Sleeping Bear Surf

Paddle with Pride
2025-06-26 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Detroit) | North Bar Lake, 44.8399° N, 86.0635° W, Empire, MI, United States
We are kicking off our first community paddle of the season, Thursday, June 26th, with pride!
Paddle with Pride is a connection-centric community event brought to life with our partners at Up North Pride.
What to know:
Date: Thursday, June 26th
Location: North Bar Lake
Time: Be ready to hit the water at 6:30pm!
There will be a quick orientation and safety briefing at 6:20pm before we enter the water.
Weather: TBD
What to bring:

Non-motorized watercraft of choice
Board / Boat
Paddle
Life jacket (per Coast Guard regulation, PFDs must be on the bodies of all kayak & canoe paddlers, and either worn or strapped to all SUPs)
Leash (for all SUPs)
Drinking water
Swimwear *if you plan to get wet*
Fleece and/or neoprene to stay warm (bring an extra cozy fleece for post-paddle)
A buddy!
A snack or beverage to pass if you wish to hang around at North Bar Lake to cheers at the conclusion of our paddle.

If you are in need of watercraft, Paddleboard rentals are available for $40 at Sleeping Bear Surf – just give us a call to reserve at least 12 hours prior to the event and we’ll take care of the rest!

Spring Social at the Shop!
2026-05-09 11:00 - 17:00 | Sleeping Bear Surf, 10228 W Front St, Empire, MI, 49630, United States
The birds are chirpin’, the flowers are bloomin’, the water’s a-warmin’, and the shop is comin’ back to lilfe!
Join us Saturday, May 9th as we ring in the season with a classic, casual & kewl community shindig at the shop!
11am Water Safety & Surf Rescue with GLSRP:
We’re divin’ in with the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project to learn & converse about water safety, drowning prevention & identification, and surf rescue, so you can keep yourself, and those around you, safe in the water this season! Presentation & conversation at the shop!
1pm – 4pm Surf Swap:
Bring your gear, boards, suits, beers(?!) to swap, sell, or trade!
Got old gear collecting dust? Hunting for some pre-loved gems? This is your moment.
How it works:
~ Check in at the counter to grab a seller tag
~ Label all items with name, phone number, and price
~ You handle your own sales (cash, Venmo, etc.)
~ Once you make a sale, check back in at the counter so we can log it
~ You keep 90% / 10% goes to support Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project
Bring your items day-of, hang out, and enjoy the shindig.
Can’t make it? We’ve got you.
Email ella@sleepingbearsurf.com
to coordinate a pre-event drop-off.
We’ll handle pricing guidance, storage, and selling for you.
You keep 75% / 25% supports the shop + Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project

Surf Rescue Training
2026-06-12 18:30 - 21:30 | Frankfort Pier, 44°38'01.2"N 86°14'48.0"W, Frankfort, MI, 49635, United States
The Great Lakes are powerful, unpredictable, and often highly underestimated. Each year, they take lives that could have been saved with the right awareness, knowledge, preparation, and support from the shore.
That’s why we’ve partnered with the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project to bring back our annual Water Safety & Surf Rescue Clinic — a hands-on training designed to equip our local surf and beach community with real, life-saving skills.
Our goal is simple: to build a more equipped, capable, and knowledgeable water community— participants will walk away feeling confident and prepared to keep themselves and those around them safe in the water this season.

The training will teach participants how to:

Expand Awareness in the Water
Identify Hazards including Dangerous Currents
Prevent themselves from Drowning
Recognize the Signs of Drowning & Identify a Person in Trouble
Learn to efficiently & effectively throw a life ring
Perform an Open Water Rescue with your Bodyboard, Surfboard or SUP
Take Precautionary Measures in the Case of a Spinal Injury
Perform basic CPR

What to bring:

Your preferred watercraft (surfboard, stand-up paddleboard, or bodyboard)
A buddy! You will be paired up during simulations, therefore you only need to bring one board per 2 people.

Can’t get a buddy to join you? No sweat, we’ve gotchu’!

Your wetsuit. We highly recommend a 4/3mm full suit. Have ~5mm boots & mitts? Bring ’em!

If you don’t have a suit of your own, you may reserve a rental up to 24 hours in advance of the event.

Water, towel, swimmies, and dry, warm layers are also encouraged

After the training, we shift gears and unwind!
Stick around for a more relaxed community gathering — we’ll have fires rippin’ in the Solo Stove, a fire rippin’ in the sauna from Sleeping Bear Saunas, pizzas provided by our buddies at Surfrider Northern Michigan and beverage by our sponsors at Stormcloud Brewery! A super-fun chance to warm up, connect, and celebrate a shared commitment to lookin’ out for one another!

This event is free to attend.If you’re able, donations are highly encouraged to support the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project and help continue this wildly important work. Donations will be so graciously accepted at the event!
About the Course Presenters:The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, Inc. (GLSRP) is a nonprofit 501c3 corporation that is about saving lives through water safety education, outreach, and research. They are dedicated stewards who specialize in Water Safety Surf Rescue in the Great Lakes region. Their mission is to eradicate drownings by being the leader of Great Lakes water safety by providing training, public preparedness, and public awareness.

We highly encourage you to watch the following short, engaging, educational videos before you join us, or if you can’t join us:

GLSRP Signs of Drowning Compilation – Know the True Signs of Drowning, Know how to Survive: https://youtu.be/TDdCBqxbCAw
GLSRP Premier Video Debut – Dangerous Currents: https://youtu.be/71D8Y8YlsRA
