Surfing in Ohio? Or Michigan? You Bet!

The Third Coast, as it’s known to die-hard surfers, Lake Michigan and its little sister, Lake Eire boasts some great waves, especially in the fall. But you can catch some mean curls in the spring and summer too.

The southeastern shore of Lake Michigan, near New Buffalo is a beautiful place to surf and we found it to be fantastic as beginners. Lake Erie, with her shallow shores combined with the late autumn and early winter winds is one of the best kept secrets of surfers. Of course, you have to have a little extra chutzpah to deal with the January water temperature of either Lake.

Our first attempt with Lake surfing was on our trip last summer to New Buffalo, Michigan, home to the Third Coast Surf Shop, a surfing oasis in the Midwest. Owner Ryan Gerard is extremely friendly, helpful and excited to help educate Midwesterners in the awesome resource right at their feet.

For about $200 for the whole family, we were able to rent boards, get shuttled (less than a few blocks) to the big sandy beach and spend almost 2 hours learning to paddle, "pop up" onto the board and ride the waves in.
Of course, on the day we went, the Lake was flat as a pancake. The day before, when we tried jet skiing, the Lake was in an angry mood and sending up 3 to 5 foot monsters. But things always seem to have a way of working out and for us, maybe the lack of big waves made learning easier. Bailey, Bree and Bubby took to the surfing like, well, fish to water. Dad and I were less limber, to put it kindly.

It probably didn't hurt that the surfing instructor looked like a surfing instructor out of a teen movie -- that certainly held the girls' attention for the entire lesson.

For the rest of our week in New Buffalo, Bree begged to surf. She'd discovered a new passion. She really, really, really enjoyed surfing, not just the cute instructor but being on a board, being on the water, being in the sun and riding in waves, even if they were tiny. And she was pretty good. Not surprising with all her dancing skills. In fact, she said she would give up dancing to get a surf board. That blew Mom's mind. We're definitely going back for a few days this summer and maybe, just maybe we will try out the icy waters of my childhood Lake this winter. That's a big maybe though! :)

Third Coast Surf Shop sells anything you could possibly need for surfing or boarding. You can shop their store online 365 days a year. Reservations can be made by phone or online. We scheduled ours online and it was hassle-free and easy.
Third Coast Surf Shop Info:

EMAIL: info@thirdcoastsurfshop.com

PHONE: 269-932-4575