Surfing
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Surfing is best enjoyed on the west coast of Vancouver Island in the communities of Tofino and Ucluelet, BC near the Pacific Rim National Park. Here in the Pacific Rim surfing is a year-round, all weather activity.

The waves on the west coast range from mild to extreme. The waves difficulty level has everything to do with the weather conditions at the time.

Many experienced surfers enjoy the big storms that pound the coast, sending monster waves crashing onto the sandy beaches. These are the same waves that storm watchers come to see every year. The surfers are also part of the show for the sightseeing crowds.

The surfing crowd on the west coast is a large one. Many surfers live in either Tofino or Ucluelet. The many sandy beaches in the Pacific Rim National Park between the two villages creates a surfers paradise. Some of the more popular beaches for surfing include Long Beach, Chesterman Beach and Cox Bay.

There is a good selection of surf shops in the communities of Tofino and Ucluelet. Each shop with its own personality and unique brand of service. Many provide equipment rentals, lessons, instructors and transportation to the beach.

Surfing is year round on the Pacific Rim. So are the surf shops. In the storm season - when waves are biggest and temperatures are coldest - surf shops will provide a wet suit, hoody, boots and gloves for surfers.

The qualified instructors will teach you the surfing basics. And after your confidence peaks, take more lessons, and learn more surfing tricks like the backside bottom turn, frontside bottom turn, riding the lip, backside floater and more.