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Park Hill

Park_Hill3 There is a wave and a hole located right after  the Park Hill Dam on the Grand River in Cambridge, Ontario.

The wave and hole are located  under and in the middle of the bridge (Park Hill Road) just past the dam. You can park either right on Water Street North or the parking lot off Water Street North across from Food Basics. The put-in is just passed the parking lot ther are staris to go down, odds are they will be gated but you can climb over them, the gate is only 3 ft tall and there to keep children and such from getting into the river (you will not get charged or anything for climbing over). Once over carry your boat down, passed and under the bridge to the end of the concrete. From there you can get into your boat put in, paddle down the river and eddie out river right to the eddie.

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Park Hill is a class 1 spot, the wave is easy to get into and is easy to stay in and is great for spins and blunts but that's it really it. The eddies on each side of the wave is relativley small, you need to be on it when it comes to getting back in it because if you miss it you have to get up and hike back to the put-in. To surf the hole river right of the wave I recommend surfing across the wave then ferrying behind the hole to the eddie once off the wave. The hole is easy to get into but a bit of a challenge to get out. The hole is only really good for side surfing so for the trouble to get to it and out of it I just recommend playing with the wave. There is also a third wave before the bridge and river right of the put-in. You can get to from the put-in before you paddle down to the actual spot. Once in your boat paddle to the top of the eddie and ferry river right and drop into the wave, your surf will be a bumpy one but it is the biggest wave at park hill and can be a good time, however once out you have no other option but to paddle down river and get to the spot.

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When it comes to knowing the water levels I recommend going to the Boatwerks website (http://www.boatwerks.net/water-levels) and getting the water level off there. I recommend going anywhere from 160 cms to about 200 cms. Anything hire you can get a nasty receric from the bridge or the water level is too high to even have a wave to surf. The prime time for this wave is mid-March to about mid June, but I know people who go in February, Also with the street lamps above you from the bridge you can be out there for a long time, latest I've been was 9:45pm

Another plus to Park Hill is all the people who watch and cheer while you surf. You may not be pro but you will feel like one with an audience. There is an ice cream stand right there so people love to sit down and watch you and take pictures from the shore or the bridge. People do fish at Park Hill but they fish off the shore on river right and they won't bother you and you won't bother them. If you have a tripod and video camera and lower levels the bridge supports offer a great close angle to film you and your friends rocking the wave.

Info Source: Jamie Kennedy 10737 First Line, Moffat, Ontario, Canada L0P 1J0

Surfrider Foundation
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