Cox Bay Webcam – Tofino’s Surf Bay on the Open Pacific

The Cox Bay Webcam looks out over Cox Bay, the west-facing surf beach just south of Tofino on the outer coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Three cameras share this page. Pacific Sands Beach Resort runs a surf cam trained on the breaking waves and a wide-angle HD camera that takes in most of the bay, while Long Beach Lodge Resort adds a lower view from its own stretch of shoreline. Swell rolls in straight off the open Pacific, surfers are often out in the lineup, and driftwood logs collect along the top of the sand. Use it to judge the waves before a session, follow a winter storm as it pounds the beach, or catch the sun dropping into the ocean on a clear evening.

About Cox Bay

Cox Bay is a crescent of sand about 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) long, roughly 7.5 kilometers (4.6 miles) south of Tofino along the Pacific Rim Highway. Sunset Point closes its northern end and separates it from Chesterman Beach, while Cox Point, with a short trail to a lookout, closes the south. Lennard Island Lighthouse stands offshore to the west. Because the bay opens to the west, it gathers swell from most directions, and local surf guides rate it the most consistent beach break in the area. Pacific Sands Beach Resort, Cox Bay Beach Resort and Long Beach Lodge Resort sit along its eastern shore, with public beach parking between them.

The bay is also the home of Queen of the Peak, an all-female surf competition launched in 2010 by Krissy Montgomery of Surf Sister and Jay Gildenhuys of Shelter Restaurant. Tofino, with 2,516 residents at the 2021 census, sits at the western end of Highway 4, and the whole area lies inside the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, designated in May 2000.

The main tab is the Pacific Sands surf cam, a tighter shot of the waves breaking across the bay with wet sand in the foreground. The second Pacific Sands camera is a wide-angle panorama from a grassy bank above the beach. Driftwood logs lie scattered across the upper sand, surf lines run across the middle of the frame, a forested headland trails out toward Cox Point on the left, and the trees and rock stacks of Sunset Point fill the right. The Long Beach Lodge camera sits lower, near the waterline, and looks across the shore break toward the tree-topped rocks off Sunset Point.

Weather and Climate in Cox Bay

Cox Bay has the mild, very wet climate of Vancouver Island’s outer coast. Climate records for Tofino put the average January high at 8.3 C (47 F) and the low at 2.3 C (36 F). Rain is the defining feature: about 3,270 millimeters (129 inches) falls in a typical year, and November alone averages 492 millimeters (19.4 inches). Late fall and winter are storm season, when big Pacific swell can push whitewater far up the beach and storm watching brings visitors out to the coast.

Summer stays mild, with July highs around 18.9 C (66 F) and lows near 10.5 C (51 F). Coastal fog is common on summer mornings, so the cameras can show the bay under a grey blanket that often lifts later in the day. Spring and early fall sit between those two extremes, with the first heavy rains building toward November. Since the bay faces west, a clear evening can put the sunset straight out over the water.

Things to Do Near Cox Bay

Start on the sand. Walk north along the beach to the signed Sunset Point trail, which runs about 100 meters (330 feet) through the forest to a boardwalk out onto the point, with Chesterman Beach on the far side. At the south end, Cox Point has its own short trail to a lookout. For time in the water, the Surf Club at Long Beach Lodge Resort offers surf lessons. If a trip lines up with Queen of the Peak, the heats are surfed on this same beach.

Farther afield, Tofino Botanical Gardens covers 12 acres (4.9 hectares) of coastal rainforest garden, established in 1997, with plants from Chile and Japan and displays on the natural and cultural history of Clayoquot Sound. Long Beach, in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, is the next big stretch of sand to the south. Radar Hill has a short paved loop of about 0.5 kilometers (0.3 miles) to a lookout on the site of a Second World War radar station that gave early warning of air attacks. Tofino also draws whale watchers, bird watchers and anglers.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More beach and surf views from British Columbia and farther afield:

• MacKenzie Beach Webcam
• Departure Bay Webcam
• Jeffreys Bay Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Cox Bay located?

Cox Bay is on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, about 7.5 kilometers (4.6 miles) south of the town of Tofino by the Pacific Rim Highway. It lies between Chesterman Beach to the north and Cox Point to the south, inside the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

What can you see on the Cox Bay Webcam?

The surf cam frames the breaking waves, the panorama camera shows the sweep of sand below Pacific Sands Beach Resort with Sunset Point on the right, and the Long Beach Lodge camera looks across the shore break from lower down. Surfers, beach walkers and winter storms are the usual action.

What is the weather like in Cox Bay?

Mild and wet. January averages a high of 8.3 C (47 F) and July a high of 18.9 C (66 F), with about 3,270 millimeters (129 inches) of rain a year. Summer mornings are often foggy, and November is the wettest month.

Is Cox Bay good for surfing?

Yes. The bay faces west and catches swell from most directions, which makes it the most consistent beach break around Tofino. It hosts the annual Queen of the Peak women’s surf competition, and the Surf Club at Long Beach Lodge Resort offers surf lessons.

Who operates the cameras at Cox Bay?

Pacific Sands Beach Resort runs the surf cam and the HD beach cam from its property at the northeast corner of the bay. The third camera belongs to Long Beach Lodge Resort, which sits on Cox Bay a short way south of Pacific Sands.

What is Queen of the Peak at Cox Bay?

Queen of the Peak is an all-female surf contest launched in 2010 and staged at Cox Bay. Krissy Montgomery of Surf Sister and Jay Gildenhuys of Shelter Restaurant started it, and it runs longboard, shortboard, Princess (18 and under) and Masters divisions.

Can you watch the sunset on the Cox Bay Webcam?

On a clear evening, yes. The bay opens to the west, so the sun goes down over the Pacific in front of the cameras. After dark the beach is unlit and the picture stays mostly black until dawn.

Source: Pacific Sands Beach Resort