I recently started surfing and really like it! 
I've always wanted to try myself.  When I was younger, there was this lake that was surprisingly suitable for surfing nearby.
What made it suitable for surfing? 
I guess you can say that the waves were artificial, being created by the water falling out from this hydroelectric damn that fed this lake.
I haven't heard of artificial waves, are they different than regularly occurring waves?
Artificial wave
Artificial waves are man-made waves usually created on a specially designed surface or in a pool.
Making waves.
Surface waves can be created by any moving object displacing fluid: turbine blades, paddles, a hand, a flung stone, etc. Each pulse of water (or crest) pushed outward from the disturbance leaves a space (or trough) behind it which causes another, smaller pulse to follow: thus a thrown stone's single impact causes a series of ripples. Larger waves can
Surfing
Surfing is a surface water sport in which the wave rider, referred to as a surfer, rides on the forward or face of a moving wave, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found in the ocean, but can also be found in lakes or rivers in the form of a standing wave or tidal bore. However, surfers can also utilize artificial waves such as those from boat wakes and the waves created in artificial wave pools.
The term "surfing"