Chesterman Beach
Surf spot · Canada
Is it worth the trip?
61Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 8 ft swell at 9 s
Tue 3 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 971kJ
- Wind
- E 7 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 359kJ
- Wind
- ESE 19 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Thu 5 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 925kJ
- Wind
- E 8 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 15 ft13 smushy
- Energy
- 6,417kJ
- Wind
- WNW 15 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sat 7 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,678kJ
- Wind
- ESE 16 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Sun 8 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 12 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,860kJ
- Wind
- ESE 17 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Mon 9 · 70 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,299kJ
- Wind
- SSE 7 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 269, good
- Tue 366, good
- Wed 438, too small
- Thu 572, good
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 768, good
- Sun 862, good
- Mon 970, good
- Tue 1034, poor
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–11 ftof swell
- Water 10 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
- Best in Sep3 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 69, good | 7 ft13 ssoft11 ft at break (est.) | 1,487kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 12 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 66, good | 6 ft11 ssoft9 ft at break (est.) | 971kJ | offshorewind from the east, 7 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 38, too small | 4 ft10 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 359kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 19 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 72, good | 8 ft9 ssoft10 ft at break (est.) | 925kJ | offshorewind from the east, 8 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 15 ft13 smushy20 ft at break (est.) | 6,417kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 15 knots | 11°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 68, good | 9 ft10 ssoft12 ft at break (est.) | 1,678kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 16 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 62, good | 12 ft11 ssoft15 ft at break (est.) | 2,860kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 17 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 70, good | 9 ft10 ssoft11 ft at break (est.) | 1,299kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 7 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 34, poor | 9 ft10 ssoft12 ft at break (est.) | 1,531kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 25 knots | 13°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 06:52 +0.8 mLow 12:32 −0.4 mHigh 18:18 +0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 01:02 −1.3 mHigh 07:51 +0.9 mLow 13:53 −0.7 mHigh 19:45 +0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 02:05 −1.2 mHigh 08:41 +1.1 mLow 14:59 −1.0 mHigh 21:00 +0.8 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best in Sep
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep3of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Chesterman Beach on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Chesterman Beach
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More surf near here
4 places
- Rosie's Bay 0.3 km away
- Chestermans beach - north 0.4 km away
- Cox Bay 1.5 km away
- Tofino 4.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Chesterman Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (254°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (74°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 700 m out (1 in 72). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 9°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 14°C in July, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually September, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Tofino, 4.2 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot, 2 dive sites and 2 kayak spots.
Water about 10°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,050–US$1,920 each
about US$1,050–US$1,920 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to YVR, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$248–US$523 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$134–US$228 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$275–US$456 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$308–US$576 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$1,050–US$1,920 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 2 towns
about 10 min by car · 44 places to stay
about US$100/nightcountry average
About Tofino its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Ucluelet on Booking.com
about 1h by car · 56 places to stay
About US$100 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 11h 30m
About 11h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → YVR, direct, then 3h 45m by road
Flights ORD → YVR on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.