Lake Ontario rarely comes alive in the summer but recently, we were blessed with a northeast swell. How exciting is it to think of surfing your home break in the sun without being covered in neoprene, right? That’s actually still a dream in this part of the world, though.

After checking the wind forecasts, we got very excited about the idea of surfing without the extreme cold we brave all winter along. I drove to the pier to meet my friends and we both were wearing 3.2’s thinking we were already going to be in more rubber than necessary. We walked along the pier checking the surf and it wasn’t long before jumping in the water that I realized how cold it actually was. Thanks to regular but unexpected upwelling, the water had gone from 72 degrees when I’d last taken a dive in the same area, to 44.

We both went back home to change and brave the lake in hoodies, thick rubber gloves, and booties. We surfed for six hours straight that day and the only difference between it and a winter surf day was that we took time to sit outside and talk after our session. Normally, the ice, snow, and cold air doesn’t allow us to do that.

Funny enough, our friends on the other side of the lake up in Toronto were ripping around in boardshorts the whole time.