While many are surprised to learn you can surf on the Great Lakes, more and more people are getting into it. Sure it isn’t Malibu, and you won’t get barrelled for days, but surfing is surfing—it’s fun no matter where you are or what kind of waves you’re riding.

Get schooled

If you’ve never surfed before, you should consider taking a lesson. While it’s not the easiest thing to do in Ontario, since weather is a major contributor to good waves, Mike Sandusky at surfontario.ca has been teaching in the province since 2002 and has a pretty good system worked out: If you sign up for lessons, you’ll get a 24-hour notice telling you where to be and when. He teaches lessons primarily at Ashbridges Bay and Bond Head on Lake Ontario, Wyldewood Beach and Port Stanley on Lake Eerie, and around Bayfield and Kincardine on Lake Huron.

Watch the weather

Few people watch the weather the way surfers do, and the really dedicated guys have jobs they can abandon at the first sign of waves. While we can’t all be so hardcore about it, no matter who you are, you need to pay attention to the forecast to get some surf days in. A strong onshore wind needs to blow for at least 18 to 24 hours before waves can really develop on the Great Lakes. The National Data Buoy Center provides real-time buoy readings for the Great Lakes and windfinder.com will allow you to track the wind. Of course there are apps for these things as well, so you can keep track on your way to the break. If this all sounds like too much work for you, then just stay active in the forums on sites like originsurf.ca. You’ll see a spike in activity when the waves are gathering, then just follow the clues to find out where they are.

Hit the breaks

The Great Lakes have more than 17,000 kilometres of shoreline, meaning there is lots of opportunity to find surf breaks. But surfers are a cagey bunch: they don’t love sharing locations with everyone, so they can save spots and waves for themselves. It also means giving you a list of breaks right here a serious faux pas. A couple of the well-known spots are definitely Ashbridges Bay in Toronto and Beachway Park in Burlington. Both spots have been mainstays of the Ontario surf scene for years. However, with a little research on sites like originsurf.ca and talking to people at surf shops, you will soon be on your way to finding more waves.

Gear up

If you’re looking to buy gear, then Boardsports and Silent Sports are the biggest surf retailers in Ontario for sure. They’ll also be able to give you great advice on board size, shape and design. And they can order stuff in for you. Again, sites dedicated to the Great Lakes surf scene are worth checking out. They will offer opportunities to buy used equipment.

While Ontario’s breaks rarely offer perfect waves, once you’re up and surfing, addiction may set in. If you find yourself suiting up in a 7mm wet suit in -10°C next November, it’s official. And if any of this article helped get you there, you’re welcome.

Everyone loves the traditional pulled pork sandwich: smoked, shredded pork piled in a crusty roll, with barbecue sauce and added slaw for crunch. Here’s a variation that includes the tang of sauerkraut and the goo of melted cheese on rye. For each sandwich:

Think “adventure,” and you might imagine exotic locales and death-defying stunts. Thankfully, though, there are plenty of perfectly hardcore activities closer to home—ones that take advantage of the province’s incredible range of geographic features and ever-changing landscapes. Your next great adventure may be just around the corner.

Prepare to get your clothes wet and your blood pumping when you shoot down the rapids on the Ottawa River. Not for the faint of heart—or the scared-of-water—the river’s sport routes guarantee the best of dizzying climbs and heart-stopping dips, with plenty of rock ’em, sock ’em splashes to keep the ride refreshing. But make sure you’re a strong swimmer before you embark on this wild ride. For families and folks looking for a taste of adventure—but not the whole banquet—there are easier routes as well, complete with gentle thrills and less chance for spills. The truly intrepid can explore solo or duo kayaking through the rapids.

More info: Wilderness Tours

What’s nearby: Culture and history buffs will want to check out the endless activities in Canada’s capital city. Jump on a bike and check out tanks and trenches at the Canadian War Museum, pedal through the Byward Market (stopping for Beavertails, of course), or simply enjoy the view from Parliament Hill.  

How to get there: Take the 401 east to Napanee. Then follow highway 41 north to Eganville. For detailed directions to the rafting resort, see www.wildernesstours.com.

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Defying gravity is the name of the game when you set out to tackle the jagged limestone cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment. Stretching 725 kilometres from Tobermory to Niagara, the Escarpment’s sedimentary rock faces are a climber’s paradise, from the 450-million-year-old fossils in the rock to the turkey vultures soaring majestically overhead. If you’re a beginner, Rattlesnake Point, just 45 minutes west of Toronto, offers easy-to-intermediate top-rope and traditional lead-climbing routes with spectacular views of the Nassagaweya Canyon. For a more challenging outing farther from home, Devil’s Glen and Metcalfe Rock, both 2.5 hours north of Toronto near Collingwood, offer a range of routes in different climbing styles for the intrepid climber.

More info: Zen Climb

What’s nearby: Hiking enthusiasts can hike the Bruce Trail from Rattlesnake Point to the restored Iroquois village at Crawford Lake Conservation Area. The park is just north of Milton, Ontario, where you can park for free and stroll down the historic main street.

How to get there: Take the 401 to Regional Road 25, turn left at Route 25 south, right onto Steels Avenue, and left on Appleby Road.

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Superman’s got nothing on this high-flying adventure. Just 25 kilometres from Guelph, the Grand River cuts a jagged swath through dramatic limestone cliffs to form the Elora Gorge—and that’s where you’ll clip in and zip along 200 feet of cable high above the water’s surface. Combine your afternoon of ziplining with a morning of rappelling down 64 feet of the layered, rocky face of the Gorge, and you’ve got the makings of an adventure fit for a true superhero. Of course, no hero is complete without a full complement of gear, so safety helmets and harnesses, as well as a comprehensive lesson, are included.

More info: Adventure Seeker Tours

What’s nearby: If you want to continue your adventuring, grab an inner tube at the Elora Conservation area and take a float down the Grand. Fast-moving rapids combine with more leisurely sections for the perfect balance of thrills and chills. When you get hungry, check out the charming nineteenth-century town of Elora, complete with architecture built from the same limestone that lines the Gorge.

How to get there: Take the 401 to Highway 6 North. Turn right at Woodlawn Road, take a left on Woolwich St./Hwy 6, and then turn left onto County Road 7.

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Anyone can wander along the forest floor—but you get a whole new perspective when you can see the treetops up close. Haliburton Forest offers an up-in-the-air alternative to traditional trekking with its 500-metre boardwalk through the forest canopy—the longest of its kind in the world. Explore the trees 10 to 20 metres off the ground, then pause on a viewing platform to enjoy a snack while your guide regales you with—ahem—tall tales and explains the forest environment around you. A spectacular view over the lakes and forests is the high point of your journey into the trees.

More info: Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve

What’s nearby: Although your canopy tour also includes a short hike and a guided canoe ride, there’s plenty more to see in the Haliburton Forest, including their 15-acre Wolf Centre, home to two roaming wolf packs and an education centre. Want to get grounded? Explore the forest through more than 300 kilometres of hiking and mountain biking trails.

How to get there: Take the Don Valley / 404 north to Davis Drive / RR 31 and go east. Then go north on ON-48 (signs for Sutton), turn left onto highway 12 north, go east on County Road 48, and turn left onto highway 35 north (signs to Huntsville). For detailed directions, go to www.haliburtonforest.com.

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You don’t have to travel all the way to the badlands of Alberta to get high on a horse. Saddle up and untether your inner cowboy on 20 kilometres of Muskoka trails with majestic, well-mannered horses who are always up for a little adventure. Closed-toe, heeled boots or shoes are a must as your guide takes you and your mount through a wild landscape of hills, valleys, and forests, customizing your in-the-saddle time to your skill level and comfort. Every trail ride begins with a lesson in the farm’s round ring, then sets out for a one-to-three-hour trek through the wilderness.   

More info: Ontario Outdoor

What’s nearby: Algonquin Park, with its endless array of summer and winter activities, is just up highway 11 from Huntsville. Check out the Brent Crater Trail at the north end of the park—site of one of the world’s most famous fossil meteorite craters—or spend a rainy afternoon in the park’s Visitor’s Centre for a close-up look at the geography and wildlife of the area.

How to get there: Take the 400 north. Then continue on highway 11 north and follow the signs to Huntsville.

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Tropical fish and fine white sand are all fine and good—but scuba diving in Tobermory is all about shipwrecks. Home to Fathom Five National Marine Park—Canada’s first marine conservation area—the waters off of the very northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula are a treasure trove of sunken ships and underwater caves. Explore the wrecks of the Arabia barque, the steamer W.L. Wetmore, and the remains of the Forest City, whose stern is still intact. For a natural thrill, glide through underwater forests and watch crawfish, bass, and sculpin swim through ancient coral. And never fear if you’re new to diving: Tobermory features a medical clinic with one of the few hyperbaric dive chambers in Canada.

More info: Tobermory.org

What’s nearby: Dry off and hike or bike the spectacular trails along the edge of the Bruce Peninsula. While you’re in Tobermory itself, make sure to check out the rock cairn that marks the northernmost tip of the Bruce Trail. Fathom Five and the Bruce Peninsula National Park share a bright interactive visitor’s centre, complete with a 20-metre, 112-step, 360-degree viewing tower.

How to get there: Take highway 6 north from the 401. If you find yourself on a ferry, you’ve gone too far.

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Parts of the day I remember clearly. Others not so well. I don’t remember why my kite started spiraling. I obviously did something wrong, but I can’t recall what. I definitely remember thinking, “this is not good.”

Allenwood Beach with a strong northwest wind is a seriously fun place to kiteboard. Waves come rolling in, with six-to-eight-foot swells out beyond the white buoys. The onshore wind means you’re always going back upwind, beyond the buoys and away from people swimming and enjoying the show the kiters put on.

When my kite started spiraling on me, it wasn’t one of these days. Instead, it was cold and miserable but perfect for kiting. The beach was empty. The town was empty. But, looping directly downwind, my kite yanked me violently forward, out of my board straps and into the air. I skimmed across the water for fifteen feet before plunging in again. As the power of the kite subsided for a second, I debated letting go of the bar and killing the power, but didn’t. Knowing there was no one downwind, I decided to test my strength again. Holding the bar tightly, I braced against the soft sand bottom, ready for it to power up again. At this point it lifted off the water and went spinning for another two full rotations, dragging me across the water. It yanked on me once again, this time into the shallower water and up onto the beach on my elbows. It was there the kite crashed and I let go of the bar, sending my kite limply onto the beach. I laughed at myself for being such a kook. I laughed at myself for once again getting humbled. And I laughed at myself because the only casualty was a bit of skin on my elbows.

I’d made this mistake after weeks of lessons. But I’d made the judgment call: No one was downwind. And I knew I could kill the kite’s power at any second.

Kiteboarding is not the kind of sport you can teach yourself. There’s a lot to learn and machismo really has no place in the sport. Everyone needs to take lessons. It isn’t like skateboarding or surfing, where you can go out and flounder around for a while and eventually pick it up. Kiteboarding is more like rock-climbing or hang gliding, neither of which any sane person would attempt without a lesson. It’s a sport where you need to learn from qualified instructors. It’s a sport where common sense and respect for the power of the wind prevail.

Getting Schooled

So where can you learn to kiteboard in Ontario? There are a number of different instructors and schools throughout the province. Here are a list of some of the most reputable ones and the beaches they operate from.

Oliphant

• Sauble Beach
  

I don’t think anyone can argue that Oliphant, just north of Sauble Beach, is one of the best spots to learn kiteboarding. With wind coming in almost daily from two different directions, the water here is about two feet deep for as far as you can see, making it safe and easy to learn. Daniel Medysky and his son, Sam Medysky (who is now a professional kiteboarder), have been in the game as kiterider.ca since 2001. They do lessons almost every day all summer long.

North Coast Kiteboarding School

• Wasaga Beach
• Sauble Beach
  

Mark Does, owner of North Coast Kiteboarding School, is a staple of the Wasaga kiting scene. He’ll also travel to Sauble some days to work with students.

PBKiteboarding

• Toronto
• Cherry Beach
• Ashbridges Bay
• Keswick

PBkiteboarding has been teaching kiting to Torontonians for years. They’ll travel, they’ll meet you where the wind is, and they’ll passionately get you as addicted to kiting as they are.

Ontario Kiteboarding Association

The home of the Ontario Kiteboarding Association, the OKA is a great resource for learning about beaches where kiting is permitted, the rules of the beaches and how to find instructors.