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.

About these tools

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: 0.9 m · 3 ft
Swell: 7s from the W
Wind: 8 km/h from the W — onshore
Sea temperature: 15.4°C

Next few days

Day	Surf	Wind	Looks like
Mon, Aug 24	1.0 m · 3 ft	11 km/h NW (cross-shore)	Fun-sized and clean
Tue, Aug 25	1.0 m · 3 ft	12 km/h SSE (cross-shore)	Fun-sized and clean
Wed, Aug 26	1.0 m · 3 ft	12 km/h SE (cross-shore)	Fun-sized and clean
Thu, Aug 27	1.0 m · 3 ft	10 km/h ESE (cross-shore)	Fun-sized and clean
Fri, Aug 28	1.0 m · 3 ft	8 km/h SW (onshore)	Fun-sized and clean

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: 0.9 m · 3 ft
Swell: 6s from the W
Wind: 8 km/h from the WNW — cross-shore
Sea temperature: 15.3°C

Next few days

Day	Surf	Wind	Looks like
Mon, Aug 24	1.1 m · 4 ft	14 km/h NW (cross-shore)	Fun-sized and clean
Tue, Aug 25	1.0 m · 3 ft	19 km/h SSE (cross-shore)	Fun-sized and clean
Wed, Aug 26	1.0 m · 3 ft	24 km/h SE (cross-shore)	Fun-sized and a bit bumpy
Thu, Aug 27	1.0 m · 3 ft	20 km/h SE (cross-shore)	Fun-sized and a bit bumpy
Fri, Aug 28

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: 0.9 m · 3 ft
Swell: 8s from the WSW
Wind: 8 km/h from the W — onshore
Sea temperature: 15.6°C

Next few days

Day	Surf	Wind	Looks like
Mon, Aug 24	1.0 m · 3 ft	10 km/h NW (cross-shore)	Fun-sized and clean
Tue, Aug 25	0.9 m · 3 ft	7 km/h S (cross-shore)	Fun-sized and clean
Wed, Aug 26	0.9 m · 3 ft	9 km/h SSW (onshore)	Fun-sized and clean
Thu, Aug 27	0.9 m · 3 ft	4 km/h S (cross-shore)	Fun-sized and clean
Fri, Aug 28	1.0 m · 3 ft

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 August 23 at 6:50 p.m.. Weather and marine data by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).