inland waters is the SBF Binnen (§ 3 Abs. 1 SpFV), and Alle an Deck runs the course on the Müggelsee for €290, with theory on four evenings online and practice on its exam boat. The exam fee comes on top.
Age, right of way and manners
§ 1.09 Nr. 1 BinSchStrO puts the helm in the hands of a suitable person of at least 16, so the sixteen on the schools' pages is the statute's number as much as theirs, by our reading.
Under § 6.02 a small craft gives way in good time to any vessel showing the blue flashing light (police, fire brigade, water rescue, customs; § 3.27), leaves other vessels the room their course needs, and cannot demand that anyone give way to it. Under § 6.02a a motor small craft, which an eFoil is, gives way to rowers, canoes, sailors and SUPs. Two motor small craft meeting head on both turn to starboard. Pass bathing beaches, campsites and fishing gear at steering speed, and keep your wash away from swimmers.
Closed lakes and Brandenburg
The Senate keeps waters below the first order for craft without an engine. The Schlachtensee and the Krumme Lanke are second order, so in our reading an eFoil has no place on either. On the city's own navigable waters, such as the Stößensee, motor craft are held to 8 km/h unless the authority sets another limit (§ 10 Abs. 2 LSchiffV BE).
Beyond the city limits, on a lake that is not a federal waterway, Brandenburg's Landesschifffahrtsverordnung (last amended by the ordinance of 23 April 2026) bans water scooters “and similar small craft, whatever their drive” as a rule, in § 69 Abs. 2. No authority has said whether an eFoil counts as similar, so our advice is to stay on federal water unless a school takes you elsewhere with permission.
A board of your own above 2.21 kW gets its mark from the WSA Spree-Havel, at Mehringdamm 129 in Berlin or Brielower Landstraße 1 in Brandenburg an der Havel, for €29.70. The picture across countries is on our eFoil rules page.
Water, weather and reeds
eFoilution says you can practise regardless of wind and waves, and the schools that publish a weather rule cancel for thunderstorms, storm warnings or strong wind. The IGB research station on the Müggelsee has logged the surface temperature several times a day for more than 45 years. Summer means have risen by about 0.5 °C a decade, and in summer the surface has gone past 30 °C.
At 28 °C, the IGB reports, the quagga mussel in the lake stops filtering and cyanobacteria grow. The LAGeSo checks the official bathing places from 15 May to 15 September and warns that mass growth of algae, toxic blue-green algae above all, can spoil the water. Check its reports in late summer, since falling in is part of every first lesson.
The official water sports season on the Müggelsee runs from 1 April to 31 October, and in winter important bird species rest on the lake. About 23 km of reed shore on Berlin's navigable waters sits behind protective palisades, and the Senate names ship waves among the causes of loss, so start, fall and turn away from the reed belt. For other lakes and coasts see the eFoil spots guide and, for what schools elsewhere ask before they hand over a board, the rental guide.
