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1/ , water temperatures, unpredictable waves and ice can make the Great Lakes some of the most treacherous waters in the world to surf. " 0.-.' ." ... .-.. , ut the more I learned about the surfing conditions on Lakes, the more I began to understand. Lake surfers have much working aqainst them. ince it takes substantial low pressure systems to cre B1i'ႀ䊉 'irideable waves, the best time of year to surf is fall and winter, or until the lake freezes over. Early fall yields the best combination of warm water temperatures and consistent swells, but the water is usually in the 30°F to SO°F range when there are waves. Consequently, extremely thick, full-length wetsuits and neoprene boots, gloves, and hoods are essential. Some even wear face masks to block the wind. The 20-mph wind needed to generate swell can create quite a wind chill in the winter. Then there is the buoyancy factor. A surfer's body and board do not float as easily on freshwater as on the ocean. Paddling and riding are arduous. Dan McDonald, a San Diego transplant, says it takes away that extra push you get before you drop in on an ocean wave. Larry Wi iams, a 3D-year, Sheboygan surfing veteran (no relation to Dean). estimates a surfer is about 20 percent less nt in fresh water. "It can make a lSD-pound individual feel as if they are 180 " he says. The solution is innovative surfboard design. Dean has tried to sate for the lack of buoyancy by designing thicker, longer and flatter rds. After spending several years in Florida and Hawaii shaping and glassing he has been able to unite his knowledge of board design with his nderstanding of local conditions. "We decided to experiment with oversize fish and twin-fins, " Dean says. Though a rider does lose some of the freedom of riding a smaller board, they will catch many more waves on an average, mushy day on the Lakes. "Shortboards sink when the waves back down," he adds. Consequently, the 1980s shortboard revolution did not make a big impact in the Midwest. Larry estimates that 7S to 80 percent of lake surfers ride long boards. Though the surf lacks consistency, wave heights can sometimes rival coastal measurements. Larry claims he has surfed western Lake Michigan up to IS feet and has great stories about his twin brother, Lee, charging the limestone bottom reef break which sits one mile off Sheboygan's coast. "You've gotta have a gun (a big-wave surfboard) to surf the Reef, " he explains. "If you blow it, you're on solid rock. Just like Pipe (in Hawaii)." It is hard to imagine a lake producing pow�rful surf until you hear stories such as the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a