Table of Contents
Vancouver Island, BC Surfski
[contributing more about this locale - how to send info]
Photo: tourism tofino instagram - Click to enlarge
Beach Near Tofino
Victoria at the southeast tip of Vancouver Island is by far the largest concentration of people on the island. The east side facing the Strait of Georgia and mainland Canada is much more developed than the rugged west coast. The west coast has intermittent access via roads and has long stretches of shoreline with no roads nearby, while the island's east side has highways (1 and 19A) that generally stay close to the coast from Victoria up to Campbell River 260+ km to the northwest.
Downwind
West Coast
- Victoria and Nearby West (laps in town and downwinders along the coast on the prevailing westerlies)
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East Coast
- Goose Spit (Comox) - out and back laps when the wind and waves are working onshore can be good, particularly in the summer when the water is warmer.
- Lantzville April 2023 video
- Lantzville to Departure Bay, Nanaimo ~15 km video (facebook)
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Conditions
- Be prepared for COLD WATER - usually sub 50 deg. F / 10 deg C year round
- BigWaveDave wind, waves, etc.
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Surf
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West Coast
- Bamfield surfski video
- Jordan River seakayak video, seakayak video (facebook)
- Tofino sea kayak video
- Long Beach surfski video
- Port San Juan / Port Renfrew - combination of long rides on waves funneling into this bay plus an opportunity to practice in the surf when the size is appropriate for your experience/safety level/equipment (plastic surfski?) - Surf can get pretty large here.
- Ucluelet
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Video
- Youtube video playlist Vancouver Island Downwinds and Tidal Races
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Welcome to Vancouver Island Surfskiing
Tidal Races
Tidal Bores
- Nitinat Narrows at the narrow outlet of Nitinat Lake
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Tides and Weather
- Big Wave Dave (will probably ask you to turn off ad blocking unless you have donated and login?)
- Wind Predictions Dallas Road (South Victoria), Gordon's Beach near Sooke
- NVS Data Explorer (address opens to PNW)
- Seasonal Averages
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Webcams
- Harling Point, Victoria looking south at Strait of Juan de Fuca
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Races
- Tuesday Night Small Boat Races Comox - Goosespit
- Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race Cumberland, BC
- NPI Attack - Check Nanaimo Ocean Paddling Club
- Snow to Surf Race multi-leg relay Comox Valley
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Coaches/Lessons
- VI Paddling Primarily Dragon Boat oriented, but some OCs and Surfskis sometimes
- Check Clubs and Groups below - you may be able to connect with someone who can give you lessons and advice
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Clubs and Groups
- Canadian Outrigger Racing Association. Membership required to race in local small boat events
- Fairway Gorge Paddling Club Victoria, BC. Outrigger, Dragon Boat
- Latitude 48 Paddling Club Victoria, BC. Outrigger Canoe
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Rentals
General Rental Advice & Online Rental
- Victoria Surfski Rentals 2023 Added
- Next closest maybe in Vancouver, BC
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Dealers/Equipment
- BestCoast Outfitters Paddling gear
- Hana Hou Paddlesports Kai Wa'a Surfskis, Outrigger Zone OCs
- Surfside Paddlesports Courtenay, BC Stellar Surfskis
- Ocean River Sports Victoria Sea Kayak, Surfski Rentals, Tours - Source of local paddling information
- Storm Surf Shop Tofino - Wetsuits
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Repair
- Dan Hund facebook Chemainus, BC as of 2022 (but longtime boat fixer in the PNW) (“Taking in Outrigger and Surfski repair work on a part time basis, evening drop off and pick up. If you’d like a quick repair on a old ski or canoe I’d rather not do that work, but if you want your newer canoe or surfski back to original condition as best possible.”)
- Vancouver Island has many boat repair companies (examples Extreme Fiberglass, Pacific Oceaneering & Design) who can probably perform simple patch jobs very well (if your job isn't too small for them), but you might want to go with a dedicated small boat shop for major structural repairs? Or one of these locals may be completely capable of major structural repairs on carbon with good paint matching etc. Do your own due diligent research and please let us know if you find someone good.
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Transportation
You have to use ferries for car travel to and from Vancouver Island. BC Ferries Website
As far as getting a reservation for your preferred ferry - keep checking the BC Ferries reservation page as people often cancel their reservation and BCF adds more reservations 3-5 days before a sailing (so keep checking!).
Getting to Victoria
- Guide to Ferries from Vancouver to Victoria.
Getting to Nanaimo (these pages have links to the return schedules)
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Resources
- Blue Dog Kayaking (Sea Kayaks, but ask them about surfing spots?)
- Sea Kayak Around Vancouver Island Doug Alderson
- Sea Kayaking BC's Outer Coast Interview with John Dawkins
- Union Bay Views Vacation Rental Home owned by surfskier (Close to Comox, Baynes Sound paddle runs)
- A Year on the Wild Side Briony Penn
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Wildlife
- Orcas facebook video Sept 3, 2023
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