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Stormrider Guide to surfing Lake Erie

The Great Lakes, USA, NORTH AMERICA


Lake Erie surfing, John Ruebartsch

Summary

+ Unique freshwater experience - Inconsistent
+ Rare crowds - Long drives required
+ Quality surf possible - Ice and thick rubber
+ Inland surf culture - Pollution

The First Great Lakes surfer was a GI returning from Hawaii with a longboard in 1945, but surfing really started to grow on the eastern shore of lake Michigan and then on the north-eastern shore of Lake Erie surfing started in 1963/64.

Glaciers gouged out the 5 Great Lakes, creating the biggest lake system on the planet, containing 6 quadrillion gallons, or one fifth of the world's freshwater supplies. Their total shoreline, including islands and channels, extends for some 10,900 miles (17,549km), more than the US West and East coasts combined! The sheer size and concomitant fetch of these lakes explain the presence of surprisingly large, surfable waves with the right weather conditions. Because the system extends over 700mi (1120km) from W to E and 500 miles (800km) from N to S, a surf experience on the NW shore of Lake Superior can be vastly different from a session on one of Erie's southeastern beaches. Despite poor consistency (about 10 surfable days per month in season) and often inhospitable conditions, there are more freshwater surfers joining the line-ups each year.


When to Go

Fetch (combination of wind speed and distance) is the key element in Great Lakes wave formation. Several hours of wind blowing in excess of 20 knots over 50mi (80km) of water produces surfable waves. The largest waves on the lakes easily surpass 10ft (3m) faces, and waves more than 20ft (6m) are occasionally recorded, usually in spring and fall. In summer, wind speeds are at their lowest, so surfable days are few and far between. In fall, the clash of warm and cold air masses through the region produce strong winds. In winter, inhospitable conditions (shelf ice, snow) make surfing pretty difficult. Like autumn, spring is characterized by variable and sometimes volatile weather. SW winds resume their dominance as warmer air and increased sunshine begin to melt snow and ice, but the lakes are slow to warm (10-15ºC by the end of May).

Surf Spots

Lake Erie is the smallest of the lakes and the only one to completely freeze in winter. Consistent SW winds means the biggest waves will hit the New York State coast beachbreaks from Buffalo down to Dunkirk and the pointbreak at Wright Park Beach Point. A man-made jetty/reef holds tricky, rocky rights at Palmwood Point, Crystal Beach in large SW to W windswells. Pleasant Beach shows more shape and power for shortboarders.

Statistics

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
dominant swell - - - - - -
swell size (ft)
consistency (%)
dominant wind - - - - - -
average force
consistency (%)
water temp (C) 2 2 5 18 21 11
wetsuit 6/5 6/5 6/5 3/2 springsuit 4/3

Travel Information

Weather
– The Great Lakes have a continental temperate climate with 4 distinct seasons. Winters are generally long and cold with night temps below 32ºF (0°C). The moisture picked up by the prevailing winds from the west can produce very heavy snowfall, especially along lakeshores to the east such as Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Ontario, and New York. Storms can bring combinations of rain, snow, freezing rain and sleet with annual average rainfall about 40in (1000mm). During summer, storms pass to the north and warm, humid weather with occasional thunderstorms is followed by days of mild, dry weather. The lakes moderate seasonal temperatures by absorbing heat and cooling the air in summer, then slowly radiating that heat in autumn. From November to April, use a 6/5mm fullsuit with boots/gloves/hood, a 4/3 either side of summer when a 3/2mm should do.

Lodging and Food
Basic motels ($70/dble) to luxury hotels. Lower rates out of summer. Try Fountain Park Motel (down to $40/dble) in Sheboygan. The cultural diversity means a huge variety of food in the Great Lakes region.

Nature and Culture
The lakes are exploited for their natural resources and mistreated for economic gain. Water quality across the lakes is variable. Sewage systems are designed to overflow into the lakes. Introduction of many non-native and invasive species like sea lampreys or zebra mussel are a real threat. Heaps of culture in major towns (Art Attack in Sheboygan, early May).