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Table of Contents
Vancouver Island, BC Surfski
[Add information and links about your surfski community here. Look at other destination pages as guides for formatting]
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
- Bamfield surfing video
- Victoria and Nearby West (laps and downwinders on the prevailing westerlies)
- …
East Coast
- Goose Spit - 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
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Surf
- Jordan River seakayak video
- Tofino 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?)
- Ucluelet
- …
Video
- Youtube video playlist Vancouver Island Downwinds and Tidal Races
- …
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)
- …
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
- 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
- Latitude 48 Paddling Club Victoria, BC. Outrigger Canoe
- Fairway Gorge Paddling Club Victoria, BC. Outrigger, Dragon Boat
- Canadian Outrigger Racing Association. Membership required to race in local small boat events
- …
Rentals
Are there rentals on the island? Closest maybe in Vancouver, BC
Dealers/Equipment
- Hana Hou Paddlesports Kai Wa'a Surfskis, Outrigger Zone OCs
- Surfside Paddlesports Courtenay, BC Stellar Surfskis
- Ocean River Sports Victoria Sea Kayak Rental, Tours - Source of local paddling information
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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.
- …
Resources
- A Year on the Wild Side Briony Penn
- Sea Kayak Around Vancouver Island Doug Alderson
