Lake Michigan

I live on the 18th floor of a condo building across the street from Montrose Harbor. We eyeball Montrose Beach and the wave activity for packrafting. Yesterday, May 5, 2016 I took pix with a long range lens of a surfer between the dunes fence (in the water) and the seawall. It's a good location but she identified waves one wave too soon as my pix show the larger wave behind her. There are surfing conditions at Montrose but there are conditions in which the waves are much larger than yesterday and surfing would be great fun.

Kiteboarders are regular at Montrose although I use an Alpacka Packraft (Denali Llama) to push through the waves cresting over my head. I've seen kayakers but in conditions that were too difficult for sit on top and sea kayaks they had, more for the challenge to renter and skill level.

There is a spot (last year identified by a red buoy) that creates the largest waves at Montrose. It's directly out from a clearing of trees onshore about midway between the dunes fence in the water and the dog beach fence.

Last fall I began to think there is no wave I could not punch through. The size of the wave contributes to the challenge but timing is everything... that it crest overhead v crest into a bubbling wall and head on collision.

My best was riding over the tale of a large wave and my packraft slapping down on the backside riding to the bottom of a trough so deep i could not see the light towers on the seawall... I saw nothing but water with a quick 360 look.

The most difficult wave is one that crests to strike head on, I lay down on the spray deck which causes greater rigidity of the craft buts the wave was so large the packraft buckled under me. Now I have an Alpacka floor accessory that will provide the rigidity I need to punch through waves larger than any i've seen at Montrose.

Check back and I'll post what's happening at Montrose for great wave conditions.

Large wave building. Picture from shore with long range lens.

Packraft staged for assault on the waves.