Beach

both

Level 4/10

Cox Bay

Tofino, Canada

🌀Strong rips🪨Rocks

Cox Bay is Canada's surf capital—a beautiful beach break surrounded by old-growth rainforest on Vancouver Island's wild west coast. Tofino has become a surfing mecca, drawing everyone from beginners to experienced chargers. The water is cold year-round (thick wetsuits required), but winter storms deliver consistent Pacific swells that light up the sandbars. The setting is stunning: rainforest, black bears, and pristine wilderness. Canadian surfing at its finest.

10-Day Forecast

Today

Good

1.6mWSW

@15s

5km/h

Mon

Firing

1.8mW

@16s

4km/h

Tue

Good

2.0mW

@15s

5km/h

Wed

Firing

1.7mW

@14s

3km/h

Thu

Firing

1.6mW

@14s

4km/h

Fri

Good

1.8mW

@14s

5km/h

Sat

Firing

1.7mW

@13s

2km/h

Sun

Fair

1.7mWSW

@11s

3km/h

Mon

Fair

2.1mWSW

@10s

11km/h

Tue

Fair

1.5mWSW

@12s

20km/h

Today

Sun, Jan 18

1.6m @ 15s WSW

5 km/h S

Mon

Mon, Jan 19

1.8m @ 16s W

4 km/h SW

Tue

Tue, Jan 20

2.0m @ 15s W

5 km/h SSE

Wed

Wed, Jan 21

1.7m @ 14s W

3 km/h ESE

Thu

Thu, Jan 22

1.6m @ 14s W

4 km/h SSE

Fri

Fri, Jan 23

1.8m @ 14s W

5 km/h S

Sat

Sat, Jan 24

1.7m @ 13s W

2 km/h SSW

Sun

Sun, Jan 25

1.7m @ 11s WSW

3 km/h SE

Mon

Mon, Jan 26

2.1m @ 10s WSW

11 km/h E

Tue

Tue, Jan 27

1.5m @ 12s WSW

20 km/h ESE

Today's Conditions

Swell

1.6m

WSW(258°)

Score: 20/25

Period

15s

Long period groundswell

Score: 25/25

Wind

5km/h

S(174°)

Score: 8/25

Weather

6°C

0.0mm13%

Secondary Swell

0.5mW

Forecast Confidence

100%

Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather

Best Session

morning

Strike Score Breakdown

Good

Swell Direction

22/25

How well swell angle matches the spot

Swell Size

20/25

Wave height in the ideal range

Swell Period

25/25

Each spot has different period requirements. Points and reefs can handle longer periods than beaches.

Wind

8/25

Offshore/glassy conditions

Total Score75/100

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell

Wind

View in OpenStreetMap

Showing forecast for today

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: W (260°)
Direction range: 220° - 300°
Size range: 0.8m - 3m
Ideal period: 14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: E (90°)
Offshore range: 45° - 135°
Best window: morning

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: all
Optimal range: 0.5m - 2.5m

Water temp

11°C

Wetsuit

5/4mm + boots

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

5/10

Access: Or fly into Tofino airport (YAZ)

Getting There

Airport

YYJ

Drive time

240 min

Nearby Buoy

Forecasts are validated against real-time buoy data.

46206 (NOAA)

Best Season

Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

Secondary: Apr, May, Sep

Winter storms deliver consistent swell. Cold water year-round.

Data Quality

verified

Verified by Surf Canada