The Real Surf Season Has Arrived in Tofino

September, October and November are widely-regarded as the best months to surf on BC's West Coast.
The Surf Club at Long Beach Lodge Resort has everything you need (and more) to get you out in the water.   Andy Herridge finds a thick one at a beach that's been asleep all summer.   That autumn light just hits a little different.


In a place that’s famous for year-round surf, you could say that it’s always “Surf Season” in Tofino. And you’d be right! Waves are in high supply around here. But there’s just something magical about these next few months.

“September is my favourite, personally,” says Chance McCullough, head of Long Beach Lodge’s Surf Club. “The waves are good, the weather’s still warm and the sunsets are still epic.”

Local surfers wax poetic all summer long about the fall sessions to come. Not too big. Not too small. Just the right amount of energy in the ocean to light up not just Cox Bay, but a few of the other local beaches that have been lying dormant all summer.

Good livin’, baby.

Surfline, one of the top wave forecasting sites, echoes all of these sentiments:

“(September-November) you can’t really go wrong with fall on the West Coast of North America,” the site explains. “The weather and wind conditions are generally calm and comfortable, while early storms in the North Pacific bring healthy groundswell.”

Green waves abound with no one around. Fall on BC's West Coast really pumps up the jam. /// Photo: Andrea Helleman   The consistent, powerful whitewash at Cox Bay will get beginner surfers popping to their feet in no time.   Fall sessions await.

And while the following few months capture the collective imagination of seasoned surfers, fall’s a great time of year for beginners and intermediates as well. The whitewash has a little extra OOMPH that helps pop you straight to your feet. And if you’re looking for those coveted green waves out back, there’s a good chance you’ll find a little sand bank that you can call your own.

Of course, we’re still on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island. So it’s wildly unpredictable. Sometimes Storm Watching season comes a little early, with six-metre swells smashing into our coastline.

And sometimes you’re suntanning in the autumn light between the best surf sessions you’ve ever had out here.

Tofino’s full of surprises.

It’s part of our charm.    

Check Our Fall Availability




More Tofino 360 Stories



"Another Great Stay!"
2024-02-28
We've been taking winter breaks in Tofino/Ucluelet for almost 20 years and enjoy the lack of crowds and ability to beach walk & experience some awesome winter storms. Long Beach Lodge makes a great base as we take our 2 labs and book one of the a dog friendly rooms on the ground floor that have walk out to the beach and a great view. This year was no exception with no rain while we were there and 2 days of storm force winds that made for great breaking surf. The room was great as always, staff all excellent and we ate 2 nights in the restaurant enjoying great meals and good beer both nights. An added plus was a new bank of 8 Level2 EV chargers (CCS) by the entrance with complimentary charging for guests, so keeping the car charged for drives to hiking locations and in prep for out return home was totally painless.
"The most sustainable hotel in Tofino!"
2024-02-24
BetterTable.ca had the pleasure to stay at the Long Beach Lodge Resort, an amazing sustainable hotel with very friendly staff and a fantastic food and beverage experience. They have EV charging stations, move away from single use plastic, feature tasty local food and implement zero waste strategies, on top of many more initiatives. Ideally located a few meters from a beautiful beach with surfers. You must go if you stay in Tofino!
"Beautiful place"
2024-03-08
This is one of the most beautiful places I have stayed.. the room was amazing, sitting on my balcony watching the waves and surfers.. just amazing… we spend the days visiting the beaches around the resort.. it’s in a perfect stop and located close to food and coffee shops..