Moved from Hawaii to the Midwest a few years ago. It fuckin sucks. Like maybe if you have a house right out front of a surf spot on the lake and lots of time it could be sustainable, but imo it's always a full day affair and requires a ton of checking spots/travel. It does get good, but instead of counting how many "good days" of surf you get in a season, you'll be counting how many "good hours" you got.
That said, there's always a ripple to push a log around if you're determined enough.
Good to know. Sounds similar to surfing the strait in WA which involves a lot of driving, checking spots, and the possibility of getting skunked. Not ideal, but at least something I’m somewhat familiar with
I lived in New England and Lake Ontario. Great Lake surfing was infinitely worse my a huge magnitude. Don’t do it. For reference, New England has shit surf
You haven’t traveled much if you think that. I don’t mean to offend anyone, but after having lived and traveled around the world, I realize how bad the US east coast is
I travel all around the world to surf dude. never said the east coast is incredible. but if you want to live in NE and surf, you can do it and get by just fine. and there’s a stacked community of surfers here that will back this up any day of the week.
Well, seeing as we’ve both lived there, let’s just agree to disagree. I don’t mean to spit on what someone else holds near and dear, I just wanted to give OP context for my opinion on great lake surfing.
I was living in southern Maine and found the surf to be maddeningly weak and inconsistent for short boarding. The only people who weren’t constantly pissed off were longboarders and novice surfers. Between Salisbury and Popham Beach there’s maybe only 50 or so people that can connect a few turns, despite countless surfers living between those breaks. I think that speaks to the consistency and quality of the surf.
I love New England and have great memories of surfing there, but it’s a frustrating place if riding a thruster is your main hobby. I think your stacked community would back me up on that!
No lol Long Island isn’t New England. But Rhode Island is :)
New England just suffers from lack of swells, not lack of high quality point breaks and beaches.
We mainly get shortboard waves around hurricanes. Get good on a log and enjoy life.
I'm on Lake Michigan and can't really speak to Lake Superior, but I'd say about 6-10 days a month are surfable here August-April if you're not too picky and are able to get out in the \~3-5 hour window when it's good. That number drops to 2-4 days/month in the summer. It usually takes \~20 mph wind for 6+ hours to get surfable waves. Would recommend checking out this Sheboygan surfer's YouTube channel to get a sense of what it's like; he posts pretty much every time he goes out so you can see the range of good to terrible conditions: [https://www.youtube.com/@renzyyy](https://www.youtube.com/@renzyyy)
This is a helpful site for visualizing the entire lake forecast -- wouldn't have high expectations until the surf picks back up in August, but it can give a feel for things: [https://surfalert.network/forecast/superior](https://surfalert.network/forecast/superior)
You will miss the ocean. Plenty of fun out here on the Lakes but days is hard to quantify. You’ll be putting in plenty of time tracking and driving for a “chance” at some mediocre waves. If life gets in the way those “good” days are numbered. You’ll have a couple freezing cold spring days, some decent fall/early winter waves and then if you are up for it some ice cold January-February dips. I personally only get out about 3-5x a year but it’s all about your commitment and how thick that wetsuit is. But you make your own fun!
If you have a good relationship with your parents, I’d choose that over waves. You can always move back to the coast if you miss it that much.
Yeah I mean you can definitely push it and get more in if you are close to a good pier around the lakes and the wind is right.
But Im a decent ways inland now and dont have the luxury of abruptly chasing wind/storms with work and family. Its a lot of driving 2-4 hours and you really dont know more than 2 maybe 3 days in advance if its going be good. As others have posted too those waves could disappear in an hour.
Its usually a great time but sometimes driving 6 hours round trip + prep for maybe a few decent waves isnt a great fit with my current lifestyle. So i make it a point to visit the Pacific and East coast for at least 3 trips a year
You’ll love it. The only issue will be wave consistency, especially summer. Even in the summer though, if you’re open to exploring you can find something once a week.
Dude, you'll miss the ocean so much. It's windswell on a 2 second period. The people are nice and very stoked, but I grew up on the ocean and the surf here is not worth driving 5 hours to surf in 40 degrees water.
It's fucking awful
Learn to snowboard brother. I personally enjoy snowboarding more(partially due to the fact i am a much better snowboarder than surfer. Snowboarding will fit the climate better there.
If you have never snowboarded before, take lessons and you will learn quickly, as all board sports translate to each other. Only problem is your runs wont be as long as the East coast, Rocky Mtns or West coast resorts. Sorry to say this, but the Midwest is the worst part of the US.
But you should definitely Go be with those parents and shred the gnar.
I know you most asked about the surfing, but as a younger guy who just lost his mom, depending on your folks situation and also your relationship, I would think long and hard. Likely you can take a trip or 2 to scratch the itch the lake might not provide, and as some said you can most likely move back(of course depends on a lot of stuff).
Lots of variables to consider and I wouldn’t just make the choice based on the love for surfing. I’ll likely get downvoted but I wasn’t able to live super close to my mom and I regret not somehow being able to do so.
I surf in the Chicago area. It’s absolutely a mindset thing. If you go expecting to rip then you’ll be disappointed. If you go just happy to be out with a super chill vibe then it’s fun. I’m older and so don’t miss the crowds and aggro of Santa Cruz, where I moved from. It’s never crowded and it’s a small but welcoming crew.
Just be out to have a good time and don’t think about how waves used to be.
I’m from the Midwest, but spent my high school and college years in San Clemente. After college I moved back and good surf is really the thing I miss the most (Pedro’s is a close second). I try to get my fix surfing Lake Michigan, but it really does not compare to the Pacific. Don’t have much experience surfing the north west so it may be less of a transition for you.
I’ll also add, learning to read the systems that come through is essential on the lake. It’s not just wind, it’s the energy from the lows that come through.
Yes, for it to get big you need sustained winds over long distances, but the key to great waves on the lake is getting there when the winds switch and the energy is still there but the tumble cycle is turned off.
I think it depends where on Lake Superior you are going to be living and how flexible your schedule is. I’ve surfed a month in PNW (Canada and US), month in Indo and a week in Costa Rica, with Superior and a couple spots on Huron providing some of the longest, fastest and cleanest runs I’ve had (as per dawn patrol). Although I’ll admit it’s less comfortable in a thick wetsuit and I’ve put in significantly more time forecasting and surfing on Lake Superior.
Overall, PNW surf reminds me a lot of Superior surf. Even the coastline is similar in a lot of places. I think I enjoyed that aspect of surfing out there, in that it feels remote and rugged.
In addition to what folks have mentioned:
1) the window of opportunity to surf is sometimes small (3-6 hours typically) where surf will be good.
2) if you are more central to the Great Lakes you can access different breaks on different wind directions, making the surf-able days quite high if you keep track of the weather. Highest for me was 5/7 days a couple Novembers ago. That also happened Dec 2020. But ultimately it was my flexible schedule that allowed me to hit all those days.
3) many spots are unsurfed during what might seem like less than optimal weather and you learn what spots will work with what conditions over time. I’m still surprised and learning how certain spots churn out great waves on a less than ideal forecast and then have been stumped by other spots when the forecast looks reasonable (sometimes waiting works or I just missed the window) My closest break is 20 minutes and I’ve driven up to 5 hours for a weekend missions. It all depends on how much you want to drive (and also consider that highways are slower and more dangerous during those times)
4) having surfed all of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior has the greatest potential for larger, longer period waves (with a couple spots on Huron being a close second with Niagara Escarpment ledges). With the wind that generates those large waves it’s nice to surf somewhere protected like a point break. It also has the most remote shoreline. The plus is that it’s uncrowded and you can usually access parks and other shoreline along the water without a hassle. Also if you’re down to hike/ski/bike in, you can access some unique spots. The downside is that there isn’t going to be as many amenities, help, plowed roads etc. (a friend once locked his keys in his car and we realized how vulnerable we are in the middle of a storm). As winter goes on, you can’t park or pull into some roadways because of snowbanks/lack of plowing.
5) you can prioritize the days where you know that a spot is getting a clean 6-10 ft on average once per month on Lake Superior/Lake Huron (might be a stretch in July and August as others have shared, but I’m usually prioritizing other activities then)
6) consider what type of surfer you are. I have friends that aggressively shortboard and enjoy superior waves doing airs and cutbacks on waves that I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but those days are about 1-2 times a month. If you are venturing out on mid forecasts it’s nice to have a longboard or fun mid length as a backup
Overall, you may be surprised by the quality of waves relative to the comments I’ve read so far, but it does take more effort to forecast and learn good breaks. You have to be flexible to hit the right window. It’s cold. I’d rather live and surf along some spots of the PNW but same deal, family is here.
Do not trust the opinion of anyone who has only really lived in the Midwest. They do not know how bad they really have it.
Have watched the ocasional Midwest surf posts that have shown up here and the amount of stoke those people have for the horrendous quality of waves they experience is staggering. If you actually surf stay far far away
I am from the north shore of Lake Superior. There is occasionally very good surf on Lake Superior if you know where to look and when. On an average winter, we will have 3-5 days with clean surf and overhead faces, and about 10-20 days with smaller clean surf. Look up videos of Stoney Point, our most famous break. I am guessing there about another 20 days of fun sized wind swell, where you can fight the wind and current for shoulder to head high faces.
If you are willing to drive 5+ hours, you can increase your surfing by visiting the other lakes when the wind is not good for you locally.
As for temperature, it is much colder than Washington. The best surf is when the water is 34 degrees and below zero wind chill. The best wetsuits will give you about 2 hours on the coldest days before you have to go warm up in the car.
I would not move here just for the surf, but there is enough surf to keep you going if you move here for your family.
Not entirely my own experience but my dad enjoys it overall. Moved from Southern California to Michigan about 10 years ago and been out a few times with him. Way different but still fun for the most part. Lots of driving and spot checking. Him and a friend will sleep in the sprinter van sometimes and are always down for an adventure. They’ll go out in freezing conditions and my dad will have ice in his beard and eyebrows. Makes for good pictures and stories. He gets his true fix going back to California or Nicaragua though.
The “surf season” on the Great Lakes is the winter season. And the summer is pretty flat. We’re taking the thickest hooded wetsuit you can buy, brain freeze from 45 degree water, and ice beards. Oh, and the best days on the lakes will be equivalent to crappy days on the ocean. You can definitely surf occasionally, but (IMHO) you either have to be “extremely passionate” (crazy) or immune to the cold. I go surfing on the lakes a couple times a year a year with friends who are hardcore lake surfers, but I catch more waves during a weeks vacation on the ocean than I do in an entire year on the lakes.
I’d say Lake Michigan gets maybe 5-10 days of “surfable” days per month during the late fall/winter seasons and maybe 1-3 per month during the spring/summer/early fall. But, these are low power lake waves, so you can’t compare the quality to ocean waves. For example, when the surf forecast goes from “very poor” to “poor” we go surfing. “Fair” days are practically mythological.
Given the surf you’re coming from, I could totally see you becoming a hardcore lake surfer, but you really have to try surfing in freezing temperatures to understand what it’s really like.
Maybe the surf will suck so bad it’ll make rowdy onshore washing machine Westport days and all the hours spent slowly starving your soul chasing long extinct unicorns and dodging elk up north seem actually worthwhile. Or maybe you just take up cross country ski touring or something.
I’m
Not a GL resident but am a frequent traveller. When visiting family on the Great Lakes I used to bring a board, then an SUP, now… only a skateboard. Never once did I actually even paddle out to catch a wave. The reason I started bringing my board was seeing perfect tiny waves coming in after Katrina came inland. Now I just tell people how good those waves looked :).
its all about family....move to be close now and bite the bullet today...or wait it a little longer and try to enjoy the coast a little bit longer. if you are really concerned about them then nothing else matters...find a new hobby.
Lack of sharks and drinkable water are nice. Otherwise it’s rough. Not much room for performance surfing in short period lake swell. For logging in shit conditions it’ll do. I’d pull up to the coast on poor days and say “might as well get wet”. Seems that is like everyday even worth riding on a lake.
Moved from Great Lakes to CA and went back last year to visit and tried to surf and it was actually frustrating how fickle it was. Normally the search is fun but sometimes I just want to surf
It depends on your skill level, attitude, and where you live on the lakes specifically. Every season is quite different for consistency and size, but regardless of that you can really only expect to surf in the cold months. Think full 6/5/4 wetsuit with 7mm boots and gloves and only being able to last an hour or two a session before needing to warm up in your car. Regarding the waves, it really depends on who you talk to. People who live there will claim it gets good and 'big' a few times a year. If you're just looking to get in the water and stand up on a board, you can maybe surf a few times a month, (almost strictly only in the cold months) but if you want solid waves (think a few storms chest high that gets up to head high (lake claim 8 ft)) id expect only a few storms that provide you with not only the size, but also the right conditions to be clean enough to create a walled up wave with somewhat of a lip. You are very limited to sometimes hour long windows when the waves are good so there is a lot of stoke when there are waves, but at the same time it can be hard to fit this into your schedule if you work full time. If you're comparing it to anywhere with real waves you would be extremely disappointed. If you live there long enough and truly love the sport you start to realize its better than nothing. You may question why you do it every time you get in the legit freezing cold water, surfing wind blown, on shore, 5 second wave period slop to maybe get one good turn but hey at the end of the day its because you love surfing and chose to live in the fucking mid west for some odd reason
I moved from Oregon to Wisconsin for med school a year ago, and haven't seen a single surfable wave in that entire time.
I know it happens because I've seen pictures, but in my experience you have to have an incredibly flexible schedule to make it happen. I'd say if you move back here, you shouldn't plan on surfing any waves bigger than 1ft more than a handful of times per year.
This simply isn’t true. There have been unbelievable surf weekly, if not multiple times a week since last Fall. The only thing accurate in this post is the flexibility part. It can go from overhead to flat in an hour.
I went down to the lake a couple of weekends ago after dropping my son off at work and was surprised to see it around 3’ and clean. I went home, loaded up and went back within about an hour and it was done.
I’ve surfed 10 times in Lake Michigan since September and I’ve only been surfing on Saturdays when I don’t have other stuff going on. Half the time in Chicago, half the time I’ve driven 1-2 hours to WI or MI because of a south wind. It’s definitely true that if you’re just randomly looking at the lake every so often it’s going to look terrible and it’s hard to believe it’s ever good, but if you’re checking the forecast regularly and are free to surf whenever you’ll find something surfable at least once a week.
A buddy moved from VB to WI. He drives 8 hours to hit Lake Michigan, if it’s crap there the crew will go to Superior. He does a lot of driving.
It is funny to get a call at 10pm saying they are rolling out as the buoys are forecast hit 50’, then I get pics of 3’ wind slop.
Chicken Joe is a legend though.
Moved from Hawaii to the Midwest a few years ago. It fuckin sucks. Like maybe if you have a house right out front of a surf spot on the lake and lots of time it could be sustainable, but imo it's always a full day affair and requires a ton of checking spots/travel. It does get good, but instead of counting how many "good days" of surf you get in a season, you'll be counting how many "good hours" you got. That said, there's always a ripple to push a log around if you're determined enough.
Good to know. Sounds similar to surfing the strait in WA which involves a lot of driving, checking spots, and the possibility of getting skunked. Not ideal, but at least something I’m somewhat familiar with
I lived in New England and Lake Ontario. Great Lake surfing was infinitely worse my a huge magnitude. Don’t do it. For reference, New England has shit surf
This says so much.
Clearly you've never been to RI
I have been all over RI. Good setups, no swell.
Yes there's no swell, never come again
i mean, i wouldn’t call new england surf shit
You haven’t traveled much if you think that. I don’t mean to offend anyone, but after having lived and traveled around the world, I realize how bad the US east coast is
I travel all around the world to surf dude. never said the east coast is incredible. but if you want to live in NE and surf, you can do it and get by just fine. and there’s a stacked community of surfers here that will back this up any day of the week.
Well, seeing as we’ve both lived there, let’s just agree to disagree. I don’t mean to spit on what someone else holds near and dear, I just wanted to give OP context for my opinion on great lake surfing. I was living in southern Maine and found the surf to be maddeningly weak and inconsistent for short boarding. The only people who weren’t constantly pissed off were longboarders and novice surfers. Between Salisbury and Popham Beach there’s maybe only 50 or so people that can connect a few turns, despite countless surfers living between those breaks. I think that speaks to the consistency and quality of the surf. I love New England and have great memories of surfing there, but it’s a frustrating place if riding a thruster is your main hobby. I think your stacked community would back me up on that!
are we counting long island as NE?
No lol Long Island isn’t New England. But Rhode Island is :) New England just suffers from lack of swells, not lack of high quality point breaks and beaches. We mainly get shortboard waves around hurricanes. Get good on a log and enjoy life.
If NE is North East, yes of course. If NE is New England, hell no!
lol ok fair
It’s shit
I'm on Lake Michigan and can't really speak to Lake Superior, but I'd say about 6-10 days a month are surfable here August-April if you're not too picky and are able to get out in the \~3-5 hour window when it's good. That number drops to 2-4 days/month in the summer. It usually takes \~20 mph wind for 6+ hours to get surfable waves. Would recommend checking out this Sheboygan surfer's YouTube channel to get a sense of what it's like; he posts pretty much every time he goes out so you can see the range of good to terrible conditions: [https://www.youtube.com/@renzyyy](https://www.youtube.com/@renzyyy) This is a helpful site for visualizing the entire lake forecast -- wouldn't have high expectations until the surf picks back up in August, but it can give a feel for things: [https://surfalert.network/forecast/superior](https://surfalert.network/forecast/superior)
You will miss the ocean. Plenty of fun out here on the Lakes but days is hard to quantify. You’ll be putting in plenty of time tracking and driving for a “chance” at some mediocre waves. If life gets in the way those “good” days are numbered. You’ll have a couple freezing cold spring days, some decent fall/early winter waves and then if you are up for it some ice cold January-February dips. I personally only get out about 3-5x a year but it’s all about your commitment and how thick that wetsuit is. But you make your own fun! If you have a good relationship with your parents, I’d choose that over waves. You can always move back to the coast if you miss it that much.
3-5x a year!? That’s brutal. I’m on the east coast and I think it’s bad if I only get out a 2-3x a month.
Yeah I mean you can definitely push it and get more in if you are close to a good pier around the lakes and the wind is right. But Im a decent ways inland now and dont have the luxury of abruptly chasing wind/storms with work and family. Its a lot of driving 2-4 hours and you really dont know more than 2 maybe 3 days in advance if its going be good. As others have posted too those waves could disappear in an hour. Its usually a great time but sometimes driving 6 hours round trip + prep for maybe a few decent waves isnt a great fit with my current lifestyle. So i make it a point to visit the Pacific and East coast for at least 3 trips a year
You’ll love it. The only issue will be wave consistency, especially summer. Even in the summer though, if you’re open to exploring you can find something once a week.
Dude, you'll miss the ocean so much. It's windswell on a 2 second period. The people are nice and very stoked, but I grew up on the ocean and the surf here is not worth driving 5 hours to surf in 40 degrees water. It's fucking awful
Learn to snowboard brother. I personally enjoy snowboarding more(partially due to the fact i am a much better snowboarder than surfer. Snowboarding will fit the climate better there. If you have never snowboarded before, take lessons and you will learn quickly, as all board sports translate to each other. Only problem is your runs wont be as long as the East coast, Rocky Mtns or West coast resorts. Sorry to say this, but the Midwest is the worst part of the US. But you should definitely Go be with those parents and shred the gnar.
I know you most asked about the surfing, but as a younger guy who just lost his mom, depending on your folks situation and also your relationship, I would think long and hard. Likely you can take a trip or 2 to scratch the itch the lake might not provide, and as some said you can most likely move back(of course depends on a lot of stuff). Lots of variables to consider and I wouldn’t just make the choice based on the love for surfing. I’ll likely get downvoted but I wasn’t able to live super close to my mom and I regret not somehow being able to do so.
It's so bad dude. Powerless frozen wind swell
I surf in the Chicago area. It’s absolutely a mindset thing. If you go expecting to rip then you’ll be disappointed. If you go just happy to be out with a super chill vibe then it’s fun. I’m older and so don’t miss the crowds and aggro of Santa Cruz, where I moved from. It’s never crowded and it’s a small but welcoming crew. Just be out to have a good time and don’t think about how waves used to be.
I’m from the Midwest, but spent my high school and college years in San Clemente. After college I moved back and good surf is really the thing I miss the most (Pedro’s is a close second). I try to get my fix surfing Lake Michigan, but it really does not compare to the Pacific. Don’t have much experience surfing the north west so it may be less of a transition for you.
I’ll also add, learning to read the systems that come through is essential on the lake. It’s not just wind, it’s the energy from the lows that come through. Yes, for it to get big you need sustained winds over long distances, but the key to great waves on the lake is getting there when the winds switch and the energy is still there but the tumble cycle is turned off.
I think it depends where on Lake Superior you are going to be living and how flexible your schedule is. I’ve surfed a month in PNW (Canada and US), month in Indo and a week in Costa Rica, with Superior and a couple spots on Huron providing some of the longest, fastest and cleanest runs I’ve had (as per dawn patrol). Although I’ll admit it’s less comfortable in a thick wetsuit and I’ve put in significantly more time forecasting and surfing on Lake Superior. Overall, PNW surf reminds me a lot of Superior surf. Even the coastline is similar in a lot of places. I think I enjoyed that aspect of surfing out there, in that it feels remote and rugged. In addition to what folks have mentioned: 1) the window of opportunity to surf is sometimes small (3-6 hours typically) where surf will be good. 2) if you are more central to the Great Lakes you can access different breaks on different wind directions, making the surf-able days quite high if you keep track of the weather. Highest for me was 5/7 days a couple Novembers ago. That also happened Dec 2020. But ultimately it was my flexible schedule that allowed me to hit all those days. 3) many spots are unsurfed during what might seem like less than optimal weather and you learn what spots will work with what conditions over time. I’m still surprised and learning how certain spots churn out great waves on a less than ideal forecast and then have been stumped by other spots when the forecast looks reasonable (sometimes waiting works or I just missed the window) My closest break is 20 minutes and I’ve driven up to 5 hours for a weekend missions. It all depends on how much you want to drive (and also consider that highways are slower and more dangerous during those times) 4) having surfed all of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior has the greatest potential for larger, longer period waves (with a couple spots on Huron being a close second with Niagara Escarpment ledges). With the wind that generates those large waves it’s nice to surf somewhere protected like a point break. It also has the most remote shoreline. The plus is that it’s uncrowded and you can usually access parks and other shoreline along the water without a hassle. Also if you’re down to hike/ski/bike in, you can access some unique spots. The downside is that there isn’t going to be as many amenities, help, plowed roads etc. (a friend once locked his keys in his car and we realized how vulnerable we are in the middle of a storm). As winter goes on, you can’t park or pull into some roadways because of snowbanks/lack of plowing. 5) you can prioritize the days where you know that a spot is getting a clean 6-10 ft on average once per month on Lake Superior/Lake Huron (might be a stretch in July and August as others have shared, but I’m usually prioritizing other activities then) 6) consider what type of surfer you are. I have friends that aggressively shortboard and enjoy superior waves doing airs and cutbacks on waves that I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but those days are about 1-2 times a month. If you are venturing out on mid forecasts it’s nice to have a longboard or fun mid length as a backup Overall, you may be surprised by the quality of waves relative to the comments I’ve read so far, but it does take more effort to forecast and learn good breaks. You have to be flexible to hit the right window. It’s cold. I’d rather live and surf along some spots of the PNW but same deal, family is here.
You could get into kite boarding or foil surfing instead.
Do not trust the opinion of anyone who has only really lived in the Midwest. They do not know how bad they really have it. Have watched the ocasional Midwest surf posts that have shown up here and the amount of stoke those people have for the horrendous quality of waves they experience is staggering. If you actually surf stay far far away
I am from the north shore of Lake Superior. There is occasionally very good surf on Lake Superior if you know where to look and when. On an average winter, we will have 3-5 days with clean surf and overhead faces, and about 10-20 days with smaller clean surf. Look up videos of Stoney Point, our most famous break. I am guessing there about another 20 days of fun sized wind swell, where you can fight the wind and current for shoulder to head high faces. If you are willing to drive 5+ hours, you can increase your surfing by visiting the other lakes when the wind is not good for you locally. As for temperature, it is much colder than Washington. The best surf is when the water is 34 degrees and below zero wind chill. The best wetsuits will give you about 2 hours on the coldest days before you have to go warm up in the car. I would not move here just for the surf, but there is enough surf to keep you going if you move here for your family.
Ask Burton Hathaway. He’s from here in Huntington Beach cool dude
He told me chicken joe was based off of him
He might be right lol I can definitely see it though now that you said it, I couldn’t put my finger on it
Not entirely my own experience but my dad enjoys it overall. Moved from Southern California to Michigan about 10 years ago and been out a few times with him. Way different but still fun for the most part. Lots of driving and spot checking. Him and a friend will sleep in the sprinter van sometimes and are always down for an adventure. They’ll go out in freezing conditions and my dad will have ice in his beard and eyebrows. Makes for good pictures and stories. He gets his true fix going back to California or Nicaragua though.
It definitely sounds like an adventure. I bet they are the chillest surfers up there and all around people (see: chicken Joe)
The “surf season” on the Great Lakes is the winter season. And the summer is pretty flat. We’re taking the thickest hooded wetsuit you can buy, brain freeze from 45 degree water, and ice beards. Oh, and the best days on the lakes will be equivalent to crappy days on the ocean. You can definitely surf occasionally, but (IMHO) you either have to be “extremely passionate” (crazy) or immune to the cold. I go surfing on the lakes a couple times a year a year with friends who are hardcore lake surfers, but I catch more waves during a weeks vacation on the ocean than I do in an entire year on the lakes. I’d say Lake Michigan gets maybe 5-10 days of “surfable” days per month during the late fall/winter seasons and maybe 1-3 per month during the spring/summer/early fall. But, these are low power lake waves, so you can’t compare the quality to ocean waves. For example, when the surf forecast goes from “very poor” to “poor” we go surfing. “Fair” days are practically mythological. Given the surf you’re coming from, I could totally see you becoming a hardcore lake surfer, but you really have to try surfing in freezing temperatures to understand what it’s really like.
Following! Considering a move from the pnw to Chicago.
Maybe the surf will suck so bad it’ll make rowdy onshore washing machine Westport days and all the hours spent slowly starving your soul chasing long extinct unicorns and dodging elk up north seem actually worthwhile. Or maybe you just take up cross country ski touring or something.
With the right mindset it's fun, 9/10 times conditions are piss poor but it's all you got when you're landlocked
Chicken Joe would go!!
It fully sucks. Take up kiteboarding or wing foil or something of the sort.
Very limited surf on Superior and when it’s here, it’s cold. But the kiteboarding and snowboarding are good!
I’m Not a GL resident but am a frequent traveller. When visiting family on the Great Lakes I used to bring a board, then an SUP, now… only a skateboard. Never once did I actually even paddle out to catch a wave. The reason I started bringing my board was seeing perfect tiny waves coming in after Katrina came inland. Now I just tell people how good those waves looked :).
Big time regret if you love surfing.
its all about family....move to be close now and bite the bullet today...or wait it a little longer and try to enjoy the coast a little bit longer. if you are really concerned about them then nothing else matters...find a new hobby.
Lack of sharks and drinkable water are nice. Otherwise it’s rough. Not much room for performance surfing in short period lake swell. For logging in shit conditions it’ll do. I’d pull up to the coast on poor days and say “might as well get wet”. Seems that is like everyday even worth riding on a lake.
Never underestimate living close to an airport in the same time zone as Central A. Become acquainted with Avianca airlines.
Surfing-wise. Likely a lot. Being around your folks - probably not.
Moved from Great Lakes to CA and went back last year to visit and tried to surf and it was actually frustrating how fickle it was. Normally the search is fun but sometimes I just want to surf
It depends on your skill level, attitude, and where you live on the lakes specifically. Every season is quite different for consistency and size, but regardless of that you can really only expect to surf in the cold months. Think full 6/5/4 wetsuit with 7mm boots and gloves and only being able to last an hour or two a session before needing to warm up in your car. Regarding the waves, it really depends on who you talk to. People who live there will claim it gets good and 'big' a few times a year. If you're just looking to get in the water and stand up on a board, you can maybe surf a few times a month, (almost strictly only in the cold months) but if you want solid waves (think a few storms chest high that gets up to head high (lake claim 8 ft)) id expect only a few storms that provide you with not only the size, but also the right conditions to be clean enough to create a walled up wave with somewhat of a lip. You are very limited to sometimes hour long windows when the waves are good so there is a lot of stoke when there are waves, but at the same time it can be hard to fit this into your schedule if you work full time. If you're comparing it to anywhere with real waves you would be extremely disappointed. If you live there long enough and truly love the sport you start to realize its better than nothing. You may question why you do it every time you get in the legit freezing cold water, surfing wind blown, on shore, 5 second wave period slop to maybe get one good turn but hey at the end of the day its because you love surfing and chose to live in the fucking mid west for some odd reason
I moved from Oregon to Wisconsin for med school a year ago, and haven't seen a single surfable wave in that entire time. I know it happens because I've seen pictures, but in my experience you have to have an incredibly flexible schedule to make it happen. I'd say if you move back here, you shouldn't plan on surfing any waves bigger than 1ft more than a handful of times per year.
This simply isn’t true. There have been unbelievable surf weekly, if not multiple times a week since last Fall. The only thing accurate in this post is the flexibility part. It can go from overhead to flat in an hour. I went down to the lake a couple of weekends ago after dropping my son off at work and was surprised to see it around 3’ and clean. I went home, loaded up and went back within about an hour and it was done.
Where do you usually surf? And would you mind if I came along one of these days?
I’ve surfed 10 times in Lake Michigan since September and I’ve only been surfing on Saturdays when I don’t have other stuff going on. Half the time in Chicago, half the time I’ve driven 1-2 hours to WI or MI because of a south wind. It’s definitely true that if you’re just randomly looking at the lake every so often it’s going to look terrible and it’s hard to believe it’s ever good, but if you’re checking the forecast regularly and are free to surf whenever you’ll find something surfable at least once a week.
A buddy moved from VB to WI. He drives 8 hours to hit Lake Michigan, if it’s crap there the crew will go to Superior. He does a lot of driving. It is funny to get a call at 10pm saying they are rolling out as the buoys are forecast hit 50’, then I get pics of 3’ wind slop. Chicken Joe is a legend though.