Tofino Travel & Surf Guide

About Tofino Surf Travel

The defacto surf capital of Canada, Tofino’s been a hot spot on the cold-water surf map in recent years. Nestled in the beautiful grandeur of the Pacific Northwest, Tofino is the kind of place you can come to escape the rat race but still get a legit cup of coffee. A small, dedicated crew of locals are dedicated to scouring the area’s myriad beaches and offshore islands when the conditions. Of course, this is the west coast of Canada and the weather can be a bear. Cold, grey and rainy are typical for the winter months, while the summer brings the good weather and tourists. Regardless of when you land in Tofino, it’s a magic little surf zone.

Cox Bay:

A heck of a pretty beach, this one, sprawling out in front of swank Pacific Sands Beach Resort, can be good for surfing, too–good enough to hold surf contests. Both ends of the flat, broad beach offer plenty in the way of shifty beachbreak walls, while the middle of the beach, combining both the north and south swell energy, can throw up some decent wedge peaks. The whole shebang generally closes out with anything over six feet, but surprises can be had. The southern headland offers good protection against south winds. Cox is a huge beach, so there’s plenty of room for everyone; the problem on a really good day, if the gravel lot is full, is finding a parking spot that is not on the resort property.

Chesterman Beach:

Not the hollowest of Canadian beachbreaks, but nonetheless consistent, roomy, user-friendly, and pretty to boot. Usually there are holes in the bottom, creating good paddling channels and good corners to carve upon. This is a huge beach, so it is popular with everyone from surfers to sandcastle builders. At the beach’s north end there is a low-tide pathway out to Frank Island, which can make for an interesting little diversion while you’re waiting for the tide to fill in (be sure to time it right; otherwise you might have to swim back to the beach). Generally, the surf at South Chesterman is mellower than that of North Chesterman.

Long Beach:

Creatively named, wave-rich Long Beach is technically the longest sand dune on Vancouver Island, stretching for nearly 10 miles, within lie several different beaches, flanked by Schooner Cove Beach at the north end and Florencia Bay at the south. So, yes, there’s a lot of room here. Sadly, all that room doesn’t equate to world-class beachbreak barrels, which is probably the reason why Long Beach is a longboarder’s haven. It’s sort of like Canada’s equivalent to California’s San Onofre or Doheny.

Rosie’s Bay:

A neat little cove dishing up punchy, powerful, sectiony peaks (mostly lefts) over an uneven rock/sand bottom. Rosie’s is much different from the rest of Tofino’s beachbreaks. Basically a shortboarding wave, it’s good for practicing airs or one big move per wave. Tends to have a bit of backwash because it breaks close to a headland, directly on the other side from Cox Bay. Totally protected from south wind; not a good place for beginners or kooks.

Surf Hazards

This is a wild coast and should be treated with the utmost respect. Getting into the water in Tofino means stepping into the food chain. It’s not all that rare to see orcas hunting seals for dinner, which means there’s also probably some sharks lurking around too. And in the winter the water temps hover in the mid to low 40s, which means hypothermia is a very real concern.

Surf Pollution

Big storms can wash all kinds of flotsam and jetsam in from the ocean, so watch out if you’re surfing in radical conditions. Like most all surf spots around the world, be mindful of water quality after periods of heavy rain.

Best Surf Seasons in Tofino

1) Winter

(December-February) winter in Tofino is a roll of the dice. Chances are you’re going to get rained on and never properly warm up, but the upside is you could score some empty lineups with pulsing North Pac energy. Thick wetsuit, warm clothes and an appetite for adventure are required.

2) Spring

(March-May) spring can be brutal on this stretch of coast. Biting winds and really cold water temps don’t make it that inviting, and if the North Pacific goes to sleep expect to be scrapping for wind swell wedges.

3) Summer

(June-August) summer is the high season for tourism in Tofino and the slow season for swell. Because it’s so far north, it’s not exactly a south swell magnet, so expect smallish, gentle rollers—perfect for a longboard or learning. With the influx of humans comes higher prices for places to stay more impacted infrastructure.

4) Fall

(September-November) you can’t really go wrong with fall on the West Coast of North America. The weather and wind conditions are generally calm and comfortable, while early storms in the North Pacific and bring healthy groundswell.