Surf & Sea Conditions

Live wave, wind and swell for Long Beach, Cox Bay and Chesterman — updated through the day, read the way a surfer checks it.

Tofino surfs year-round, and winter is the most consistent. Here's the live wave, wind and swell read for the main beaches, the way a surfer checks it — clean and fun, or big and messy. New to it? Long Beach is the gentle answer; book a lesson and respect the cold water.

Cold water and rip currents

Water runs about 8–15°C all year, so hypothermia and tiring out are the real risks, alongside rip currents on the open beaches. Wear a full wetsuit, surf near others, and if you're learning, go with one of the local surf schools.

Long Beach

The standard beginner answer — long, sandy, works on most tides except dead low. Inside Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (park pass needed to stop).

Fun-sized and clean

Surf: 1.1 m · 4 ft
Swell: 7s from the W
Wind: 6 mph from the NW — cross-shore
Sea temperature: 15.3°C

Next few days

Day	Surf	Wind	Looks like
Mon 15 Jun	1.4 m · 4 ft	10 mph NW (cross-shore)	Fun-sized and clean
Tue 16 Jun	2.5 m · 8 ft	16 mph NW (cross-shore)	Big and a bit bumpy — experienced surfers only
Wed 17 Jun	2.3 m · 8 ft	6 mph WSW (onshore)	Solid and clean — confident surfers
Thu 18 Jun	2.1 m · 7 ft	6 mph W (onshore)	Solid and clean — confident surfers
Fri 19 Jun	2.8 m · 9 ft	6 mph WSW (onshore)	Big and clean — experienced surfers only

Cox Bay

Catches the most swell of the town beaches — best mid-to-high tide with an offshore easterly. For confident surfers when it's big.

Fun-sized and clean

Surf: 1.2 m · 4 ft
Swell: 7s from the W
Wind: 6 mph from the NNW — cross-shore
Sea temperature: 15.2°C

Next few days

Day	Surf	Wind	Looks like
Mon 15 Jun	1.4 m · 5 ft	12 mph NW (cross-shore)	Fun-sized and a bit bumpy
Tue 16 Jun	2.6 m · 9 ft	24 mph NW (cross-shore)	Big and messy — experienced surfers only
Wed 17 Jun	2.5 m · 8 ft	10 mph W (onshore)	Solid and a bit bumpy — confident surfers
Thu 18 Jun	2.3 m · 7 ft	9 mph W (onshore)	Solid and a bit bumpy — confident surfers
Fri 19 Jun	3.0 m · 10 ft	7 mph WNW (cross-shore)	Big and clean — experienced surfers only

South Chesterman

Town-adjacent and mellower. Frank Island at its south end is only reachable around low tide — mind the return.

Fun-sized and clean

Surf: 1.1 m · 4 ft
Swell: 9s from the WSW
Wind: 2 mph from the NNW — cross-shore
Sea temperature: 15.5°C

Next few days

Day	Surf	Wind	Looks like
Mon 15 Jun	1.3 m · 4 ft	10 mph WNW (cross-shore)	Fun-sized and clean
Tue 16 Jun	2.3 m · 8 ft	15 mph WNW (cross-shore)	Solid and a bit bumpy — confident surfers
Wed 17 Jun	2.1 m · 7 ft	6 mph S (cross-shore)	Solid and clean — confident surfers
Thu 18 Jun	2.0 m · 6 ft	4 mph S (cross-shore)	Solid and clean — confident surfers
Fri 19 Jun	2.5 m · 8 ft	4 mph S (cross-shore)	Big and clean — experienced surfers only

A forecast is not a lifeguard

These are open-water model forecasts, not spot-by-spot readings — banks, tide and swell direction change how each beach actually breaks. Beaches on this coast have real rip currents: swim and surf between the flags when lifeguards are on, and if in doubt, don’t go out. In an emergency on or near the water, call 911 and ask for the Coast Guard, or hail them on marine VHF channel 16.

Forecast updated 14 June at 22:36. Weather and marine data by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).