Ian Bolden on downwinding in Sunshine Coast area: “…the best conditions in Davis Bay happen with south or southeast winds. Combine that with a good tide exchange and you get conditions that can be very Gorge-like.

Often, a good tide will run against the wind in front of my place, with currents around the 3 to 5 knot range. This super sizes the waves and packs them in close to each other like what you see in that video. The rip (Ed. ”tide races“ are sometimes referred to as “tide rips”, but they are not rip tides) does move in and out from shore as the tide changes so you have to adjust each loop accordingly but you can get 4 to 6 km of downwind with each loop if you work for it. For most of the upwind I can be in the lee of the shore, then the last 1 or 2 km it's right in my face.

For north winds we also have a good run out of Gibsons. From Gibsons Marina, out through The Gap between Gibsons and Keats Island, then up the coast offshore beyond Bonniebrook Beach. Here the northwest bends to a westerly as it sucks up into Howe Sound so a downwind there takes you back due east on the south side of Keats Island all the way to Eastbourne on the east end of Keats. You can then paddle back in the lee of Keats until you cross the channel back to Gibsons. …

Winter tends to provide the better (and bigger) south winds. Summer can be more Northerly winds…BUT… a summer southerly can be common as well. I have done a few one-way runs as well, but we are still honing those ones for workable distance and the most favourable conditions.”

• AyeTides. For iPhone, iTouch and Ipad.
• Windy Wind Forecast w/ webcams
• Sunshine Coast Tides

See Vancouver Rentals

You have to use ferries for car travel up and down the sunshine coast. BC Ferries Website

Go to the BC Ferries Current Conditions page and select the HSB > Sunshine Coast route. It will populate the days' sailings. When you see a sailing with 100% availability that means it has zero reservations and is considered an overflow ferry. Missing one ferry, if the next scheduled one has shown low reservations, you will usually be able to get on to it. Each ferry holds approx 360 vehicles.

2023 Recommendations from Kelli Siderfin-Power:

“Don't travel on Tues or Wed, they only run one ferry.

Do travel on Thurs or Fri, there are two ferries (Thurs-Mon) and if you have to wait the ferry is a 40 min trip (each way) so the wait is not that long. If you want to travel on Saturday show up as early as possible for the 7:30am sailing (we recommend at least by 6am). There is a Starbucks and Blenz Coffee in Horseshoe Bay.

…

Keep checking the BC Ferries reservation page as people often cancel their reservation and BCF adds more reservations 3-5 days before a sailing (so keep checking!). There is also a 'Ferry Reservations Sunshine Coast BC Canada' page where people offer/sell their reservations.”