Great Lakes Surfing Spotlight: Aaron Renzelmann on Sheboygan Dawn Patrols, Cold Water Grit, and the Therapeutic Power of Freshwater Waves

For Aaron Renzelmann, a software engineer based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the daily grind is balanced by the unpredictable and often frozen swells of the Great Lakes. What began as a childhood fascination after spotting a surfer during a local 4th of July parade has evolved into a disciplined lifestyle centered around dawn patrols, even when the shoreline is covered in snow and ice. By filming his sessions for self-analysis and sharing the unique beauty of freshwater surfing online, Aaron has found a way to merge his technical background with a passion that provides therapeutic reflection and mental clarity for his workday.

In this interview, Aaron discusses the grit required for cold-water surfing, the welcoming nature of the Midwest surf community, and why the fleeting windows of lake waves make every session worth the effort.

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Q. Can you briefly share a little about your background and what got you into surfing?

Aaron: As a kid i was always into water & board sports (water skiing, kneeboarding, wakeboarding, snowboarding) and remembered one 4th of july at the parade seeing someone in the water surfing at the north side jetties in sheboygan. i was more interested in what he was doing than getting candy at the parade. from there i knew it was possible to surf on the lake and always had an image of surfing being cool, probably from teenage mutant ninja turtles. once in high school a friend of mines dad was one of the main blatz crew members and he told me that lee williams had a board for sale. sparked my interest and was determined that i was going to become a surfer, so i saved up and was able to buy it from him and taught myself to surf on some small waves that summer.

Q. Walk us through your typical morning routine, especially those dawn patrols when there's snow and ice on the beach.

Aaron: ive become a morning person in order to surf before work so usually im up around dawn. i start work around 9am so in summer if i can get up around dawn i can get several hours of surfing in easily. usually i take a look at the forecasts/current weather/webcams right when i get up and then based on what i see ill determine where im going and if im going to do spot checks or just go for one.

Q. How do you gear up and mentally prepare for those cold mornings?

Aaron: in winter ill usually half or fully suit up with boots on before i leave the house. this gets me in the mindset that im going out and that i didnt get ready for nothing. a lot of times i remind myself that i have to get what i can, when i can, and that there might be a stretch after this where i could be without waves for weeks so i shouldnt pass it up cause ill be regretting it if i skip. another thing is i rarely have a session that i think i should have just stayed at home. im usually able to go into a session with realistic expectations, or a little lower, and almost always come out feeling good that i surfed.

Q. How does starting your day with a surf affect your mood, mindset, and productivity for the rest of the day?

Aaron: its amazing. i feel great i was able to surf, positive mood, dont feel like im missing out on waves, awake and energized for the day which usually leads to higher productivity for work and whatever else comes up in life. those days where i have a great dawn session are  magical and just make me want to keep going for them.

Q. What keeps you motivated to paddle out consistently despite the unpredictable waves and unforgiving weather the Great Lakes are prone to?

Aaron: knowing that there might not be waves for a while is a key reason. but there are some amazing people that surf the lakes that i enjoy being around and surfing with. even if the waves and bad, the company is good. or for the times no one else is out with me, the time to myself sitting in the water is therapeutic or provides time for me to think & reflect, or simply just be out there without thinking. other thing too is like i said before - knowing im usually going to have a good time out there is what makes it worth while.

Q. Tell us about your approach to filming sessions with the Soloshot3 and posting clips on YouTube/Instagram. How’d that start, how has self-analysis through video helped your progression, and has anything surprised you along the way either from personal progression or community engagement your videos get?

Aaron: i had the camera for a few months before even trying it. the 1st time i used it was when a couple guys i surfed with a lot in high school & college were all in the water again after a few years and wanted to get footage of us surfing together. i was pretty bummed how i looked surfing when i reviewed it lol from there i started filming to see what i looked like out there, other than just in still photos, and how i can improve/self analysis. over time it became more about the memories. so many mornings when there isnt surf i will go back and watch random videos i have and its so crazy how much the video can bring me right back to that exact day that i might have otherwise forgotten about. makes me grateful of how many days we are able to surf here, and with relatively good conditions.

i was surprised by the amount of positive support i received. ive had a handful of people were giving me tips on things to try or work on, a lot of people commented or messaged me saying to keep doing in and they love to see surfing on the lakes. posting on youtube is more where i thought i was just gonna get ripped apart for surfing junk or small waves, or just sucking lol. there are a few jabs here and there but extremely minimal compared to what i was expecting and usually i just laugh about what they say. from what a lot of coastal people get and consider good waves/size, i can actually see from their perspective that im a bit kooky.

Q. How do you compare/contrast lake surfing with ocean surfing and what makes lake surfing special in your mind?

Aaron: its hard to give a direct comparison cause its really going to depend on the breaks you surf at each place. people tend to go to buoyancy cause its a direct fact to compare on, i guess i do notice it but more feel the difference in energy/speed of the waves. waves on the lakes for many, but not all, breaks are usually slower moving and softer/less steep. that mixed with the buoyancy difference will give ya a lot less to work with without sinking out of the wave. there are a few spots that are reef breaks, point breaks, or just faster high energy punchy waves and those are where more of the attention go to if there is a spotlight around here. the non salt taste or eye burn (for those who open eyes in the water) is worth mentioning, i feel like when i surf the ocean i get super dehydrated and thirsty extremely fast lol. the freshwater just keeps me fresher feeling, but def do not want to drink it straight up while out there.

what makes lake surfing special for me is the majority of the time there arent any crowds, and even if there are, there are spots very nearby i know no one else will be at if thats the sorta mood im in. our crowds are nothing like what ive seen at popular coastal breaks. there are no hostile crowds here, people just looking to enjoy the water. knowing that the waves im seeing can come and go in a matter of a couple hours, and that peak time windows can only be 15min before things go to crap, knowing people from shore just think im some crazy guy out in the water - lol - all those things together make it special.

Q. What's the surf community like in your part of the Great Lakes, and how has it shaped your experience?

Aaron: very welcoming, very casual, wide variety of skill. ive seen it grow and shrink and bounce around, people come and go. people are very friendly for the most part and will usually want to say hi in the lineup or have a chat. other surfers will hoot and yewww for you if they see you have a good ride or turn and genuinely be happy for you with excitement. there are a lot of people that want to surf the lake for a bucket list thing, so well get a lot of people learning to surf here and there are lessons/board rentals, but they do a good job at staying in the right areas and keep things safe. learning to surf here with that sort of vibe, and hearing about localism on coasts before i even surfed, always makes me a bit nervous when i surf on the coasts and a bit worried im gonna upset the wrong guy or get in the way. never had it happen but it is always in the back of my mind. any place on the coast ive surfed though ive noticed the second i say im a great lakes surfer, people kinda drop their guard and will be more inclined to talk/ask questions about it.

Q. What advice do you have for someone looking to give lake surfing a try?

Aaron: late summer/fall is prob gonna be the best time where its not too cold. the 1st 10-15min is usually the worst if the water is colder and after that you start to forget about the temp and your suit will retain more of your core heat so push through as best as you can. def go the lessons route cause they will teach you what you need to know and how to go about learning in a safe way, and without getting in the way of others - they will also help with what gear you need to make it a more enjoyable experience. its not for everyone, it is what you make of it