I’d like to start by sharing a life hack for those of you who like to save a little cash when you travel. If you happen to stay at a hotel with a fridge and a coffee maker that opens you up to grocery options like yogurt, instant noodles, freeze dried camp food, etc. The only thing missing is silverware. Fear not. For your first meal when you arrive in town, go straight to a coffee shop or some sort of fast-casual restaurant where they are likely to have plastic silverware. You now have the means to eat your grocery food without buying and wasting an excessively large party pack of plastic silverware.
On a somewhat similar topic, I decided to engage in some snack tourism when I made my trip to the grocery store. They surprisingly didn’t have any regular hot cheetos but had a “sweet chili” hot cheetos with french translation on the packaging too. It was definitely not as good as the real thing. I was also made aware that ketchup flavored Old Dutch chips are the Canadian thing to do. Turns out I’m too ‘mericun for that too. 6/10 – wouldn’t seek it out again.
Now back to your regular programming.
Today was my big day. I was going to get into the ominous cold water and sizeable waves that were calling at me the past few days. I won’t lie, I was pretty nervous after all that buildup.
Figuring I’d need some fuel for the session and to stay warm, I got myself a big ol’ breakfast wrap and two cups of coffee from Rhino Coffee Shop. Then, I headed to the beach and just watched the waves for a while to plan my attack for when I’m paddling out. It was probably 4-6ft today and glassy. Perfect. I was, however, a bit concerned about paddling out as there weren’t really very many lulls in between the sets so I knew it would be a bit of a struggle just to make it out to the lineup.
I went back to The Surf Club to gear up and pick up my trusty rental surfboard. This would be my first time wearing a thick 5/4 wetsuit with a hoodie. I felt like I was the Michelin man with so much neoprene on me but as ridiculous as I looked I did feel nice and warm. I was curious how it would hold up in the water.
Normally, when it’s cold back home I will feel the shock as soon as I step into the water. I, surprisingly, felt none of that with my first steps into the ocean. This was a pleasant surprise because the cold was my biggest worry. The downside to all that coldwater gear was that I felt super bogged down, especially with the gloves. Each paddle felt like I was paddling with weights in my hands. On top of that, the surfboard I was using had lots of volume so it took extra effort to push the board down underneath the waves to duckdive past them. By the time I made it out to the lineup I was already breathing heavily. When I did make it out, I took a moment to take in where I was and what I was doing and I couldn’t help a big smile from forming on my face. It was so beautiful and I knew it was going to be an experience that I might not duplicate again.
The waves weren’t exactly the best in the world even though it was big and glassy. They were kind of like Doheny waves which are mushy so you’d have to catch it very late if you weren’t on a longboard. This didn’t matter to me at all though. It was still really fun and I did what I set out to do – surf in Tofino.
Afterwards, I went to get a delicious duck leg noodle soup from Sea Monster Noodle Bar. Not that I was cold but this warmed me way up.
It was still pretty early in the day so I decided I’d go do another one of the hikes that was recommended to me. It took me a while to find the trailhead. I think I “hiked” more trying to find it than when I actually did the hike. The payoff for the hike was worth it though. I had yet another beach to myself. I wonder if it’s like this in the summer too. I doubt it.
As I was about to head to dinner, I caught one of the most breathtaking sunsets I’ve ever seen in my life. Pictures don’t do it any justice but I have one below.
I capped the day off with a dinner at Schooner Restaurant, which was also a recommendation from the first day I was here. I treated myself to a steak and an oyster. Having some oysters was another goal of mine besides surfing for this trip. While an oyster bar I wanted to check out was closed for the season, I got my fix here. The restaurant was definitely a date night type of restaurant. I’m sure people were envious that I was seated next to the window even though I was alone.
Tomorrow is my last day/night in Tofino. On my loose itinerary: botanical gardens and a hike to a plane crash. Then, my triumphant return to the first restaurant I went to in Tofino.
