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China Beach, Canada

Stay in Port Renfrew: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Port Renfrew

Watch this spot We email you when China Beach is worth the trip.

China Beach, Vancouver Island, view towards northwest 20240829 1
China Beach. Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About China Beach

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces S (193°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (13°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 62). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 8°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 12°C in August, its warmest (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves). For beginners the best months are usually March, April, May and June, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Port Renfrew. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 10°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 9 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA), direct.

    See flights MDW → SEA · Skyscanner from about £215 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 3 h 15 from the airport to China Beach.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Port Renfrew, 27 km (about 50 min by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer China Beach: plan on the drive each day you surf.

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay in Port Renfrew, 27 km away on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Port Renfrew · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Port Renfrew · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

China Beach on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for beginners, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct422 ft9 ssoft79kJ10°C
Mon 19Oct302 ft9 ssoft46kJ11°C
Tue 20Oct141 ft7 smushy15kJ13°C
Wed 21Oct141 ft8 smushy14kJ13°C
Thu 22Oct242 ft10 ssoft84kJ10°C
Fri 23Oct332 ft9 ssoft60kJ9°C
Sat 24Oct72 ft8 ssoft29kJ9°C
Sun 25Oct131 ft7 smushy13kJ9°C
Mon 26Oct71 ft7 smushy6kJ10°C
Tue 27Oct91 ft7 smushy7kJ9°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for beginner surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to SEA, then 3h 15 by road. About 9h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf China Beach

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 2 ft at 10 s, wind 5 kn (10 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf China Beach

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 2 ft at 9 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to SEA, then 3h 15 by road. About 9h 20 door to door

The trip from Port Renfrew, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £705–£1,300 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to SEA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£215–£445
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£70–£115
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£165–£280
Food7 days eating out£155–£290
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£65–£105
Total£705–£1,300

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Port Renfrew

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Nearest beds: Port Renfrew, 27 km (about 50 min by car) · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.