While some individuals opt for indoor activities during the chilly Canadian winter, Vesa Luomaranta seizes the opportunity to enjoy the cold season.
Instead of engaging in traditional winter pastimes like pond hockey or skiing, Luomaranta finds his joy in surfing.
When asked why he surfs in winter, Luomaranta, the owner of Superior East Board Shop in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., explained, “For the love of surfing. For the love of the waves.”
Although the waves in Canada may not offer the warmth of Oahu’s north coast in Hawaii, Luomaranta asserts that there are plenty of locations in Canada to catch winter waves, even if it means dealing with snow and ice.
Reasons for Winter Surfing
Luomaranta’s preferred spot is Lake Superior, while other surfers venture to destinations like Tofino, B.C., and the East Coast. Winter waves in Canada provide a unique experience compared to tropical waves, making them highly sought after by surfers.
Jess Dimis initially hesitated to surf in cold waters but was persuaded by a friend to give it a try. Her experience off the coast of British Columbia differed significantly from her first surf in Costa Rica, yet she was instantly captivated.
“Even my coach at the time noticed the change in me and knew that surfing had become a significant part of my life,” said Dimis, who now teaches surfing at Surf Sister School in Tofino.
“It has truly transformed my life. I fell in love with it completely.”
For Dean Petty, a former professional surfer, cold-water surfing is ingrained in his upbringing. Despite now being able to surf in warmer locales, his earliest surfing experiences were in the North Atlantic, off Nova Scotia’s coast.
“There is a certain allure to the challenge,” said Petty, the founder of Camp Bueno Surf Sanctuary in Cow Bay, N.S.
Due to the lower number of enthusiasts, the cold-water surfing community is smaller but more tightly knit, according to Petty.
If one desires to surf in Canada, both Petty and Luomaranta affirm that winter offers the best waves.
“The waves are massive, crashing onto the shore,” Luomaranta described the winter waves on Lake Superior. “When the winter northwest winds pick up, they create quite a significant wave. Witnessing it crash and hearing the water is truly remarkable.”
However, surfing in frigid waters necessitates specific safety measures. Water temperatures drop to around 3 degrees Celsius and can vary depending on the lake’s location, as noted by Luomaranta.</p
