A Complete Guide to Surfing Lake Michigan
Taking advantage of an early morning January swell with south campus sitting in the distance.
Source: John Raftus
Most of the time, Lake Michigan behaves like a normal old lake. But when a strong wind blows just the right way, ocean-like waves can be found up and down the coast. Believe it or not, a thriving surf culture thrives amongst the Great Lakes, the only freshwater environment in the world that can be consistently surfed. While wave forecasting, gear-purchasing, and spot-finding may seem daunting, a little advice and some trial-and-error are all you need to start surfing the Midwest’s hidden gem.
Waves? When?
Between lakes and oceans, the formation of waves is the same: high winds and tidal surges impart energy to the water, consolidating at the shore to form shore-breaking waves. While Lake Michigan may not have access to the gigantic hurricanes, tropical storms, and cyclones that create epic swells on the Atlantic and Pacific, it does have a lot of wind.
The wind found on Lake Michigan forms due to temperature differences between the air and the water, often as warm or cold fronts moving north or south. These two wind directions are ideal, as Lake Michigan is over three hundred miles long north-to-south. The more length that wind is able to blow over a stretch of water, the more wave energy it is able to create– a concept known as fetch. Therefore, the large fetch of a wind coming from the north will create waves in the southern end of the lake, while the fetch of a south wind will create waves in the northern end.
NOAA “Wave Watch” graphic showing wind direction and significant wave heights.
Source: NOAA
While east and westerly winds don’t have the power to create waves themselves, they do greatly influence wave quality. An “offshore” wind organizes incoming swell and cleans up wave faces, while an “onshore” wind crumbles and jumbles wave energy near the shore. Therefore, a wind direction that incorporates an offshore aspect will produce better waves spaced farther apart, a measurement called period.
Tip #1: When looking for surfable waves on Lake Michigan, watch the wind. For Northwestern, a north wind sustained for at least six hours at 15+ knots creates the potential for great waves, and an offshore aspect improves their quality. A solid window before the swell ends could last only a few hours, so stay up to date on the forecast.
Spot-Hunting
A dawn-patrol group of surfers lined up off a jetty south of campus.
Source: Nicholas Rose
One of the most difficult aspects of surfing Lake Michigan is choosing a suitable surf spot. Locals will tend to safeguard the best locations for large waves, but there are a few generally known surf areas that handle large winds and deliver great waves.
Dempster St, Evanston: The closest solid surf spot to Northwestern, Dempster St. possesses a large jetty on the north end of the beach. It blocks a strong north wind and creates a great left point-break even on small days.
Sheboygan, Wisconsin: Known as “The Freshwater Surf Capital of the World,” Sheboygan is hands-down the best surf locale on the lake due to its ability to work both on a north and south wind. The town is located a two-hour drive north of campus.
Grand Haven, Michigan: For surfers located on the eastern side of the lake, Grand Haven functions similarly to Sheboygan. The pier blocks both north and south winds to create great waves on either side.
Whiting, Indiana: For larger waves than Dempster on a north wind, head down to Whiting at the very southern end of the lake. While the water quality is a bit suspect due to nearby factories, a few different jetties can build formidable size.
Tip #2: No matter what end of Lake Michigan you surf on, utilize jetties and piers to block incoming wind and organize swell. Also, respect the locals! Many of them have been surfing the lake for their entire lives and possess a large dedication to its care.
Dempster St, just south of campus, during an early fall swell.
Source: John Raftus
What Board?
On average, waves on Lake Michigan are smaller and less powerful than the ocean, and so some types of boards may not work well here. The absence of salt in the water also produces a noticeable difference in buoyancy. Typically, when choosing a board for the lake, default to something with more length and volume than necessary. Foam boards work well due to their floaty nature, as well as SUPs and longboards for the crumbly type of wave found at many lake breaks.
For more accomplished surfers looking to surf a shorter board on larger days, thick fish and grovelers tend to function better than true performance shortboards, although one can get away with a shortboard on certain days in Whiting or Sheboygan. Very specific breaks can barrel and form A-frames with the right conditions, but these tend to be closely-kept secrets.
Surfboard categories.
Source: Adobe Stock
Tip #3: More length and volume on the lake is better. For new surfers, try out a foam longboard or funboard. For experienced surfers, fish and thick shortboards can make the cut on larger days, but longboarding is more common.
What to Wear?
Because wind swells, and therefore waves, are created through changes in temperature between the air and the water, the best seasons to surf on Lake Michigan are the fall and winter. There are very few, if any, waves on the lake during the summer months. As a result, most days on the lake will be spent with air temperatures 40°F and below, with water temperatures ranging from 55°F down to 35°F.
For the Lake Michigan surfer, a good hooded wetsuit is a must-have, as well as a pair of boots and gloves. Wetsuits are categorized in terms of thickness, which is reported as a range in mm. For instance, a 5/4 wetsuit ranges in thickness from 4 to 5 mm throughout.
Tip #4: Check the water temperature before going out and invest in the right wetsuit technology if you plan on surfing in the cold. Surfing in freezing conditions with improper protection can be absolutely miserable.
Winter Surfing
The largest swells on Lake Michigan occur when Arctic blasts flow from the north in the dead of winter. Such waves arrive during single-digit temperatures, when an ice shelf has built up on the shore and lake water freezes almost instantly. The number one rule of winter surfing is: do not go out alone. The ice shelf is often weak enough to fall through, but tall enough to make getting out of the water very difficult. Ice flows can seemingly appear out of nowhere and trap surfers out in the lineup. Hypothermia when changing out of a wetsuit post-surf is a very real risk.
A common ice beard from a 7°F mid-January day.
Source: Nicholas Rose
Having someone else present to watch your back in case things go south is very important; also be sure to make a plan with water exit and entry, as well as changing out of suits–a wetsuit works wonderfully even in freezing water, but not so well in the air. A bit of hot water in a thermos can be very helpful when melting pesky wetsuit ice, and hand warmers to maintain finger feeling when taking everything off.
Tip #5: While it may sometimes be tempting, DO NOT surf in the winter alone. Make a plan on how you will get in and out of the water, as well as quickly change out of your wetsuit. Winter surfing is very manageable if you do it right!
Get Out There!
Local legend Mick Morel on a big February day just south of campus.
Source: Nicholas Rose
There are surfable days on Lake Michigan for almost a third of the year, so go try it out! Nearby surf shops in Milwaukee and Sheboygan run lessons all year for the newbie, and most locals will be happy to teach you a thing or two. Once you find a way in, the local surf culture is an extraordinarily tight-knit and fun group of adrenaline junkies; there’s hardly a day you will find yourself surfing alone. The feeling of surfing is uniquely indescribable, so what better place to find it then right off campus!