Third Coast Surf Shop Spotlight: Douglas, Michigan

Most people do not know that Lake Michigan has a surf culture. The waves generated by storms crossing hundreds of miles of open water can reach heights that rival what you would find on ocean coasts, and a community of dedicated Lake Michigan surfers has existed for decades along the eastern shoreline. Third Coast Surf Shop in Douglas is where they get their gear, their information, and their community.

Located in Douglas near the Saugatuck area on Michigan’s West Michigan coast, Third Coast carries surfboards, wetsuits, fins, leashes, and the full range of equipment needed for freshwater surfing on Lake Michigan. The wetsuit selection is particularly important: Lake Michigan water temperatures require proper gear for most of the year, and the staff knows how to fit customers correctly for the conditions they will actually be in.

Lessons and surf camps give newcomers access to instruction from people who surf this specific body of water and understand its particular rhythms and hazards. Lake Michigan surfing is its own discipline, shaped by freshwater physics and the patterns of Great Lakes storms, and learning from people who know the local breaks matters.

The broader outdoor lifestyle merchandise at Third Coast reflects the culture of the West Michigan lakeshore: paddleboarding, skateboarding, and the kind of active outdoor identity that defines communities along the coast from New Buffalo to Sleeping Bear.

Michigan Small Business Spotlight is proud to feature Third Coast Surf Shop as one of West Michigan’s most uniquely Michigan and adventurous small businesses.