How to Put on a Surfing Wetsuit: Tips and Tricks
July 28th, 2026
Thinking about surfing in just a swimsuit? Think again! Tofino’s ocean stays cold year-round, even in the middle of summer. That’s because deep, cold water from the Pacific is constantly brought up to the surface, keeping our coastline cool and creating the incredible marine ecosystem we love. During the …
What equipment do you need to surf in Tofino, Canada?
June 27th, 2026
Tofino is located on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, where rainforest meets the Pacific Ocean. It is a small fishing town and the surf capital of Canada. The best part is that Tofino has surfable waves on most days of the year. Even on stormy days, you can …
What makes Tofino one of the best places to learn how to surf?
June 3rd, 2026
If you’re thinking about learning to surf, Tofino is one of the best places to start. With beginner-friendly beaches, year-round waves, experienced instructors, and a welcoming surf community, it’s easy to see why so many people catch their first wave here. There’s something special about learning to surf in …
This is how you can score good surf waves in Tofino!
April 28th, 2026
You are in Tofino for a limited time, so you want to find the best waves. But how do you go about it? You can do some research from home before coming to Tofino. Some apps and websites help predict where the good surf will be. It will help …
Rips and currents at Cox Bay
March 31st, 2026
Cox Bay is known for sometimes having strong rips and currents. Especially on big south swell days, when all the water gets pushed into the south corner, and then it hugs the rocks all the way out of the bay. Last year, a few surfers were carried into the …
A Surfing Day in Tofino — Winter Double-Dip Itinerary
December 24th, 2025
If you’re planning a full surf day in Tofino this Winter, our guide will walk you through the perfect schedule — from sipping your coffee at sunrise to your final wave of the day. With short winter daylight hours, good planning makes all the difference. Whether you’re here for …
Rental Process: Walk-in vs Booking Online
November 6th, 2025
We want to make your rental experience easy and pleasant while giving you all the important information for a great time in Tofino! Our shop is stocked with everything you need for a day at the beach: wetsuits, surfboards, paddleboards, boogie boards, bikes, and more. Here are your rental …
Storm Season Surf Guide: Prepare for Tofino’s Fall & Winter Waves
October 20th, 2025
As the days get shorter and the Pacific starts to wake up, Tofino’s storm season begins to roll in — bringing powerful swells, colder water, and that moody coastal energy we all love. It’s the time of year when the beaches quiet down, the waves get heavier, and the …
What to Expect From Your First Surf Lesson in Tofino
September 22nd, 2025
Tofino is known as Canada’s surf capital — and for good reason. With long sandy beaches, consistent waves, and stunning rainforest backdrops, it’s the perfect place to learn to surf. If you’ve ever wondered what actually happens during a surf lesson, or what skills you’ll walk away with, this …
How Quickly Can You Catch a Wave in Tofino?
May 15th, 2025
Ever wondered how quickly can you catch a wave in Tofino? We decided to put it to the test with a bike, a surfboard, and a stopwatch. 🚲🏄♂️⏱ Swell Tofino surf shop is the closest rental shop to the beach. It’s only a minute car ride, a 3-minute bike …
Tofino Surf Check – Winter Conditions
March 10th, 2025
Imagine this: you’ve packed your gear, waxed your surfboard, and driven to a surf spot, only to find that the waves are flat, it’s super windy, or the lineup is overcrowded. Sounds frustrating, right? That’s what the surf check is for. So what is a surf check in …
Local Love at Swell Tofino: Surf’s Up for Less!
February 11th, 2025
Tofino, we love you! The beautiful nature, incredible waves and vibrant community! And at Swell Tofino, we are stoked to be a part of it all! We know that living in this stunning paradise can come with a price tag, so we want to show appreciation for our local …
Why Fall is a Great Time for Surfing in Tofino?
September 16th, 2024
Fall is the time when the waves get bigger and the beaches are quieter. Need I say more? Well it’s also the start of storm watching season, the water is still on the ‘warmer’ side and there’s no more lineups in the surf or at local restaurants (except for …
FAQ: SURFING LESSONS
May 27th, 2024
No more searching around the web for answers. We’ve collected all of your questions about our surfing lessons and answered them here SURFING LESSONS FAQ: Do you offer surf lessons? Yes, we run daily lessons all year round. During winter there’s only 1 lesson a day, and …
Surfing Safety Tips to Protect Yourself and Your Equipment
May 13th, 2024
Summertime is quickly approaching and our beaches here in Tofino are filling up. There are more and more surfers in the water, all different ages, skill levels, and intentions. That’s why it is important to know your way around the beach and in the waves in order to keep …
Soft top vs hard top – which one should you rent?
May 1st, 2024
You come to Tofino on vacation and decide you want to go for a surf. So you walk into Swell Tofino surf shop and our team will ask: ‘Would you like to rent a soft top or a performance surfboard?’. If you have no idea which one to pick, …
2024 Rip Curl Nationals Are Coming To Tofino
April 15th, 2024
What is the Surf Canada Nationals comp? Rip Curl Nationals is a surfing competition, part of the CANAM Open series, where women and men compete over a 3 day period in official ISA (International Surfing Association) age categories and disciplines. Where & When? April 19-21, 2024 at Cox …
Rent bikes on your Tofino vacay!
March 23rd, 2024
We have slick beach cruisers so you can explore the amazing wonders of Tofino! Start at Chocolate Tofino for ice cream, roll to Tofino’s first street dock for the view (and maybe a quick pit stop at Savary Island Pie Co.), then hit the Tofino Brewery before zipping off …
Rent or lesson? What’s best for you?
March 15th, 2024
If you’ve never surfed before then taking a lesson with one of our fabulous Swell instructors is for you! In the lesson, you will learn: How to be safe in the water How to manage your equipment, ie: getting your surfboard off your car and to the beach, putting …
Happy International Women’s Day
March 8th, 2024
A big happy International Women’s Day from all the team here at Swell! We have local ladies performing amazingly on the world stage, but this is an appreciation to all of those who brave the chilly waters in Tofino on a regular basis. Most sports are male dominated and …
Congratulations Sanoa Dempfle-Olin!!
March 5th, 2024
Tofino’s surfing phenom Sanoa Dempfle-Olin has officially qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics!! Sanoa is the first-ever Canadian surfer to earn a spot on Canada’s Olympic Team since the sport made its debut at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. The surfing events for Paris 2024 will take …
New Year New Waves Tips
January 30th, 2024
Its 2024 and we have a whole new year of waves and fun on the cards. The water is still cold but we have had some really nice warm air temps over the last few days. Surfing in January and Feburary in Tofino is super rewarding but can take …
Tofino Winter Surfing
November 28th, 2023
As the days become shorter and the water becomes colder the die hard surfers emerge in the North West. With all the advances in wetsuits and accessories we can now spend longer than ever in the cold North Pacific ocean. Moving into this time of year our wave size …
Spring Break Surfing in Tofino
March 4th, 2022
One week till Spring Break! A well deserved break from the cold winter months and how to better spend these days of freedom than to go the beach and enjoy some early spring surfing or SUPing! Swell Tofino Mackenzie Beach reopens Our Mackenzie Beach location will open at March …
History of Surfing in Tofino
January 26th, 2022
In the early early days, Tofino was a tiny village on Vancouver Island known for its very wet and harsh weather conditions where the local spend most of their time fishing and logging. Now many years later the town is thriving as the self proclaimed ‘Surf Capital of Canada’ …
HAPPY SWELL HOLIDAYS
December 9th, 2021
Swell Holiday Season It’s that time of the year again! The Holiday Season! People might think it is time for skiing and snowboarding, but not for us! Here at Swell Tofino we stay open during the cold months and provide you with the perfect winter gear to keep you …
Tofino Winter Wetsuit
December 3rd, 2021
Why do people wear wetsuits? People wear wetsuits to keep themselves warm (comfortable) and feel safer in the water while practicing certain sports! Most wetsuits are designed to do a specific exercise. Like surfing/ SUPing/ swimming/ triathlon/ diving. How to choose which wetsuit to wear? First you need to …
SOFTECH SURFBOARDS
November 25th, 2021
New addition to Swell Tofino in store retail section! As of now we are starting to sell Softech Surfboards. A brand of Foam top Surfboards that is supported by many famous surfers like Mason Ho, Filipe Toledo, Eric Geiselman and Sally Fitzgibbons. Soft top or Foam top surfboards are …
Surfing in Tofino during Storm Season
November 5th, 2021
When does the surf season end in Tofino? The question we always get during our surf lessons in the fall is the following: ‘When does the surf season end ?’. The answer is that it never does. We at Swell Tofino will continue offering rentals and surf lessons during …
Winter Surf in Tofino
October 21st, 2021
Winter Surf in Tofino Winter Surf in Tofino The fall/winter are great seasons to surf in Tofino, this time of the year is when we have the bigger waves and consistent swells in town. For more experienced surfers, you can consider this season to progress and challenge yourself. However, …
Surf lesson in Tofino
June 13th, 2021
Why learn to surf during your trip to Tofino If you want to experience the best Tofino can offer, you gotta go surfing!! If you are just taking your first steps into surfing or even wondering how to surf, you should include a surf lesson on your Tofino to-do …
Used Paddle Boards for Sale in Tofino
April 11th, 2019
Used Raven Touring Stand Up Paddle Boards From Boardworks! $500+ Tax Call in or come visit us for more information Photos and dimensions included below
Stretches for Stand Up Paddle Boarding
July 14th, 2018
Stand Up Paddle Boarding is a fun activity that almost everyone can do. This is one of the reasons we love it here at T’ashii. It’s also a great form of exercise! Whether you are relaxing on the inlet or pushing yourself in the surf, you’re getting a great …
Three points every SUP surfer in Tofino should know
October 20th, 2017
Learn how to control your board in the break The “inside” (whitewash zone closest to the beach where the waves have all already broken) is an intimidating place to be no matter what size board you’re on. For SUP surfers with big surfboards, the difficulty being “stuck inside” is …
Want to buy a used Paddleboard?
October 5th, 2017
We’re selling off a few of our 10′ 4″ Boardworks MiniMods! Because it is such a new sport and the technology is progressing so quickly, there are few second hand boards floating around (pun intended…) and new gear can be so expensive! We are replacing part of our rental …