SUP,Surf
Tofino Retreat (May long 2025)
S1 - windsurfing - Columbia Beach (2025 May 17)
Dumb luck. I wasn’t expecting to sail (SE doesn’t work at Pipers), then it dawned on me when I got off the ferry – maybe Columbia Beach is working. Worth a look-see. Arrived to find one mutt and the breeze freshening! This could work! By the time I rigged the 5.3/115 was getting to be a handful! Flattened the sail and got a few more rides before coming in for medium gear (4.5/93) – that was MUCH better! Got treated to a mini point break on the low tide that ran from the exposed main reef down to the house with the green roof! Sets were modest, but still averaging waist high. Some offering multiple down-the-line turns! Got one cut back that had good energy, speed, power, and rotation – personal best at CB (there may have even been a bucket)! Feeling some progression! Jumps on the way out – some with pop! Shared with two mutt and one touring Swiss kiter and a few sea lions. It was good to be back windsurfing at Columbia Beach again, for the first time! Nice surprise and a great way to start the trip! Capped the day with watching the third period and seeing the Leafs force a game seven! Then instant dinner (Whole Foods) and instant camp fire (propane) oceanside in Ukee!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S2 - wavesailing - Long Beach (2025 May 17)
Windy! Up before dawn and came pretty close to hitting a fawn (but stopped in time). Saw a grouse also greeting the day. Got rock star parking and got settled in for a day of homesteading at Incinerator Rock. On it early are 12 noon with big gear (5.3/115) and wind kept you on your toes (hammer to rolling off the back of target waves), but still managed to get more than a few decent waves! Rigged down to 4.5/92 about an hour later and the wind built, but steadied out (for Long Beach) which made catching the background south swell easy and fun! Waves were fun-sized with a few mini-bombs! Waves stated open and clean which made for lots of turns on go-anywhere wave rides! Caught one party wave with Dan (that he doesn’t remember) that impressed the two surfers in the water (chatted later in the parking lot)! They were so impressed they said it made them want to take up windsurfing!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S3 - wavesailing - South Chesterman (2025 May 18)
Big smiles! Saw whale spouting at Long Beach and the new VW Buzz (long). The crew demoing the VW van said it was “fast” – that’s unusual for a VW bus! Then off to South Chesterman for a wind/surf check. Just enough of a wave to draw two of us out (myself and Cloud Break Adrian). There is something magical about this spot – side-off wind, shape and path of the wave, and more! Wind was about 15 mph to start and built to allow some jumping! Background south swell started as imaginary friends and built to waist-high plus on the flooding tide. Waves were small but they generated some BIG smiles and a Woooo Hooooo on my first carving down-the-line ride! Two more kites joined in the fun and the wave count and smiles grew! 6 degree air temp and cool water made for cold hands but bare feet were OK. Sea had some roll that made tacking on the outside a bit wet at times (but there was enough wind to waterstart). Fun to share the stoke in such a magical spot!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S4 - SUP - South Chesterman (2025 May 19)
Storm watching in Ukee while eating my breakfast! Travel day SUP in the SE wind swell at South Chesterman. A few clean faces and some decent turns to make the session worth while! Always nice to get wet before hitting the road!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S1 - windsurfing - Columbia Beach (2025 May 17)
Dumb luck. I wasn’t expecting to sail (SE doesn’t work at Pipers), then it dawned on me when I got off the ferry – maybe Columbia Beach is working. Worth a look-see. Arrived to find one mutt and the breeze freshening! This could work! By the time I rigged the 5.3/115 was getting to be a handful! Flattened the sail and got a few more rides before coming in for medium gear (4.5/93) – that was MUCH better! Got treated to a mini point break on the low tide that ran from the exposed main reef down to the house with the green roof! Sets were modest, but still averaging waist high. Some offering multiple down-the-line turns! Got one cut back that had good energy, speed, power, and rotation – personal best at CB (there may have even been a bucket)! Feeling some progression! Jumps on the way out – some with pop! Shared with two mutt and one touring Swiss kiter and a few sea lions. It was good to be back windsurfing at Columbia Beach again, for the first time! Nice surprise and a great way to start the trip! Capped the day with watching the third period and seeing the Leafs force a game seven! Then instant dinner (Whole Foods) and instant camp fire (propane) oceanside in Ukee!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S2 - wavesailing - Long Beach (2025 May 17)
Windy! Up before dawn and came pretty close to hitting a fawn (but stopped in time). Saw a grouse also greeting the day. Got rock star parking and got settled in for a day of homesteading at Incinerator Rock. On it early are 12 noon with big gear (5.3/115) and wind kept you on your toes (hammer to rolling off the back of target waves), but still managed to get more than a few decent waves! Rigged down to 4.5/92 about an hour later and the wind built, but steadied out (for Long Beach) which made catching the background south swell easy and fun! Waves were fun-sized with a few mini-bombs! Waves stated open and clean which made for lots of turns on go-anywhere wave rides! Caught one party wave with Dan (that he doesn’t remember) that impressed the two surfers in the water (chatted later in the parking lot)! They were so impressed they said it made them want to take up windsurfing!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S3 - wavesailing - South Chesterman (2025 May 18)
Big smiles! Saw whale spouting at Long Beach and the new VW Buzz (long). The crew demoing the VW van said it was “fast” – that’s unusual for a VW bus! Then off to South Chesterman for a wind/surf check. Just enough of a wave to draw two of us out (myself and Cloud Break Adrian). There is something magical about this spot – side-off wind, shape and path of the wave, and more! Wind was about 15 mph to start and built to allow some jumping! Background south swell started as imaginary friends and built to waist-high plus on the flooding tide. Waves were small but they generated some BIG smiles and a Woooo Hooooo on my first carving down-the-line ride! Two more kites joined in the fun and the wave count and smiles grew! 6 degree air temp and cool water made for cold hands but bare feet were OK. Sea had some roll that made tacking on the outside a bit wet at times (but there was enough wind to waterstart). Fun to share the stoke in such a magical spot!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S4 - SUP - South Chesterman (2025 May 19)
Storm watching in Ukee while eating my breakfast! Travel day SUP in the SE wind swell at South Chesterman. A few clean faces and some decent turns to make the session worth while! Always nice to get wet before hitting the road!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
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C36 - Posts: 2229
- Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 8:17 pm
S1 - windsurfing - Columbia Beach (2025 May 30)
Meh. The wind was teasing (and I was beginning to think CB was the new Pipers). Should have rigged 6.1 but didn’t have enough with 5.3. Lots of sea life – large fish and seals hunting fish. It was worth a try.
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S2 - wavesailing - Long Beach (2025 May 31)
Steady. Rain overnight. Deer fawn at dawn in Ukee. Whale spout and bald eagle at Long Beach. Parking lot French Toast. Sky broke and NW flow started. Maxim giving wing lessons. Took to the water on big gear as the wind ramped up. Low tide shore pound was a little sketchy. Treated to some clean organized west swell that had set up in clean lines. Some fun rides that got a few compliments once back on the beach. Squatters set up their cooking table in my parking spot. Steady wind and decent power made this session seem special and I set the intention I was due for a solid one and it happened!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S3 - wavesailing - Long Beach (2025 May 31)
Power hour plus. Took a break for lunch and waited for the wind to ramp up so I could use smaller gear, but it didn’t. Tried the big gear again, but that was short lived as the real wind arrived! Nice to use the smaller gear fully powered! Fun charge cooking ng out with power and squeaked over a few solid breaking waves! Toward the end of my second shift outside gybes felt like hate at the Cape! Two great sessions in one day! Hot solar shower! Raven. Dinner in the park again – this time in the warm sun! Meditation on the point storm watching! Very grateful!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S4 - wavesailing - Long Beach (2025 June 1)
Bomb! West swell was tricky – didn’t look like much from the beach, but it was pumping on the rising mid-tide. Caught one bomb early on that felt logo-high! Reece was killing it on wing! Wind was light at times and prompted a couple of rejections turned swims ~ but there were still wavesailing to be had! Marty shared tales of ocean odyssey on a commercial fishing boat. Hummingbird at Long Beach and Steller’s Jay and possible bear scat at Green Point. Set up base camp at Green Point. Ozy did his best not to mark the campsite with his Maui ribs.
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S5 - SUP - Long Beach (2025 June 2)
Glass. Morning class hung around and pulled me out for a SUP session. Slack low tide and the west swell kept producing gentle giants mid-beach! Turquoise water! Clear view of the bottom like being in an aquarium! Gath visor mount created some GoPro blindness as it tilted the helmet forward ~ Caught a few bombs and one long runner to the right! Fun to paddle surf the glassy sets!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S6 - wavesailing - Long Beach (2025 June 2)
Up and over. Surf check at South Chesterman – wind, but no swell. I decided to head back to Long Beach for a look-see. Mink at Long Beach (first one I have seen out here). Light wind slough and ride. I kept willing myself up and over the west swell in the light wind! Some swims, but a few bombs! Fun for those that lingered!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S7 - road bike ride - Tofino to Radar Hill (2025 June 3)
Close calls. Mixed it up and took the new-to-m road bike for a spin from Tofino to Radar Hill. Just about got taken out by a careless driver pulling out of a driveway. By the time I stopped my left hand as leaning on his front fender. The guy was fully of excuses but never asked If I was OK. The woman cycling behind me rolled up and said, “That looked frightening! Are you OK?” I thanked her for checking on me. Second close call was with a black bear on the way home, thankfully before I stopped at the fish shop! Nice to go for spin before the wind came up!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S8 - wavesailing - Long Beach (2025 June 3)
Groove. Another surf check at South Chesterman – wind, but no swell. AJ and I decided to head back to Long Beach for a look-see. Long Beach looked inviting with cool, stable NW wind! A few kites out. Some waves to work with. Wind eased then rebounded. Mot thought this was more fun than last night. Jesse and Maxum on wings. AJ was stoked with progression with wavesailing on windsurfing gear!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
Meh. The wind was teasing (and I was beginning to think CB was the new Pipers). Should have rigged 6.1 but didn’t have enough with 5.3. Lots of sea life – large fish and seals hunting fish. It was worth a try.
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S2 - wavesailing - Long Beach (2025 May 31)
Steady. Rain overnight. Deer fawn at dawn in Ukee. Whale spout and bald eagle at Long Beach. Parking lot French Toast. Sky broke and NW flow started. Maxim giving wing lessons. Took to the water on big gear as the wind ramped up. Low tide shore pound was a little sketchy. Treated to some clean organized west swell that had set up in clean lines. Some fun rides that got a few compliments once back on the beach. Squatters set up their cooking table in my parking spot. Steady wind and decent power made this session seem special and I set the intention I was due for a solid one and it happened!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S3 - wavesailing - Long Beach (2025 May 31)
Power hour plus. Took a break for lunch and waited for the wind to ramp up so I could use smaller gear, but it didn’t. Tried the big gear again, but that was short lived as the real wind arrived! Nice to use the smaller gear fully powered! Fun charge cooking ng out with power and squeaked over a few solid breaking waves! Toward the end of my second shift outside gybes felt like hate at the Cape! Two great sessions in one day! Hot solar shower! Raven. Dinner in the park again – this time in the warm sun! Meditation on the point storm watching! Very grateful!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S4 - wavesailing - Long Beach (2025 June 1)
Bomb! West swell was tricky – didn’t look like much from the beach, but it was pumping on the rising mid-tide. Caught one bomb early on that felt logo-high! Reece was killing it on wing! Wind was light at times and prompted a couple of rejections turned swims ~ but there were still wavesailing to be had! Marty shared tales of ocean odyssey on a commercial fishing boat. Hummingbird at Long Beach and Steller’s Jay and possible bear scat at Green Point. Set up base camp at Green Point. Ozy did his best not to mark the campsite with his Maui ribs.
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S5 - SUP - Long Beach (2025 June 2)
Glass. Morning class hung around and pulled me out for a SUP session. Slack low tide and the west swell kept producing gentle giants mid-beach! Turquoise water! Clear view of the bottom like being in an aquarium! Gath visor mount created some GoPro blindness as it tilted the helmet forward ~ Caught a few bombs and one long runner to the right! Fun to paddle surf the glassy sets!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S6 - wavesailing - Long Beach (2025 June 2)
Up and over. Surf check at South Chesterman – wind, but no swell. I decided to head back to Long Beach for a look-see. Mink at Long Beach (first one I have seen out here). Light wind slough and ride. I kept willing myself up and over the west swell in the light wind! Some swims, but a few bombs! Fun for those that lingered!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S7 - road bike ride - Tofino to Radar Hill (2025 June 3)
Close calls. Mixed it up and took the new-to-m road bike for a spin from Tofino to Radar Hill. Just about got taken out by a careless driver pulling out of a driveway. By the time I stopped my left hand as leaning on his front fender. The guy was fully of excuses but never asked If I was OK. The woman cycling behind me rolled up and said, “That looked frightening! Are you OK?” I thanked her for checking on me. Second close call was with a black bear on the way home, thankfully before I stopped at the fish shop! Nice to go for spin before the wind came up!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S8 - wavesailing - Long Beach (2025 June 3)
Groove. Another surf check at South Chesterman – wind, but no swell. AJ and I decided to head back to Long Beach for a look-see. Long Beach looked inviting with cool, stable NW wind! A few kites out. Some waves to work with. Wind eased then rebounded. Mot thought this was more fun than last night. Jesse and Maxum on wings. AJ was stoked with progression with wavesailing on windsurfing gear!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
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C36 - Posts: 2229
- Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 8:17 pm
Looks like another good trip! Thanks for sharing.
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ShonanDB - Posts: 607
- Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2013 5:52 pm
S9 - SUP at Long Beach (2025 Jun 4)
Glass off. Watched game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs on my phone at the campsite while I ate an early dinner. OT had to wait for a surf check! Classic summer Long Beach evening glass off complete with high tide and long board waves! What a treat after a day of watching onshore wind stir things up. Soothes the soul to be out on the water at sunset. Icing on the cake!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S10 - road bike Radar Hill to Green Point (2025 Jun 5)
Road apple. Fog and onshore wind has me reaching for my road bike. Next along the route was Radar Hill to Green Point launched from Incinerator Rock parking lot. Morning ride through the forest allowed you to sense the rhythm of the land as you rolled up and down along the bike path. No close calls with cars or bears today making for a chill ride!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S11 - SUP at Long Beach (2025 Jun 5)
Sea. Sunet SUP session on high flooding tide. Baritone ukulele played. Seals hunting fish. Some compliments from the parking lot on waves caught. Rhythm of the sea!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S12 - SUP at Long Beach (2025 Jun 6)
Dip and rip. Deer tracks on the beach. Warm morning air felt unusual after all the cool nights. Morning session on slack high tide.
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S13 - wavesailing at Long Beach (2025 Jun 6)
High of 19. Surf check at South Chesterman before taking to the water at Long Beach. On an afternoon slack low tide. Kites launched but didn’t stay out for long. Small waves and light wind made for lot of backside rides and only a few frontside down-the-line rides.
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S14 - wavesailing at South Chesterman (2025 Jun 8)
Minis. Debated about going out but the sun, warm temps and opportunity to session South Chesterman drew me out. Mini tracer waves on ebbing mid-tide. Hit a target wave on most rides in. They were small (knee to waist-high), but most provided for three to four hits! Fun that!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S15 - wavesailing at South Chesterman (2025 Jun 9)
More. Same location, similar ebbing mid-tide, similar side-off wind direction, and similar wind speed to yesterday. More wave, more turns, more rides, and more fun than yesterday! South swell started to pump just after I took to the water! It was a bit unsettled having travelled through the large west swell, but it was easy to catch and fun to work with! One junior shortboard surfer out that was just ripping! Great session to end the trip with!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
Glass off. Watched game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs on my phone at the campsite while I ate an early dinner. OT had to wait for a surf check! Classic summer Long Beach evening glass off complete with high tide and long board waves! What a treat after a day of watching onshore wind stir things up. Soothes the soul to be out on the water at sunset. Icing on the cake!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S10 - road bike Radar Hill to Green Point (2025 Jun 5)
Road apple. Fog and onshore wind has me reaching for my road bike. Next along the route was Radar Hill to Green Point launched from Incinerator Rock parking lot. Morning ride through the forest allowed you to sense the rhythm of the land as you rolled up and down along the bike path. No close calls with cars or bears today making for a chill ride!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S11 - SUP at Long Beach (2025 Jun 5)
Sea. Sunet SUP session on high flooding tide. Baritone ukulele played. Seals hunting fish. Some compliments from the parking lot on waves caught. Rhythm of the sea!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S12 - SUP at Long Beach (2025 Jun 6)
Dip and rip. Deer tracks on the beach. Warm morning air felt unusual after all the cool nights. Morning session on slack high tide.
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S13 - wavesailing at Long Beach (2025 Jun 6)
High of 19. Surf check at South Chesterman before taking to the water at Long Beach. On an afternoon slack low tide. Kites launched but didn’t stay out for long. Small waves and light wind made for lot of backside rides and only a few frontside down-the-line rides.
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S14 - wavesailing at South Chesterman (2025 Jun 8)
Minis. Debated about going out but the sun, warm temps and opportunity to session South Chesterman drew me out. Mini tracer waves on ebbing mid-tide. Hit a target wave on most rides in. They were small (knee to waist-high), but most provided for three to four hits! Fun that!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
S15 - wavesailing at South Chesterman (2025 Jun 9)
More. Same location, similar ebbing mid-tide, similar side-off wind direction, and similar wind speed to yesterday. More wave, more turns, more rides, and more fun than yesterday! South swell started to pump just after I took to the water! It was a bit unsettled having travelled through the large west swell, but it was easy to catch and fun to work with! One junior shortboard surfer out that was just ripping! Great session to end the trip with!
Gallery to view as a slideshow click on the screen icon top right
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C36 - Posts: 2229
- Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 8:17 pm