Surfing the Great Lakes with Surf the Greats - And How You Can, Too

When I first learned how to surf a few years ago in Costa Rica, I was hooked. I loved being out in the water all day, paddling for waves, and feeling my board glide back towards the shoreline. When I was on the plane ride back home to Canada, I was depressed, and knew that I had to incorporate surfing and that feeling into my everyday life. There was only one problem: I lived in a small suburb just outside of Toronto where the closest (and, sadly, largest) body of water was a lake called Lake Ontario.

So, for the first few weeks or so after I returned home, I researched how other surf-loving Canadians found ways to incorporate surfing into their lives. The obvious way was to move to an ocean-based community like California, Mexico or Costa Rica, surf all day, and then work in a bar or restaurant during the evenings. I had a job in Marketing at home, though, and I didn't really feel like moving away from my family, so that idea was out of the question.

Next I found a place called Tofino, in British Columbia, which thankfully was in Canada. The commute from Toronto to Tofino, however, required a five hour plane ride, a two hour ferry ride, and then a three hour drive through the mountains without cell signal. It was definitely an incredible place to go for a surf trip, but not sustainable for actually incorporating surfing into my daily life. So, just as I was feeling (almost) defeated by my Canadian surfing research, I stumbled upon a company called Surf the Greats - and that's when everything changed.

Surf the Greats is a Toronto-based surf shop that is dedicated to (you guessed it) surfing on the Great Lakes. They sell surfboards and surf accessories, offer surfing, yoga and stand up paddleboarding lessons, organize surf trips, host surf events and parties, and even have an amazing coffee shop built into their store.

What I couldn't get over, though, was how they could be a shop dedicated specifically to surfing the Great Lakes. This concept, at this point in my life, seemed impossible. Growing up just outside of Toronto, I'd seen Lake Ontario on a regular basis, and it was almost always flat. Occasionally, I'd see waves on it when a storm was rolling through, but that was it. To be fair, though, I'd never really thought about looking. So, when I found Surf the Greats, I naturally thought what they were doing was awesome, and I knew that I had to learn more.

After sifting through the Surf the Greats website, I found out that you can actually surf on all of the Great Lakes, you just need to know where and when to go. I also found out that there is a whole community, with a lot of them based in Toronto, that are dedicated to surfing the lakes. A lot of this community, as it turns out, stems from Surf the Greats.

So, after getting stoked from simply reading their website, I rolled down to their shop on Carlaw Avenue in Toronto, bought a board (an Aftanas 6'6 Fish to be exact), a leash, and some wax, and headed home knowing that I could not only live out my surf dreams while living in a Greater Toronto Area suburb, but I could also hangout with other like-minded surfers in the community. Needless to say, I was stoked.

If you, like me, love surfing, live close to a lake, have a full time job and have no prospects of moving to the ocean anytime soon, check out Surf the Greats. They're even worth checking out if you don't want to surf, as they have so many different activities and initiatives to get you out and involved in the local surf community. If you're not sure how, here are some of the awesome things that they offer to get you out there:

Surf Shop

Surf the Greats is not only one of the only surf shops in the Greater Toronto Area, but also, out of all of the surf shops I've been to in the world, one of the coolest. The shop sells everything from surfboards, surf accessories, stand up paddleboards (SUPs), apparel, surf-inspired books, yoga merchandise and much, much more. It even sells some of its own branded merchandise, which, in itself, is really rad. The shop also has its own cafe. So, if you've never surfed but love the culture, head over there, grab a coffee, and hangout in one of the coolest spots in the city. It's worth the trip.

The shop also rents surfboards and surf accessories, so, if you'd like to try shredding on the lakes but aren't quite ready to fully commit on purchasing a board, you can scoop one up when the waves are coming in and give it a go. If you've already got a board, it may be useful to go in and rent some booties or a thicker wetsuit if you want to try pushing your surf season into the winter months.

Lessons

If you've ever thought about learning to surf or have wanted to elevate your skills, you can do so with Surf the Greats literally on the beaches of Toronto. Surf the Greats offers tons of different lessons to get you out on the lakes. Their Local Surf Lessons are meant for first-timers, beginners and intermediate surfers. The lessons include surfboard and wetsuit rentals, a lesson on safety and proper surf technique on the beach, and in-water coaching with Surf the Great's ISA surf instructors.

Surf the Great's lessons don't end there, though. They offer various lessons and excursions to get you out and enjoying the fresh water vibes on the Great Lakes. Some of these other lessons include Flat Water Intro to Surf, Intro to SUP, SUP Safari, SUP Meet-up Clean-Up, and much more.

One of the coolest lessons they offer, though, is their Forecasting Workshop. This workshop provides you with an understanding of how waves form on lakes, how to read weather maps and charts, and how to utilize websites and apps to figure out which lakes / beaches have waves. They also introduce you to some of the best spots on the lakes for surfing, teach you basic surfing etiquette, and educate you on the proper surf equipment, safety and rescue procedures required for various conditions. This class might be the coolest time you'll ever spend in a classroom. Just saying. Check out a full list of their lessons and excursions here.

Yoga

The fluidity and movements of both surfing and yoga lend themselves to each other - and Surf the Greats has tapped into this perfectly. In addition to all of the lessons and excursions mentioned above, Surf the Greats offers what they call a Tidal Flow yoga class every Saturday morning from 9 - 10:30 AM. The class mixes a vinyasa flow (composed of traditional yoga poses) with conditional movements from surfing. The class is designed for all skill levels and for everyone, even if you don't like surfing. So, if the lakes are flat and you still want to get in on some surf vibes, or you simply are looking to unwind, check out Surf the Great's Tidal Flow class one Saturday morning. You can sign up for a Tidal Flow class here.

In addition, you can also participate in their SUP Flow class, which is a hatha yoga class held on SUP boards. The class launches from Cherry Beach in Toronto. It also includes SUP Boards for the class, a dry bag for personal items, both dry land / in-water lessons, and photographs. This class does require previous SUP and yoga experience, though, so keep that in mind. You can sign up for a SUP Flow class here.

Events

Surf the Greats also hosts a number of awesome events in the community throughout the year. Some of these events are held in their shop, and some are held right in the community that us from the Greater Toronto Area call home. Events include beach cleanups, surf competitions, surf markets, pop up shops, local artist exhibitions and more. They also partner with other great Canadian companies, such as Mountain Equipment Co-op, to co-host even more events in the community. Check out their Events page to see some of their upcoming events.

Surf Trips

One of the coolest things that Surf the Greats offers is their surf trips. The shop holds a number of trips each year to surf beaches around the world, brings customers with them, and then holds surf lessons in the ocean. These trips are a great way to expand your surfing skills, while testing them out on ocean breaks. It's also a good chance to further get to know members of the surfing community back in Toronto, as well. If you're interested in attending a surf trip with Surf the Greats, follow them on some of their social channels for more information. You can also check out their website regularly for trip updates.

So, if you're new to surfing, have a strong desire to include it in your everyday life (like me!), or are simply looking for something cool to do on your free time, check out Surf the Greats. Their shop is definitely one of the coolest places to hangout in Toronto. Their lessons, yoga classes, events and trips will also get you stoked year-round, while also making you further appreciate the beautiful lakes we're fortunate enough to have in Canada. I know it's changed me, as I now spend time most days checking the wave forecasts on the lakes, browsing the Surf the Greats website for surf products, and daydreaming about surfing. If you're still not convinced, pop in sometime when you're craving a coffee. You'll quickly find out why you, too, should try surfing the Great Lakes with Surf the Greats.

For more content like this, subscribe to my blog here or follow me on Instagram.

The featured photo is of Surf the Greats Founder & CEO, Antonio Lennert, catching some air on a wave. The photo was provided by Surf the Greats.