← Vancouver Island report

Vancouver Island · Wednesday, Sep 23

Wickaninnish

When to go

Around 7:00 PM

Looks good · Low confidence

6.1–6.1 ft · Offshore waves · not face height

Wind: 2.0 kt · cross-shore

Forecast details
  • Light wind should keep the water smoother.
Other wind windows

Plan around the wind

The best available upcoming daylight wind sample to compare with the wave evidence. This compares wind only; wave size, tide suitability, and hazards can change your choice.

  • 8:00 AM–10:00 AM · America/Vancouver

    Light wind · up to 2.8 kt · reported gusts up to 10.7 kt

    Offshore waves: 6.4–6.7 ft across the period. Surf height unavailable. Tide data unavailable.

    Wind source time: Sep 22, 4:30 PM PDT. This is not the model run issue time.
How these periods are chosen

The planner prefers three consecutive hourly samples covering two daylight hours, but retains shorter one- or two-sample evidence when that is all the forecast provides. Light wind means at most 6 kt. Moderate offshore means at most 12 kt from land toward the sea when shore orientation is verified. Strong wind or known gusts of 20 kt or more remain visible as cautions instead of making the entire comparison disappear. These are comparison labels, not locally tested surf-quality or safety ratings. Missing gusts remain unknown. Terrain shelter, currents, closures, and your ability are not assessed.

Forecast confidence
  • Returned marine grid point is 3.2 km from the mapped spot. Provider grid resolution is not established for this response.
  • Reference model hour: 15 hours from now; historical residuals do not measure forecast lead-time error.
  • No accepted local model for these inputs: missing history, unsupported direction/period/height, or failed historical validation.
  • Tide unavailable: assessment incomplete, especially at shallow reef breaks.
  • A mapped coordinate does not establish nearshore grid resolution or terrain/shelter accuracy.

Wind NW 2.8 kt

Tide Unavailable

Wave, wind and tide details
Offshore model swellW 6.0 ft @ 8sValid 2026-09-23 08:00 · America/VancouverMarine grid 49.0417, -125.7083 · offshore model, not a local measurement
Offshore model sea6.4 ft @ 9.4sSignificant wave height including wind waves and swell; not breaking surfValid 2026-09-23 08:00 · America/Vancouver
Model windNW 2.8 ktcross-shoreValid 2026-09-23 08:00 · America/Vancouver1.6 kt onshore component
TideUnavailableunavailableNo verified local tide station connected; no tide height estimated
ECCC West Coast Vancouver Island South combined-seas forecast

Today Tonight and Wednesday. Seas 2 metres building to 2 to 3 near midnight then subsiding to 1 to 2 Wednesday evening.

Today Tonight and WednesdayOfficial significant combined wind-wave and swell height for the marine zone; not breaking surf. No wave period or direction is supplied.Issued Sep 22, 4:00 PM PDT

Surf height unavailable. Coastal and offshore waves are not breaking-wave heights.

Surf and wind

Recommended window: No recommended window

Breaking surf is not reliably resolved. Hourly offshore swell and wind inputs are listed below.

Hourly forecast

Hourly surf forecast for Wickaninnish
TimeWindTideOffshore swell
S 6.9 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableW 5.1 ft @ 7s
N 0.2 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableW 5.1 ft @ 7s
NNW 4.4 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableW 5.2 ft @ 7s
NW 6.2 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableW 5.3 ft @ 7s
NW 9.6 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableW 5.4 ft @ 7s
NW 8.5 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableW 5.5 ft @ 7s
NW 6.7 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableW 5.6 ft @ 8s
NW 5.5 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableW 5.8 ft @ 8s
NW 2.8 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableW 6.0 ft @ 8s
NNW 2.6 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableW 6.1 ft @ 8s
NW 2.8 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableW 6.3 ft @ 8s
W 4 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableW 6.4 ft @ 8s
WSW 5.3 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableW 6.4 ft @ 8s
SW 7.1 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableW 6.4 ft @ 8s
SW 6.3 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableW 6.3 ft @ 8s
W 9.9 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableW 6.2 ft @ 8s
NW 2.4 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableW 6.0 ft @ 8s
SW 3.2 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableW 5.9 ft @ 8s
SW 2.2 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableW 5.9 ft @ 8s
SSW 2 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableW 5.8 ft @ 8s
W 0.4 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableW 5.8 ft @ 8s
NNW 0.4 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableW 5.8 ft @ 8s
NE 3.6 ktoffshoreUnavailableunavailableW 5.8 ft @ 8s
ENE 3.4 ktoffshoreUnavailableunavailableW 5.8 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindS 6.9 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 5.1 ft @ 7s
Unavailable
WindN 0.2 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 5.1 ft @ 7s
Unavailable
WindNNW 4.4 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 5.2 ft @ 7s
Unavailable
WindNW 6.2 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 5.3 ft @ 7s
Unavailable
WindNW 9.6 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 5.4 ft @ 7s
Unavailable
WindNW 8.5 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 5.5 ft @ 7s
Unavailable
WindNW 6.7 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 5.6 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindNW 5.5 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 5.8 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindNW 2.8 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 6.0 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindNNW 2.6 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 6.1 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindNW 2.8 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 6.3 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindW 4 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 6.4 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindWSW 5.3 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 6.4 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindSW 7.1 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 6.4 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindSW 6.3 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 6.3 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindW 9.9 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 6.2 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindNW 2.4 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 6.0 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindSW 3.2 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 5.9 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindSW 2.2 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 5.9 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindSSW 2 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 5.8 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindW 0.4 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 5.8 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindNNW 0.4 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 5.8 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindNE 3.6 ktoffshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 5.8 ft @ 8s
Unavailable
WindENE 3.4 ktoffshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellW 5.8 ft @ 8s

Tide

Local tide station unavailable

Tide predictions are unavailable for this period.

About this spot

Model-grid forecast requested at the mapped coordinate; reef, headland, and nearshore transformations are unresolved. Sandbar break.

Mapped spot coordinate: 49.02, -125.68.

Mainland · Coast not verified · Ocean-facing bearing 270° · Location provenance

Model request point: Wickaninnish (49.02, -125.68). Model output times describe valid conditions; the provider does not expose the model run issue time in this response.

Forecast sources

Data coverage 3/5 sources

Source availability is not forecast accuracy. Where an empirical model passes historical testing, its error and interval coverage are shown above. Source count cannot increase that confidence.

Coverage tier B · CANADA · spot-level model point

  • ECCC West Coast Vancouver Island South combined-seas forecast
    ECCC West Coast Vancouver Island South combined-seas forecast; Official significant combined wind-wave and swell height for the marine zone; not breaking surf. No wave period or direction is supplied.
    Current
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada Wave Data
    No ECCC wave buoy is assigned to the Juan de Fuca Strait spots; La Perouse Bank observations apply only to the same-exposure outer-Pacific spots.
    UnavailableNo source time
  • Canadian Hydrographic Service IWLS API
    Tide predictions, water levels, and station metadata; market adapter or station mapping not connected
    UnavailableNo source time
  • Open-Meteo Marine API
    1 of 1 configured model points available
    Current
  • Open-Meteo Weather API
    1 of 1 configured model points available
    Current
  • Surf-Forecast public pages
    Spot discovery and break-specific HTML fallback
    Not applicableNo source time
How best guesses are made

Best guesses combine usable wave and wind evidence, with qualitative confidence and specific limitations. A missing tide or local surf-height model does not prevent useful guidance. Tide levels use the named station datum; their effect at this break remains uncertain. Wind direction is relative to the mapped beach orientation, without calibrated terrain or shelter effects. The comparison is a heuristic, not a measured quality rating.