A SURFING LONG WEEKEND IN TOFINO
My life has been a whirlwind lately. So much to do and so little time. But it’s always like that, isn’t it?
A long weekend in Tofino was just what I needed. Fresh salty ocean air, surfing till my body hurts, sleeping in a tent close to the ground, nature walks, sleeping in, and cooking over the camp stove.
I haven’t been that relaxed in a long time. Probably not since the last time I was in Tofino 
We took the ferry early Saturday morning (don’t even get me started about the ferries) and set up our campsite in the afternoon.
We headed immediately to Long Beach for a perfect glassy sunset surf session. It was the best session of the weekend. Quiet, deserted… the only two people in the water. Pink sky, looooooooong long longboard rides on the waist-shoulder waves, and a family of 3 HUGE sea lions that came out to say hi. We rode waves for about 2 and a half hours until we couldn’t see anymore, and till we were frozen.
Our campsite setup isn’t the bare minimal that it could be, but it’s definitely not the big hullabaloo that I’ve seen is possible.
We’ve got a TARN 3 MEC tent, surfboards on the car, a camping stove, head lamps, a cooler, and lots of food. We sleep on foam mats and thin MEC mats with our sleeping bags. I actually like being close to the ground and being so flat. Feels great on the back. Our biggest luxury is definitely the heavy cast iron grill we put on the camp stove. Despite the weight, it’s totally worth bringing it… we wouldn’t be able to hike with it but I looooove cooking on it when we can bring the car!
Grass along the path to Wickaninnish Beach.
We lay in the tent most of the day Sunday and listened to the rain, the wind, and the ocean for hours. So relaxing.
At night we headed to Long Beach again for another sunset surf session. Not as glassy, and there were way more people in the water (maybe about 20?)… but it was still awesome. I caught my best wave of the weekend… a shoulder high steep wave that I rode left for ages… it just kept reforming. Loved it. We surfed again till we were freezing and it was dark…
Despite our 5 mil suits, booties and gloves… the frigid waters of the Pacific always manage to wear us down at the end of a surf session. It’s not like Costa Rica where I could surf all day in the warm water. But Tofino and the Pacific will always have their charms…
I love how green and alive everything seems to grow around Tofino…
We definitely like our cooking and camping. I love to use lots of garlic and shallots to keep the immune system going out in the cold… here we are prepping our breakfast.
A true breakfast for surfers! Lots of bacon and protein… tons of carbs with the crispy fried Yukon Gold potatoes… topped with garlic, shallots and peppers.
For dinner we had Wild Pacific Halibut (from last year’s fishing trip in Tofino), panko breaded and grilled over the cast iron, topped with peppers and bacon… with pesto pasta.
Loved the water droplets on the pine surrounding these yellow flowers.
On the way out of Tofino we stopped by the Wick to see if anything was happening at that beach… didn’t look too bad for a low tide session, and there were about 20 people in the water. Wish we could have stayed and surfed but it was time to make it back to the ferries.
Ah the end of a long weekend… always so sad. It was cold and rainy heading back. Whenever we come back from Tofino I wish that Tofino was home. I could see myself living there for the rest of my days.
Well, back to work.
Tags: Greenpoint, Long Beach, Pacific, surfboards, surfer girl, Surfing, Tofino, Tofino blog, Wick
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May 19th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I’m jealous. I’ll have to explore this Tofino place some day. This weekend, I’m off to go surfing in Sayulita, Mexico. I will fear no swine flu.
BTW, where are all the pics of you guys RIDING the waves?
May 19th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
5mm, YIKES! that’s muy thick. i hope you have back-up suits to get into. nothing worse than having to squeeze into a cold, damp suit for the 2nd session. as always, detail shots and story-telling.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
I’m a little envious, Allie. It sounds like you had the most amazing weekend out in nature there. The photography is gorgeous, and I LOVE that second to last shot! Listening to the rain through the tent would’ve been so relaxing!
May 19th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Such wonderful words and pictures. I loved going over to Tofino when I was living in Vancouver (10 years ago). Such a beautiful and magical place.
May 19th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Great photos (as usual!) Allie. You’ve got some high end cooking knives (or is it the only one) in one of those photos there. Question about the tent – obviously it doesn’t leak/sweat much in the rain? As I’ve been in a tent during a rainfall before, and it’s “water resistant” for about 10 minutes before I had to bust out the tarp.
Definitely getting me wanting to go camping again!
May 19th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Sounds like a great adventure. You were car camping so you had the luxury of bringing the cast iron grill. Certainly not an item I’d bring on my backcountry trips. But you could still make some AMAZING food with a MSR whisperlite & basic cook set.
To answer Mike’s question (if Allie doesn’t), Tarn 3 is a great tent. I’ve slept in Tarn 3 when it’s pouring out. It’s very well built, just like all MEC products. Not sure why your tent is only water resistant, maybe it’s an old tent? The only complain about Tarn 3 is that it’s a tad on the heavy side. I’d love to get a 2 person 3 season tent that weighs less than 2kg. My bank account is saying no no though. =(
May 20th, 2009 at 6:27 am
Oh a Tarn 3 eh? I need to look at getting something like Tawcan suggested, a 2 person 3 season. I saw them briefly while we were at MEC yesterday. I just can’t lug around the Woods tent I bought a few years ago from CrappyTire, it sleeps 3 comfortably and has some neat additions, but the Tarns and other tents at MEC are just so much lighter and much more simpler.
Allie looked like you enjoyed the time in Tofino! I’m looking forward to GreenPoint in June. Hopefully we can get a good close to the beach site
(never been to Greenpoint actually)
May 20th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Great pics Allie
May 20th, 2009 at 11:33 am
What a wonderful trip – your lovely pictures of the views, surf and food is getting me pumped up for my own trip to tofino in july. yay tofino! I love your last two pictures.
ah, the ferries – the only chagrin to a perfect long weekend trip.
i hear you about the cold water – this isn’t quite hawaii.
When are you going again?
May 20th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Nice pics. From the spacious campsite, I’d say you were at Greenpoint, a place I know very well as it’s about 2 hrs away. I often get the “honeymoon suite” there.
One suggestion, since there’s no showers at Greenpoint, have a shower at the motel with the gym in Ukie to warm up after a day in the surf, or stop at Swim Beach on the way out.
May 21st, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Relaxing. Whoever said it wasn’t an art form? Looks like a great long weekend.
May 22nd, 2009 at 9:43 am
AWESOME ALLIE! AWESOME. looks so nice. thanks for passing the stoke along…..
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:15 am
It’s funny how one comes across these blogs. I actually found yours because of Twilight pics, but I was recently in Vancouver and I love reading about your life there. Small world though because I am from Costa Rica and also miss the beach there.
May 26th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Hay pictures are awesome!
Any advice for a first time surfer! Checking out Tofino in August cant wait!
Love the website!
May 26th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
[...] Vancity Allie the blog of a Vancouver girl who lives and Posted by root 1 day 56 minutes ago (http://www.vancityallie.com) Our biggest luxury is definitely the heavy cast iron grill we put on the camp stove add an image to your comment note this is not an avatar powered by wordpress and wordpress theme created with artisteer Discuss | Bury | News | vancity allie the blog of a vancouver girl who lives and [...]
June 16th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
[...] Vancity Allie the blog of a Vancouver girl who lives and Posted by root 16 minutes ago (http://www.vancityallie.com) We 39 ve got a tarn 3 mec tent surfboards on the car a camping stove such wonderful words and pictures i loved going over to tofino when i was an image to your comment note this is not an avatar powered by wordpress and powered by wordpress and wordpress Discuss | Bury | News | Vancity Allie the blog of a Vancouver girl who lives and [...]
July 27th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
thank for your sharing. good information
August 6th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Thank you for sharing that with the http://WWW.. I also surf Tofino’s waters.. I live on the island so i dont have to do the dreaded ferry ride.. but dont let it stop you from coming and enjoying the westcoast…. surf on sister
November 29th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
What a lovely post, I am surfing blogs about Tofino after seeing South Beach on New Moon the other night. We visited Tofino two years ago and just loved loved loved it.
I’ve just done a blog post with some images, I want to go back, but it’s much further from Manchester UK!!!
http://moregeous.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/new-moons-jacob-and-bella-at-my-tofino-singing-pebble-south-beach-part-1/
Sian