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  1. Map
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  3. Vancouver Island
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  5. Chesterman Beach
Beach break · A-frame
Chesterman Beach

Photo: Colin W · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Chesterman Beach

Tofino, Canada49.116° -125.894°
Levels 2-6

The punchier of the two Tofino teaching beaches. North Chesterman is described by Surfline as the steepest and punchiest beach break at Tofino: it lies dormant through most of the summer, which lets the banks build, and then throws steeper, wedgier waves when the autumn swells arrive. South Chesterman is the softer end, and the schools move between the two — and to Cox Bay — depending on the day. Like the rest of this coast it wants a west swell and an easterly offshore.

Surfed here? Log a surf in your private logbook

Advanced details

The granular read for surfers who want it.

Wave type
Beach break
Bottom
sand
Direction
A-frame
Best swell
W
Best wind
E
Paddle
3/5
Localism
1/5
Water quality
5/5

Next 7 days

The best-rated window in the cached forecast.

Best day this week · Tuesday (27 Oct)
3/5Worth a paddle
1.5–1.6m9s period swell from W2km/h windfrom NNW

This is the week's best-rated wave quality, not a suitability call. Take the 2-minute quiz to see how Chesterman Beach fits your level.

Surf outlook

Today’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
1/5Flat or junky

Sunrise around 08:00, sunset around 18:15 today.

Mon’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
2/5Barely worth it

Sunrise around 08:01, sunset around 18:13 on Mon.

Tue’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
3/5Worth a paddle

Sunrise around 08:03, sunset around 18:11 on Tue.

Wed’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
3/5Worth a paddle

Sunrise around 08:04, sunset around 18:09 on Wed.

Thu’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
3/5Worth a paddle

Sunrise around 08:06, sunset around 18:08 on Thu.

Fri’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
3/5Worth a paddle

Sunrise around 08:08, sunset around 18:06 on Fri.

Sat’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
3/5Worth a paddle

Sunrise around 08:09, sunset around 18:04 on Sat.

Tide todayHigh around 00:00 (+1.3m)Low around 06:00 (-0.6m)High around 12:00 (+1.8m)Low around 18:00 (-1.4m)
nowHigh 00:00+1.3mLow 06:00-0.6mHigh 12:00+1.8mLow 18:00-1.4m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide MonHigh around 01:00 (+1.3m)Low around 06:00 (-0.5m)High around 12:00 (+1.9m)Low around 19:00 (-1.7m)
High 01:00+1.3mLow 06:00-0.5mHigh 12:00+1.9mLow 19:00-1.7m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide TueHigh around 02:00 (+1.3m)Low around 07:00 (-0.5m)High around 13:00 (+1.9m)Low around 20:00 (-1.8m)
High 02:00+1.3mLow 07:00-0.5mHigh 13:00+1.9mLow 20:00-1.8m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide WedHigh around 02:00 (+1.3m)Low around 08:00 (-0.3m)High around 14:00 (+2.0m)Low around 21:00 (-1.6m)
High 02:00+1.3mLow 08:00-0.3mHigh 14:00+2.0mLow 21:00-1.6m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide ThuHigh around 03:00 (+1.3m)Low around 08:00 (-0.1m)High around 14:00 (+1.9m)Low around 21:00 (-1.5m)
High 03:00+1.3mLow 08:00-0.1mHigh 14:00+1.9mLow 21:00-1.5m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide FriHigh around 04:00 (+1.2m)Low around 09:00 (+0.0m)High around 15:00 (+1.7m)Low around 22:00 (-1.4m)
High 04:00+1.2mLow 09:00+0.0mHigh 15:00+1.7mLow 22:00-1.4m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide SatHigh around 05:00 (+1.0m)Low around 10:00 (+0.1m)
High 05:00+1.0mLow 10:00+0.1m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.

Times on this card are local to Chesterman Beach. The star call is our own estimate, calculated from the forecast height, period and wind speed — not measured, and not a suitability or safety assessment. How we rate explains the scale. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, licensed CC BY 4.0. Fetched 25 Oct 2026, 11:00.

Live conditions

12:00 (local)
Wave
1.9m
from SSW
Period? (what does this mean?)Time between waves. Longer period = more powerful, better-organised waves.
8.4s
Swell? (what does this mean?)Waves made by distant storms, smoother and more ordered than the choppy waves a local wind whips up.
1.8m
9s from SSW
Wind? (what does this mean?)Offshore wind (land to sea) holds waves up and smooths their faces; onshore wind (sea to land) makes them crumble and close out sooner.
23km/h
from ENE
Estimated wave energy? (what does this mean?)How much power each metre of wave front carries (kW/m), worked out from height and period — higher numbers mean waves that push harder.
~14 kW/m(Moderate)

Calculated by us from the height and period above, not measured — and it describes the swell offshore, not the wave at the break.

Waves from DWD Global WAM, wind from ECMWF IFS, for a model grid point 15 km from the break. Fetched 25 Oct 2026, 11:00. Times on this card are local to Chesterman Beach. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, licensed CC BY 4.0. Not a suitability or safety assessment — check local conditions and ask your instructor.

Surf Snapshot

Estimated seasonal guidance — not a live forecast.

Oct
Consistency this monthEstimated
Flat
Beginner safety
Manageable
Crowd
Busy
Water quality
Pristine
Recommended boardsShortboardMidfunboard
Year-round consistency
Oct: Flat consistencyTap a month

Does this wave fit your level?

Rated for Levels 2-6 · Best at Level 4.

Take the 2-minute quiz to see if Chesterman Beach fits you today.

Find my Level →

Beginner notes

Graded from Level 2 rather than Level 1, and the reason is the season rather than the sand. Surfline describes it as user-friendly at a smaller size but intermediate-to-advanced surfers only as it gets larger, and the autumn banks that make it good also make it steep. A first-timer in July is fine here with an instructor; a first-timer alone in October is not. Cox Bay is the safer default for a first session. Cold water applies here exactly as it does along the rest of this coast.

Hazards

  • rip currents
  • cold water
  • shifting sandbanks

Camps near Chesterman Beach

Swell Tofino

$
Chesterman Beach, Canada
No reviews yetLevels 1-3
No signal yet
Surf lessonsLessons only
Oct · Flat consistency · — · Levels 1-3
Shortboard · Mid
Cox Bay
Long Beach Lodge Resort

Long Beach Lodge Resort

$$$$
Cox Bay, Canada
No reviews yetLevels 1-4
No signal yet
Surf lessons Stay on site
Oct · Flat consistency · — · Levels 1-4
Shortboard · Mid

Photo: Long Beach Lodge Resort

Tofino
Pacific Surf Co

Pacific Surf Co

$$
Tofino, Canada
No reviews yetLevels 1-4
No signal yet
Surf lessonsLessons only
Oct · Flat consistency · — · Levels 1-4
Shortboard · Mid

Photo: Pacific Surf Co

Nearby spots

The closest graded spots to Chesterman Beach, straight-line distance.

  • Cox Bay~2 km · Levels 1-6

Best months to surf here

In-season months for Vancouver Island, from our editors’ season calendar.

  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct

How this spot is sourced

Cross-checked against 3 sources from 2 independent lineages, last checked September 2026.

Two or more independent sources agree on wave type.

  • OpenStreetMap
  • Surf-Forecast.com
  • Surfline

On the map