Great Lakes Surfing
Given the winter we’ve had here in Cleveland, I am extremely grateful to have just returned from a long weekend visiting family in Florida. The sun and warmth felt life-giving this particular year.
I took my daughters to a pool complex with slides and a lazy river. When I paid our entry, the attendant said he wanted me to know that the pool temperature was only about 75 degrees. I got the sense they had received some complaints. I said to him, “Oh, we’re from Ohio, they will be perfectly fine.”
They were perfectly fine at a water temperature of 75 degrees. But, what about at 40 degrees? This was the water temperature in Lake Superior over Thanksgiving weekend 2025 when images of surfers tackling 15-20 feet waves on the lake circulated around social media to much traffic and commentary in the surfing world. Here is Surfer magazine shortly after that in early December posting a headline “Surfers Score Shockingly Perfect Waves on the Great Lakes”. They have some video if you want to see it. PRIDE. This is hardcore stuff.
Great Lake surfing is a thing. And it is at its best in the late fall and early winter when the lakes experience heavy storms and wind, and before they freeze over. The obvious downside to this timing is the air and water temperature. Expensive, thick wetsuits covering all extremities and head are a non-negotiable, and even with them, the danger of cold exposure and hypothermia exist. Pictures of Great Lakes surfers in these months often include icicles dangling from facial features and hair.
In reading about Great Lakes surfing, I learned that the freshwater is both a pro and a con. The pro is that over saltwater can damage neoprene wetsuits or items as well as surfboards and leashes. The con is that freshwater offers less buoyancy in the water. To compensate for this, Great Lakes surfers often choose thicker and wider surfboards.
While surfing on the Great Lakes is at its best in the colder months, the summer with warmer water and smaller waves is a great time to learn the basics of surfing. There are surf shops like Sleeping Bear Surf popping up in a couple of locations to support the sport. Beyond surf shops, there are economic benefits of promoting the sport. Surfers spend some money into communities where they seek out waves with local food and gas purchases, and in some cases lodging costs.
Sleeping Bear Surf advertises a weekend called Shred Camp: An Autumn Adventure. Designed for women, it’s an introduction to surfing, stand up paddle boarding (SUP) with lodging, food and yoga instruction included. It sold out in 2 hours when posted in 2025! Can’t lie. Sounds pretty freakin’ awesome if one wanted to experience the Great Lakes in a new way.
