General Tofino Links
Your Tofino and Ucluelet vaction guideDiscover Tofino BC
Blue Water Adventures www.bluewateradventures.ca
Surfing
Surfing in Tofino is something you can't miss and the best part is you can do it YEAR ROUND here! You can catch some good waves in the summer and work on your tan in-between sets OR go big wave riding in the winter And after that Jacuzzi bath at the Tofino Trek Inn is sooo good!
Jean-Paul @ Live To Surf offers some helpful info.In Canada there are basically 2 areas to surf, East Coast, and West Coast. On the West coast, Vancouver Island is the spot. The Tofino - Long beach area has great surf that works all year round. We have 35km of surf able beach break that stretches between Tofino and Ucluelet, boasting some nice Left and Right Beach Breaks and a few Points. This area is great for surfers that are just learning or for pros that are competing on an international level. The annual Quicksilver Surf Jam is held on Cox Bay each year, in Tofino. If you are looking for surf rentals, please check out Live To Surf - The Original Tofino Surf Shop.
Surf Sister surf schoolWinter surfing is not what most people are usually thinking of in early December, unless of course, you are a Tofino surfer. Then you know the waves are great and the endless storms are sending good swell right to our shores every day. Wetsuits these days will keep you toasty warm because, after years of R & D, the wetsuit manufacturers have finally figured out the right combo of flexibility and thickness to give us very comfortable, warm wetsuits.
Most people also don't know that the water temp in Tofino does not vary all that much from summer to winter, and neither does the air temp. After all, we live in a temperate rainforest! Tofino winters are mild, with only a few dustings of snow falling throughout the winter. (Although what a novelty...surfing in the snow!)
Canada's only all-women's surf school and shop
Click here for info on surf lessons and multi day workshops
http://www.surfsister.com/Jamie's Whaling Station & Adventure Centres
Long Beach in Tofino British Columbia (In the Pacific Rim National Park) has the best surfing in all of Canada. Stretching 20km between Ucluelet and Tofino is home to some of the most hard core surfers in the world.
Whale watching
Jamie's Whaling Station & Adventure CentresJamie's Whaling Station offers tours in Tofino and Ucluelet on state of the art zippy zodiac style vessels for those who crave adventure, or the west coast's only large, luxury whale watch vessels, the 65 foot, "Leviathan II" in Tofino or the "Lady Selkirk" from Ucluelet, BC. The migration starts to show up along the coast of Vancouver Island in early February and continues through late April. From April on through November, we have our "Resident" Gray whales feeding in Clayoquot Sound and Barkley Sound. Humpback whales are seen throughout our season, with the heaviest sightings in February, June, July, August and September. We see Orca whales (Killer whales) as well. There are 12 pods of "Transient" Orcas that we see about once every two to three weeks throughout the year.
Ocean OutfittersWhale watching, bear watching, hot springs Cove excursions and tours to Cougar Annie's garden. Come join our experienced naturalist guides while they venture into the heart of Clayoquot Sound viewing Gray whales, Humpback whales, orcas, seals and sea lions, sea otters, black bears, bald eagles and many different species of shorebirds. Choose from either zodiacs or covered, heated family vessels with washrooms on board. Great hostelling rates. Open year round!
Ocean Outfitters
Tours Of Clayoquot Sound
421 main St. Tofino, B.C.
1-877-906-2326
250-725-2866
Kayaking
Not to brag, but Clayoquot Sound is basically the Mecca of sea kayaking in North America! There is a full range of paddling opportunities here, from an afternoon of exploration to week-long expeditions.
If you have never kayaked before, your best bet is to join a guided tour. A local guide can help you navigate through the tricky tidal currents and busy traffic in the harbour. Within minutes, you will be into the wilderness. Many trips head over to beautiful Meares Island to visit the Big Trees Trail, world-famous for ancient cedar and spruce giants. No experience is needed to join these trips. All you need to bring is a bottle of water and a snack. Dress in light layers, bring a windbreaker, a warm pile or wool sweater, and a hat.
Longer trips and skills courses are also offered locally (this is our specialty). Check out the various websites to see what is offered.
For experienced paddlers, get a nautical chart and make sure you check the tides and weather before heading out. Peter McGee's excellent book Kayak Routes of the Pacific Northwest has a chapter on Clayoquot (written by yours truly), which is a must read.
Stay safe, enjoy yourself, and remember to leave no trace of your passage!
Cheers,
Bonny Glambeck & Dan Lewis
Rainforest Kayak Adventures
Box 511, Tofino, BC
V0R 2Z0
1-877-422-WILD
http://www.rainforestkayak.com
Golfing
Long beach golf courseThe Long Beach Golf Course, located in the Clayoquot Biosphere Reserve, is one of the most scenically situated golf courses in British Columbia, on the West Coast of Canada. Only a few minutes away from one of the most spectacular beaches in the world Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park. The 9 hole championship course is also known to be one of the most challenging courses on Vancouver Island. Surrounded by the ancient rainforest of Clayoquot Sound to the north and the breathtaking beauty of Barkley Sound in the south, Long Beach Golf Course invites you to take a break from whale watching and beach combing, and experience this course in it's unsurpassed location.
