Surf spot

Chestermans beach - north

Forecast conditions and map view for Chestermans beach - north in Canada, West Coast. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: Canada, West Coast
Coordinates: 49.1178, -125.8993

Metric
Metric	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00
Wave height (m)	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.8	0.9	0.9	1	1	1.1	1.1	1.1	1	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.9	1	1	1	1.1	1.2	1.2	1.1	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	1	1.2	1.1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4
Wave direction	SSW	WSW	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	WNW	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	WNW	W	W	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	S	S	S
Wave period (s)	11.1	7.3	5.1	5.2	5.1	5.2	5.3	5.3	5.3	5.5	5.3	5.2	5.3	5.2	5.3	5.3	5.2	5	5	5	5	5	5.2	5.7	5.8	5.8	6	5.5	5.5	5.5	6.2	6.2	6.3	5.5	5	5	5.1	5.3	5.3	5.3	5.3	5.3	5.4	5.6	5.5	5.5	5.5	5.4	5.3	5.3	5.3	5.3	5.3	10.3	10.2	10.2
Wave energy (kJ)	101	52	28	36	40	41	52	60	64	77	64	52	47	36	34	34	32	35	41	47	53	52	68	100	97	89	62	50	48	53	83	103	91	59	45	38	35	40	40	40	38	35	30	31	26	24	21	20	17	15	15	15	15	34	33	33
Wind speed (km/h)	6.5	6.6	3.9	7.1	9.5	6.6	3	1.8	3.9	2.2	0.5	4	6.6	1	1.8	6.5	3.6	4.6	4.8	8.3	8.3	2.9	7.7	7.8	5.9	6.8	4.1	6.6	6.6	1.6	5.4	7.9	8.9	7.4	7.4	6.4	5.6	1.6	7.2	9	9.7	9.2	8.7	7.1	5.7	2.6	1.8	1.8	0.8	3.2	6.1	8.6	12.3	10.8	2.9	3.9
Wind direction	EOffshore	ENEOffshore	NEGlassy	SWOnshore	SSWCross-on	SCross	SSEGlassy	NWGlassy	NWGlassy	WGlassy	NEGlassy	WSWGlassy	SSWCross-on	NEGlassy	NGlassy	NCross-off	NGlassy	ENEGlassy	ENEGlassy	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	WSWGlassy	NEOffshore	NEOffshore	NEOffshore	NNECross-off	NEGlassy	SWOnshore	SWOnshore	SSWGlassy	NEOffshore	NEOffshore	NEOffshore	NEOffshore	NEOffshore	SWOnshore	SWOnshore	ENEGlassy	NECross-off	NEOffshore	NEOffshore	NEOffshore	NEOffshore	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	WSWGlassy	NGlassy	NEGlassy	WNWGlassy	NGlassy	NEOffshore	SCross-on	SCross-on	SSWCross-on	WGlassy	NWGlassy

Chesterman Beach North (Tofino, British Columbia, Canada) is one of the best-known surf spots on Canada’s West Coast, located just north of Tofino on Vancouver Island.

Spot overview

Type: Open beachbreak
Exposure: Exposed to Pacific swell
Bottom: Sand
Wave quality: Can be very fun and peaky, especially with the right swell direction and tide
Crowd: Popular, especially in season and on good forecast days

What it’s like

Chesterman North tends to offer a classic West Coast beachbreak feel with shifting sandbars, so conditions can change often. Because it’s a beachbreak, waves are usually more forgiving than reef or point breaks, but they can still get powerful, especially during larger Pacific swells.

Best conditions

Swell: NW to W swells are commonly productive
Wind: Light offshore or calm conditions are ideal; strong onshore winds can make it messy quickly
Tide: Can work across a range of tides, but sandbar-dependent peaks often favor mid tide to low tide
Size: Beginner-friendly on smaller days, but can become challenging as surf grows

Skill level

Beginners: Good on small, clean days
Intermediate: Very suitable and often rewarding
Advanced: Can still be fun when bigger and more powerful, though not the most technical wave on the coast

Hazards / considerations

Strong currents and changing sandbars
Cold water year-round — a full wetsuit, boots, and often gloves/hood are needed depending on season
Rips and sneaker sets can make paddling out more demanding
Crowds during prime conditions
Logs / debris can occasionally be present, especially after storms

Vibe

Chesterman North has a relaxed, iconic Tofino surf-town atmosphere, with a strong local and visiting surf community. It’s also a beautiful stretch of beach, making it popular with surfers, walkers, and photographers alike.