by Haris
Sunday morning forecast for SouthEast corner of Lake Michigan was more than I could resist: 4-5' waves, water/air in low/high 50's and a relatively benign 15 knot wind from NNW. No partners were available to join me on short notice so this was my first solo surfing session.
During the season Beverly Shores, IN is a popular destination for many Chicago-area beach goers. Parking is a major obstacle when the weather is nice. Off season--there's no one there! You can easily park your car in this beautiful spot of nature and take the kayak several hundred feet down the dune to the Lake. In the past two years I had no officials or residents bother me there--even when I drag the boat to a busy beach and go paddling as waters boil with swimmers.
The sandbar does not seem as prominent here as it is further north up the east coast of Lake Michigan. Probably due to the fact that the coast here is not strictly South-to-North. Even the larger waves for the day, which seamed to reach at least twice as high as the eye-level, did not break on this reef--merely rose threateningly up, maybe spilled a couple of gallons of white water over the top, and proceeded to march toward the beach in an orderly fashion.
Launching, on the other hand, was trickier than in places like Rainbow Beach or Montrose in Chicago proper. The Lake quickly gains depth in between the shore and the sandbar and the waves descend on the soft sand somewhere in between a placid spill and an ominous dump. Otherwise, given the soft nature of the sea bottom, shoals form spontaneously and the pattern of breakers is quite diverse. A paddler can find calm channels where waves don't break until they are close to shore. Plentiful broken waves can be found with just a short paddle up and down the coast in the same location.
In summary, Beverly Shores, IN is one of the closest convenient put ins to Chicago where one can catch the waves created by the predominant westerly winds. We don't get spoiled with waves on the west coast, so whenever there is a northerly component to the west winds, this spot is well worth the attention of rough water enthusiasts.