Meet The Dedicated Thrill-Seekers Who Surf Lake Erie: Oh Hi, Ohio

CLEVELAND — Believe it or not, there are people who surf Lake Erie.

And when you surf Lake Erie, you better wear a wetsuit.

There’s two reasons for donning that coverage: one, Lake Erie is cold. As spring thaws Northeast Ohio, the lake remains stubbornly chilly, maintaining temperatures in the 40s through part of May. Approximately 75 degrees is the warmest the water will get, and that will only last through a few short weeks in August. Then the temperatures start dropping again.

Two, Lake Erie isn’t the cleanest body of water in the world. Everyone remembers the fire (which was technically on the connecting Cuyahoga River), but after major rain storms, sewage pipes can sometimes empty into the water, boosting the bacteria level in the lake to unsafe levels.

Surfers tend to avoid the water when bacteria levels are too high, or at least avoid dipping their heads under the water. If they’re exposed to that bacteria, “You can get anything from diarrhea to more serious stuff,” said Justin Albaugh, who has been surfing Lake Erie for five years.

Despite those obstacles, a dedicated crew of wave chasers still seek thrills on the shallowest of the Great Lakes.

Making Waves

Unlike oceans, Lake Erie’s waves aren’t generated by tides. Instead, surfers have to wait for powerful winds and atmospheric pressure to generate tasty surfing conditions. Tasty and dangerous.

“When you get 30 or 40 mph winds, the current can get pretty rough. It can get like a wash machine,” Albaugh said.

Once conditions are right, and the weather a bit warmer, 40 to 45 people might paddle onto the lake, wobble upward and glide along the crest of a wave. The makeshift crew of surfers hail from different backgrounds, some are transplants from states with popular surfing scenes, others are native Ohioans looking to indulge in their hometown’s underutilized thrills. Together, they form one of Northeast Ohio’s most-unexplored scenes.

“Unlike some more common surf areas in the country, the people that surf in Cleveland are in the water for one reason, and that's to catch a wave no matter the size or quality,” said Josh Papp, another of Lake Erie’s dedicated surfers.

“Luckily we don't have wave stealing, locals-only attitudes in the water. When the surf is up and we are all out in the lineup, you can feel a real sense of camaraderie,” Papp added.

Don’t think the surf scene is only a summer phenomenon though. Like true Ohioans, the crew wades through thick flurries to find waves. Winter isn’t going to slow them down.

“The days when we wake up to a fresh foot of snow and head to the lake are some of my most cherished memories. There is something mystical about being in the water while snow falls and most of the city is hiding comfortably in their homes. Something that used to seem like a miserable idea is now one that I look forward to like a kid waiting for Christmas,” Papp said.

As Northeast Ohio trudges through another typical spring, with wildly fluctuating temperatures and bouts of rain and snow, keep an eye on the lakeshore, you might see shivering surfers scouting the water for waves.

As part of "Oh Hi, Ohio" Patch's Chris Mosby is exploring Cleveland's unseen nooks and corners, pursuing oddities that make life in Northeast Ohio so unique. If you have story suggestions, email him at chris.mosby@patch.com.