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- by KC Beam
  
Surfing Tofino

Pacific Rim National Park
  
Surfing in Pacific Rim National Park

The untamed Pacific Ocean creates Canada’s own surfing paradise. The Pacific Rim National Park is famous for its miles of beautiful sandy beaches and is also one of the best places to surf.

Tofino (Long Beach), which according to some provides the best surfing in all of Canada. The area has a beautiful 20-km stretch of beach between Ucluelet and Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Surfers can also be found on Southern Vancouver Island, west of Victoria, but the surfing conditions and facilities don't match those in Tofino and Ucluelet.

Surfing the Long Beach area can be done year round. You should know that the ocean temperature here hovers at nearly 50 degrees F throughout the year - and may reach up to 58 degrees F in the summer. So it hardly matters what month it is: it's the waves that count.

Parks Canada insists that all surfers considering coming to the area know that the majority of their rescues are for people not wearing wetsuits. To that end it is recommended that all surfers and visitors should be aware that a full body wetsuit and booties should be worn year round. The wetsuit technology of today makes it possible to go for a two-hour surf session without the hint of a shiver.

It should be noted that within 30 minutes of Tofino or Ucluelet there are six top quality surfing beaches. Each beach faces a slightly different direction so no matter which way the swells are coming in there’s usually a beach that has something for surfers to ride.

Storms that originate in the Gulf of Alaska seem to generate the best swells to lash the coastline of British Columbia. This weather pattern is in place from late September through March. Other swells come all the way across the Pacific from Japan, or are caused by more localized weather systems. In summer, the distant Southern Hemisphere swells have a lesser effect, particularly on Southern Vancouver Island.

Tofino is the most popular surfing destination in Canada, offering year-round surfing enjoyed by surfers of all ages and abilities. The Tofino area is easily accessible and provides waves throughout the year. This area can even boast that it receives world-class waves on occasion.

Surfing is most popular in the winter months, with some of the surfing businesses offering popular Christmas Surf Packages. There are a number of companies in this area that offer surfing lessons, surf camps and equipment.

Windsurfing in Pacific Rim National Park

The Nitinat Lake has been named as one of the world's ten best windsurfing areas. You have to be dedicated to make the long journey to the west side of Vancouver Island. You should also expect and be able to handle the constant thermal winds that sweep across the lake at speeds of up to 50 kph.

Nitinat Lake is a beautiful tidal saltwater fjord, 23 kilometres in length and 1.2 kilometres wide, located in the West Coast Trail Unit of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Nitinat Lake is located on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, 70 km southwest of Cowichan Lake and 70 km southeast of Port Alberni.

Surfing on Vancouver Island BC

Source: http://www.around-vancouver-island.ca