Worth the Wait
by Berry Wijdeven
The ocean waters surrounding Haida Gwaii are cold.
At the best of times, in summer, water temperatures are merely brisk.
But in winter, when the islands get pummelled by arctic outflows and wicked storms,
water temperatures get downright nasty.
Bone-chilling, hypothermia inducing nasty.
Stay-out-of-the-water-at-all-cost-unless-you-really-have-no-other-choice nasty.
At the best of times, in summer, water temperatures are merely brisk.
But in winter, when the islands get pummelled by arctic outflows and wicked storms,
water temperatures get downright nasty.
Bone-chilling, hypothermia inducing nasty.
Stay-out-of-the-water-at-all-cost-unless-you-really-have-no-other-choice nasty.
Turns out not everybody shares this perspective, for over the last decade Haida Gwaii has developed a thriving surfing scene. That’s right. People actually surf here. On the ocean. Voluntarily. Sure, they’re embedded in thick neoprene sausage casings, with booties and hoodies to match. But still, they’re out there, chasing waves.
Those waves are best in winter, so for those months I’ve visited surfing sites around North Beach, where, sometimes from the warmth of my car, I could observe the going-ons. Truth be told, at times there were few going-ons going on as getting the right surfing conditions can be tricky. First you need a storm, way offshore, to create swells which travel for days till they reach Haida Gwaii. The swells can’t be too small or too large or too close together. Six feet swells are about right, marching toward shore at ten second intervals. To top it all off, for decent waves to form, those marching swells have to meet head-on with winds predominantly out of the south-west. Those are some pretty specific conditions, conditions which don’t happen that regularly. Conditions for which you have to be patient. And wait.
Those waves are best in winter, so for those months I’ve visited surfing sites around North Beach, where, sometimes from the warmth of my car, I could observe the going-ons. Truth be told, at times there were few going-ons going on as getting the right surfing conditions can be tricky. First you need a storm, way offshore, to create swells which travel for days till they reach Haida Gwaii. The swells can’t be too small or too large or too close together. Six feet swells are about right, marching toward shore at ten second intervals. To top it all off, for decent waves to form, those marching swells have to meet head-on with winds predominantly out of the south-west. Those are some pretty specific conditions, conditions which don’t happen that regularly. Conditions for which you have to be patient. And wait.
![Haida Gwaii - Looking for scat](/uploads/1/2/6/9/126967338/published/img-9308.jpg?1567551574)
Haida Gwaii surfers spent a lot of time studying websites with oceanographic information and buoy sites reporting ocean conditions. When those conditions look promising, they head for the north end of Graham Island where they spent considerable time checking out the various surfing beaches, discussing the state of the ocean and wave progressions. There are days when, despite initial promise, the hoped for waves never materialize. But then there are the days when everything comes together and surfers arrive at the beach to be welcomed by series of the most beautiful waves. Surfing waves. World-class surfing waves.
So Haida Gwaii has developed a surfing scene. There’s the prerequisite set of hardcore wave-heads who can be found near a beach whenever conditions look anywhere suitable. Friends, partners, entire families suit up and try to take a stand. Local school kids, teachers in tow, rent suits to see what the sport is all about. Expression Sessions, the annual surfing celebration, attracts hundreds of islanders, eager to try out the sport, sharing in the comradery, good food, even sharing the waves. There’s even an honest to goodness place to buy the essentails (North Beach Surf Shop) which supplies the boards, the suits and the proper attitude.
![Haida Gwaii - Pips locates a scat](/uploads/1/2/6/9/126967338/published/img-9387.jpg?1567551664)
There was a time, a few years back, when some of the local surfers were concerned that too much publicity would cause an invasion of surfers, crowding the waves, cramping their style. Those concerns have largely evaporated. To catch a decent day of surfing on Haida Gwaii you can’t just show up for a day or two, expecting to ride the waves. You need to stick around for a week or more and wait for the right conditions to occur. But when they do, boy oh boy, it is worth the wait.