Tofino Surfing in a Nutshell

Surfing in Tofino seems to be getting more and more popular everyday. And why not? Tofino is a gorgeous location, holding the best access to Canada’s exposed, long sandy beaches.

A Brief History of Tofino Surfing

Compared to the beaches of California, the Tofino surf scene has a short history. The short story is that in the 1960s, Tofino went through a boom time where everyone from hippies to loggers were colonizing the peninsula. Some of these newly arrived folks had surfed before, and recognized Tofino’s tasty waves. Many began to surf the beaches around Tofino and some even began exploring the point and reef breaks north and south of the peninsula.

From this scrappy beginning, the Tofino surfing scene has grown into what is likely a million dollar industry.  Any Internet search for Tofino surfing or surf Tofino will bring up hoards of pages describing fancy hotels with surf packages, one of four surf shops in the Tofino area that rent equipment and offer an outlet to take surfing lessons in Tofino for first timers or for experienced surfers who want to polish their surfing skills.

First Time Surfing in Tofino?

Beginning surfers in Tofino have many beaches to choose from. Each beach breaks differently on every different day and on every different tide . To find the best location to get suited up at, check the local swell forecast before you head out, or stop by each location in your hunt for that perfect wave.

Chesterman’s Beach (aka: Chesterman Beach)

Chesterman’s Beach is the beginner’s Mecca for surfing. Because Chesterman’s Beach is just 5 minutes from downtown Tofino, it is quickly becoming the most popular destination for beginning surfers. Chesterman Beach has two parts: South Chesterman Beach and North Chesterman Beach. Because of this directional separation, the waves at Chesterman’s Beach tend to be bigger on one side and smaller on the other. This makes ideal conditions for surfing if you are worried about the many exaggerated surfing stories from your friends – you can usually find some small waves here to begin your Tofino surfing introduction.

Cox Bay

In the summer, Cox Bay is often times the closest beach to Tofino that receives enough swell to ride a significant wave. Depending on the tide and the location you choose to surf, there may be strong currents and rip-tides, so make sure that you are with someone if you are inexperienced. The parking lot at Cox Bay is overflowing in the summer months. This business in a tight spot can lead to the “rat in the cage” effect, which when left unchecked can lead to obscenities and disrespect. Please respect others with your vehicle and don’t throw your trash around. Surfers are supposed to be mellow – remember?

Long Beach

Long Beach, located in Pacific Rim National Park, is about a twenty-five minute drive from Tofino. Long Beach is without a doubt Tofino’s (and likely Canada’s) most famous beach. Long Beach is also Tofino and Canada’s most famous surfing destination. Luckily for Tofino’s surfing culture, Long Beach is huge (Long, Beach duh!), and there is generally a wide selection of waves to practice taking your surfing to the next level. Parking at the ‘first’ parking lot at Long Beach is usually full of surfers, surfing talk, and of course the latest in surfing fashion, so be prepared to park in the ‘second’ parking lot just east of the surfer’s hang out. Read the signs posted at the parking lots about dangerous currents while surfing at Long Beach! Lovekin Rock creates a powerful rip tide – make sure you are aware of the dangers of surfing before you paddle out.

Surfing Other Beaches near Tofino

Maybe you’ve heard stories of surfing a perfect wave in Tofino, or all of the beaches and surf breaks that the locals know about and you want to find that choice wave that never ends. Well… surfing is all about exploration and discovery, so this is your chance to find the perfect wave on your own and tell those campfire stories to the dazed surfers that just got hammered by choppy shore break and are dying to know about the surfing spots that will make them surf like Slater. Good luck on your discovery, and make sure that you know the local surfing conditions like tides, currents, rocks and logs, weather. Most importantly be honest with yourself about your surfing ability – there are lots of great places to surf in the Tofino area, but they are likely remote and surfing in remote areas is much more dangerous than surfing Chesterman’s.