Winter surfing in Canada, eh? Written by CNN iReport/beetraveler Home News + Blogs Winter surfing in Canada, eh? Local surfers Josh Lewis, Jamie Bale and Krissy Montgomery explain why Tofino is a sought-after surf destination. Our favourite quote: Listen to Josh make a reference to the “Davy Crocketts of the surf world”… “Little do most people know, Canada has a thriving surf scene. In the frigid Pacific waters on the country’s west coast, the small community of Tofino’s surf culture thrives year round. While we Canadians are known to love the outdoors, even I was intrigued to learn more about this town’s cold water surfing pastime. To better understand the local surf culture, I spoke with a number of local surfers. Tofino is located on the coastline that also happens to be a protected rainforest. Yes, a rainforest in Canada. It doesn’t snow in this part of Canada, contrary to the international stereotype of the whole country as the “Great White North”… Instead, on this mild Pacific coastline, it rains. And rains. And rains… Yearly rainfall in Tofino is around 130 inches. But through it all, rain or shine, clad in warm wetsuits, locals love to surf! HOW TO GET THERE: Tofino is on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. While it takes a good part of a day to get to Tofino from mainland British Columbia, Tofino’s pristine beauty is well worth the effort. The best access is via BC Ferries (bcferries.com) from Vancouver to Nanaimo (roughly 2 hours), then driving from Nanaimo to Tofino (3 hours). Tofino’s beautifully rugged coastline is a 200 kilometer (124 mile) drive from Nanaimo. The road is a slow, windy one, with the average speed limit being around 60 km/hr. For those who prefer not to drive, charter bus services also run from Vancouver to Tofino via this same route. More info:www.tourismtofino.comwww.hellobc.comwww.bcferries.comwww.surfsister.comwww.longbeachlodgeresort.com/site/the-surf-club.html” Twitter Facebook Email Back to Top