Lake Superior is a vast and unforgiving expanse of cold, freshwater. Typically there’s only a couple months out of the year when it’s temperature can be tolerated for a timespan that doesn’t induce hypothermia. In the summer. Dan Weirick and a growing number of Northlanders like to experience Lake Superior at the peak of frigidness, in the middle of winter.
Dan is a freshwater surfer and the waves tend to get the biggest in the winter months. While everyone else is bundled up from head to toe on a cold, windy, snowy day, Dan is completely submerged in icy water getting pummeled by waves.  The wetsuits that winter surfers wear are about a half an nice thick and act like whale blubber to insulate the body from 40 degree water temperatures. And surprisingly, the waves can get pretty big. The biggest wave recorded on Lake Superior was 51 feet in Whitefish Bay between Michigan and Ontario. The surf is alive and well on Lake Superior. Below is a conversation with Dan Weirick on the insanity of surfing in the winter.

Reader: Where did you grow up?
DW: South East  St. Paul suburbs from ages 0-28.

Reader: What got you into surfing?
DW: I always enjoyed the board sports growing up and always wanted to move to the ocean someday so I could surf. I rented a board a few times on vacation before moving to Duluth. I knew that people surfed here when I moved up north but it took me 5 or 6 years to try it. I thought it would be too cold and I didn’t realize how good the waves actually get.

Reader: How big do Lake Superior waves get? What’s the biggest one that you have rode?
DW: Like all Great Lakes waves, offshore waves get well over 20 feet but the biggest waves I’ve seen manageable enough for anyone to surf are double over head (10 foot faces). Biggest wave that I can claim is about a 7 foot face at the takeoff. Anything over 6 feet is a little out of my comfort range.

Reader: Clearly, if you surf when it’s 0 degrees in January, you’re likely insane. What makes you do it?
DW: A very common reaction from spectators on shore. I usually tell them I think they are insane for not getting out there and trying it. Funny thing is people outside watching tend to get colder than surfers in the water. When your paddling about 80% of the time that you’re out there, the blood stays pumping pretty hard. Also during Winter surfing the water is usually warmer than the air. I do realize that water decreases your body temperature 25 times faster than air. I never was much for getting out of bed early in the morning for hunting, fishing, etc to get the better catch but when I started surfing I was more than happy to sacrifice sleep for good waves. You have to get on it while it’s there, and if your schedule is flexible enough you even try to pinpoint the exact time of peak swell to catch the very best conditions. So what makes me jump in the water with no hesitation when steam is rising from the surface in the middle of Winter is that feeling you get, which is burned in your brain from previous sessions, when sliding down those perfectly shaped bumps of water.

Reader: Assuming you’ve surfed salt water, what’s better?
DW: My personal experiences have always been better in fresh water. Whenever I’ve been in the ocean it’s always been with rented equipment. Its always better to be dialed into your own board/gear. Also in the ocean I’ve been vibed by locals on more than one occasion….never a pleasant feeling when you’re solo and trying to experience a specific feeling of freedom that only surfing has to offer. The entire Great Lakes surf scene has a reputation for being very welcoming and having the Aloha Spirit. So fresh water is generally better for overall enjoyment in the adventure/social aspect of the sport while salt water provides more buoyancy, consistency, and longer periods, which makes it easier to catch and ride waves.