 Something many people that haven't been to Michigan
(the Great Lakes) don't understand,
the great lakes are like mini oceans. They get good size waves. A friend
introduced me to this site and I thought I would share it. It's a site
about a surf film from the Great Lakes. There was a screening of this
film at the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival - Oct.
20-30 in Honolulu, unfortunately I missed it.
I have had the pleasure
of body surfing 8' to 10' waves in Lake Michigan many times and it's
more dangerous than you would think. Here in Hawaii the ocean is warm,
making the water less dense so it's softer and the salt makes you more
buoyant, you float. In the great lakes the water temp at best is 76°f in
mid summer. Most of the time it's around 65°f making it very dense,
heavy. When a wave hits you it's like a brick wall. As
far as unsalted, you sink, like a rock. Here in Hawaii I can go out and snorkel for
hours in 30' of water, but in freshwater you get tired of treading water
after 20 minutes. Then there is the undertow. The waves usually hit the
shore straight on so there is a current under water that can sweep you
off your feet and drag you hundreds of yards out, then because
you sink not float, well, many people drown every year from this.
I
heard many times people saying that the ocean is more dangerous than any
lake, well, it's just not true. Last time I was out with my boogie board
the waves were 18' to 23' and they were easy compared to a 10' wave in
cold fresh water. |
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