How Do Surfable Waves Form On A Lake?

The basics of wave formation boil down to energy. Wind transfers energy to water through friction and pressure. Oceans winds travel over thousands of kilometres to create deep, powerful swells. When all of that energy from a swell reaches shallow coastal waters and interacts with the ocean floor, you get surfable waves.

Just like the oceans, waves in lakes are produced by a transfer of energy from wind. Though most lakes are too small to create any type of notable swell, the Great Lakes have a large enough fetch (the distance over water that the wind blows in a single direction) to create swells. However, fetch is not the only factor that needs to be considered. The wind speed needs to be around 25km/hour or more for 3-10 hours to create powerful, surfable waves. So, fetch, wind speed and wind duration all need to be factored in for you to get the right conditions to surf on a lake.

Sources: SurferToday, The Bureau of Meteorology, Red Bull