Lake surfing

Though not significant enough to necessitate surfboard design changes, the reduced buoyancy of fresh water results in increased drag when paddling. Lake surfers enjoy water that is fresh ("sweet" as opposed to salty) and do not have to worry about the dangers from marine life (e.g. sharks, jellyfish, etc.) that ocean surfers may have to contend with.

Lakes where surfing is possible include the Great Lakes on the United States–Canada border and Lake Tahoe on the California–Nevada border.

Great Lakes

Strong storms, particularly in the winter and fall (at which time they may be referred to as a November Witch), can produce large waves on the Great Lakes in North America. During these surf seasons, there is often snow, shelf ice, and some ice in the water, making access difficult and conditions more dangerous. Dedicated surfers wear wetsuits or drysuits to keep warm. The surface water temperature when much Great Lakes surfing occurs averages between 0 and 5 °C (32 and 41 °F).

Sheboygan, Wisconsin, featured in surf films and referred to as the Malibu of the Midwest, hosted an annual Dairyland Surf Classic on Labor Day weekend from 1988 to 2012, which was the largest lake surfing competition in the world.

Great Lakes surfing has grown in popularity over the past decade thanks to the advances in wetsuit and or drysuits technology and the proliferation of information on the internet. There are small surf communities all around the Great Lakes, and medium-sized communities in larger cities such as Toronto and Chicago. Local community organizations such as Great Lakes Surfer's Journal, Surfrider Foundation Milwaukee and Surf the Greats are intended to nurture these communities, protect shorelines, and to raise awareness of Great Lakes surfing.