Surfers on all edges of the Pacific ocean will remember 2022 as the year of the “Code Red II” swell. On July 13th, 2022, a massive swell hit the island of Tahiti in the south pacific. Due to the storm’s severity, local authorities were prompted to call “code red”: a ban on all ocean activities.
This was the second time such a code red was called, the first being in 2010, when a few surfers disregarded the ban to catch some historic waves at Tahiti’s infamous reef break known as Teahupoo. Over a decade later, surfers braved the swell and the potential fines in order to make history again, in waves of similar, if not greater magnitude than the first session.
Once images of monstrous waves ridden in Tahiti broke the internet, the rest of the pacific ocean’s surf communities braced for impact.
Up in Tofino, we knew that the swell would take 4 to 5 days to reach us, and by that time, it would mellow out into something a little less terrifying, though oh-so fun! Sure enough, less than a week later, Tofino’s beaches began to rumble. What started as 30 foot monsters in the South Pacific, reached Tofino’s shores as clean, overhead walls powerful enough to delight surfers of all ability levels.
Whilst the waves were firing this summer, big things were happening at Pacific Surf Company, too. This summer marked the opening of our surf shack at Surf Grove campground, which offers our lessons and rentals exclusively to Surf Grove guests.
Now you can camp right at Cox bay, with Surf Grove sites and amenities made specifically with surfers’ needs in mind. While staying at Surf Grove, you can rent gear or book a lesson with us without ever having to leave the beach!
So, farewell to summer. Farewell to fog and epic south swells, and greetings to fall. Greetings to rain, epic west swells and offshore wind!
Thank you to our wonderful team. Both in the shop, and in the water, you are indispensable. Your relentless hard work and stoke is what keeps afloat the great pirate ship that is Pacific Surf Company.
And to you, our intrepid guests, we salute you for donning wetsuits and joining us in the salty brine of the North Pacific, no matter the weather. It may have been 30 degrees and sunny when you drove through Port Alberni, but when your temperature gauge dropped to 14 degrees and you hit the fog right at the Ukee/ Tofino junction, you plucked up and went for it anyway. It was worth it, wasn't it?
Blog written by Adam Tory