Unfortunately, offshore and glassy is not a regular part of our vocabulary. Our biggest surf is generated by strong onshore winds, which creates blown out disorganized surf… But we still occasionally go out because it’s big! Our cleanest and smallest surf occurs with a strong wind blowing the length of the lake parallel to the shoreline forcing waves to wrap around a pier. The best surf is when the wind blows at about a 45 degree angle to the beach which produces a decent size wave that is cleaned up by a pier or jetty sticking out into the lake, creating a mini point break. Another issue is our best surf usually occurs in the fall and early winter. While you can occasionally surf in trunks with warm and sunny conditions in the summer, in most cases we surf on what most people would consider non-beach days. The best waves typically occur on cloudy, cold gray days with rain or snow requiring a wetsuit up to 6mm thick by winter. Because waves are wind generated on a relatively small body of water, our waves tend to break very close together with some inconsistency. A seven second period would be about the best you can hope for with most days closer to 4 or 5 seconds, which can make paddling out a real challenge. Most people prefer to surf along the backside of a pier or jetty that blocks and aligns the waves, while creating a bit of a calm area for paddling out. Sounds tempting, doesn’t it? Cold water, cold air, wind-blown onshore surf while fighting for your life just to get out. Believe me, it’s not as bad as it sounds. Actually, it’s pretty darn good. There are no crowds. Best estimates put the number of surfers in the Great Lakes Region at around 500. That means there is a lot of coastline for everyone. An average day will have only 4 or 5 guys in the water, on a crowded day there maybe as many as 10 surfers sharing a long beach break with many peaks. On about half my surfing days, it’s just my buddy Derek and me with the waves all to ourselves. There are no contests or competitions. I have to believe surfing the lakes is closer to the true roots of surfing. People surf for the pure pleasure of riding waves. They simply enjoy being in the water and being in harmony with nature. As a result, you have a real sense of community
among lake surfers with virtually no localism. In most cases, people welcome your company and are eager to share their knowledge. There are no sharks! No one has ever been attacked or killed by a shark or stung by a ray or jellyfish. The Great Lakes have been called sweet water seas. One of the real treats of surfing the Great Lakes is the freshwater. There is no salty taste in your mouth, residue on your wetsuit or the critters that live in the ocean. It gives you a real peace of mind knowing as you enter the water that your surfboard is the most dangerous thing in the water. While I love to watch videos of perfect waves in tropical locations in hopes of visiting someday, I feel very fortunate to be a part of a community of surfers that truly appreciates the experience and are passionate about surfing regardless of the quality of surf. Every so often, however, it all comes together and we have near perfect waves with warm water on a beautiful summer day. When this occurs we realise how truly fortunate we are to be able to surf these amazing freshwater seas.
Find out more about Great Lake Surfing GRAND HAVEN SURF CAM Website for webcam at my local break http://surfgrandhaven.com/cms/ UNSALTED The trailer for Unsalted, a movie about lake surfing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl4f3JlWdHQ THIRD COAST SURF SHOP A local surf shop with a photo section and forum will give you a feel for what it is like on the lakes. www.thirdcoastsurfshop.com
jul/aug 2012
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