What equipment do you need to surf in Tofino, Canada?

what equipment you need to surf in tofino
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 find a protected area or a novelty wave. But there is a downside. The water never really warms up above 16 °C (61 F). To surf in Tofino, there’s a lot more gear involved than just a swimsuit and a surfboard.

Things to consider when you’re buying/renting gear for a surf trip to Tofino

WETSUIT + ACCESSORIES

The Pacific Ocean is cold year-round. The coldest months are December-April, with the temperature dropping as low as 6 °C (43 F). Then it starts warming up until it reaches 14-16 °C (55-60 F) by the end of July and stays warm until mid-September before the temperatures drop again. No matter what time you plan to surf in Tofino, you will need a wetsuit. The question is only what thickness and how many accessories to add.

SURFBOARD

Tofino has no point breaks in Tofino, except for a few rare novelty waves. You can expect to surf a beach break, and keep in mind that currents are common everywhere. What does that mean? Constant paddling around to find the sweet spot. If you are new to surfing, a 7’-9’ foamie will be your best choice to learn how to catch waves and pop-up. For intermediate and advanced surfers, you can shortboard on most days, but more volume is always better, especially in the soft summer waves. 

Swell Tofino has a good selection of soft tops and hard top surfboards for rent. If you’ve never surfed before, we recommend taking a surf lesson as it will help you progress so much faster. 

TRANSPORTING THE GEAR

Depending on where in Tofino you are staying, you might have quite a long distance to bring your gear to the beach. Luckily, Swell Tofino surf shop lives across the street from North Chesterman Beach. We timed it, and it’s only 7 minutes of walking from us to the waves. If you don’t want to walk, you can rent a beach cruiser and get to the beach in only 3 minutes, with your surfboard attached! 🙂

But the best way to get around is by car, so you can have more options and maybe even drive to surf at Long Beach, in the beautiful Pacific Rim National Park, which is about 15km away from Tofino. For cars without a rack, we offer a complementary soft rack that straps to your car. It is a great solution for rental cars, since you want as little sand and saltwater inside the car as possible. But if your car already has a rack, all you need are ratchet straps.

OTHER

There are other things to consider when it comes to surfing, regardless of what time of the year you come to Tofino.

    • The sun is strong year-round, so sun protection is a must.
    • There are change rooms at every beach, but not at every entrance. A change towel/poncho and something to stand on will come in handy when changing out of your wetsuit on the side of the road.
    • Earplugs will prevent water from getting stuck in your ear and prevent ear pain. Especially in the winter months, when the cold ocean water is combined with wind.
GEAR WINTER/SPRING SUMMER/AUTUMN
wetsuit thickness 5/4mm or thicker 4/3mm is usually good enough; some people go down to 3/2mm on the warmest days
neoprene accessories (hood, gloves, boots) 5mm or thicker accessories not really needed (recommended for people with health issues)
surfboard fast and punchy waves, lots of duck diving: shortboard > longboard slow and small waves, more volume is better: longboard < shortboard
sun protection 15+ SPF cream 30+ SPF cream or zinc recommended
surfboard wax cold water wax Most people stick with cold water wax, but you can switch to the 15-22 °C in the warmest months

what equipment you need to surf in tofino

Conclusion

The Pacific Ocean is always cold, so surfing in Tofino requires a wetsuit. All of our rental wetsuits are 5/4mm. They keep our customers warm year-round. In the winter months, the wetsuit comes with all the neoprene accessories included (gloves, hood, boots), for extra warmth. Accessories are not needed in the warm summer months. Even just a 4/3mm wetsuit will keep you warm from July to September.

As for the surfboard, more volume will always help you catch more waves. Longboarders will catch all the waves in the summer and struggle a bit more to get past the break on the big days, while shortboarders will have close-outs and punchy sections most of the year, but might have to switch to a surfboard with more volume on the small and slow days of the Summer.

Send us an email or give us a call so that we can give you the best personal suggestion on surfboard choice and beach selection 🏄‍♂️

See you in the waves,

Lara 🤙