Prestige Sooke: Laid-Back Surf Luxury On South Vancouver Island

Prestige Oceanfront Resort Sooke is a fine option for a fast break surf trip to Canada's South Vancouver Island. About an hour's drive north of Victoria, the seaside town of  Sooke is the gateway to two bucket list surf breaks: Jordan River and Sombrio.

I checked into my pet-friendly, oceanview suite on a Wednesday, so I could cruise without the weekend crowds. Plus, the upcoming February weather forecast was positively spring-like and for a Canadian surfer suiting up in booties, gloves and a 5/4mm wetsuit, sunshine goes a long way.

The resort opened in the spring of 2011 and is family-owned by the British Columbia-based Prestige Hotel & Resorts hospitality company. As an "Island colonial" style property peppered with palm trees, the Prestige Sooke definitely stands out from your typical cedar and stone Pacific Northwest building aesthetic. But don't let the white columns deter you, the vibe of the resort exudes kindness and warmth.

Directly across from the reception desk, a stunning painting called He Noho Kou I Ko'u Wa'a - Paddler by Hawaiian artist LeoHone would set the tone of my stay — and bring me strength for the coming year. The artist depicts a paddler in an outrigger working their way out of rough seas with the help of two guiding spirits.

"The middle paddler is me. And it is you. It is "every man" — and the stormy sea is the sea of life," writes the artist. "Every person will sooner or later in life experience that middle seat. Just remember, there is always hope. There is always guidance. There is always help."

There are other elegant nods to Hawaii placed throughout the resort; to your right, as you walk through the grand entry, an old black and white photo of the Moana Hotel in Waikiki is paired with a framed newspaper clipping from the front page of the Monday, April 1, 1901, The Honolulu Tribune, announcing the opening of the hotel with rooms available for $1.50 per night.

"Our CEO Joe Huber Jr. was inspired by the Moana Surfrider and the design team took "inspiration" from there. The inspiration was to create gathering spaces and embrace the location near the water so as many guests as possible could enjoy the views," says avid surfer and resort general manager Jacob Cramp, who has been at the helm of the Prestige Sooke since day one.

"I grew up in hinterland of northern New South Wales and moved up and down the east coast before relocating to Canada. Being from Australia, the ocean is in my blood. I love the surf on the South Island for its scenery and rugged coast line backed by mountains. Nothing beats it," he shares.

The Waves

Both Jordan River and Sombrio reside on the traditional territory of the Pacheedaht First Nation. The main surfing waves break over a rocky reef bottom and face out towards the Olympic Mountains in Washington State.

Sooke is about 20-minutes north on Highway 14 (also known as the West Coast Road or Juan de Fuca Highway) to Jordan River. If JR is not working or maybe too small for your liking, Sombrio Beach can offer more size and is another 30-minutes along the same two-way highway.

I grabbed an Americano and avocado toast to-go from Island Tarts Cafe, the European-style bistro located within Prestige Oceanfront Resort, before relaxing into the driver's seat and onwards to the beach. With dramatic cliffs, tall trees, bridges and views of the ocean, driving the Juan de Fuca gave me flashbacks of driving the California Coast highway near Big Sur.

JR is an easy access, back-the-van up type of spot, with a longboard /funboard feel. And while there is a sense of localism, Canadian shaper Alexander Rosin says it's eased up quite a bit. Thirty-nine-years young, Rosin has been surfing South Island going on 16 years. He owns the Victoria-based Hidden Village Surf Crafts.

"No one is really claiming waves anymore, but the surf etiquette has a little localism to it but only because there's more local knowledge to each break. You have to know how the break works when it's on," said Rosin.

JR has four breaks: the mechanical right-hand point break is The Point, Puni's at the mouth of the river offers up lefts and rights, Sewer's is off to the left of The Point and Rock Piles is a little north of the river mouth.  

The best time of year to surf JR is generally in the winter with the odd spring swell rolling through.

"When it's on, it's on. It's really exciting," said Rosin. "To be able to master the lines, having some sort of understanding of where the wave is coming from and what it likes to do, is really nice. I find it's a wave to really sharpen and hone your skills."

Sombrio Beach is a camping stop for hikers along the Juan de Fuca Trail and it's a short trek down a gravel path to get to the water. Some surfers have adapted; they wear their booties in Crocs to save the neoprene from getting cut up by the gravel.

Sombrio has three breaks: Chickens is the wave directly in front of the path, First is off to the left and Second peak is on the right side of the main path.

"The waves out here are really fast. You don't always get the biggest turns, but when the waves are really cranking, you have to be good at keeping up with it. Mid-lengths become more of an option. It's nice that way," Rosin said.

"But the best part about South Island is just how raw the landscape is. Tofino is beautiful with the sand and the windswept forest behind it, but to have the massive trees and the inlet across so you see the mountains of America and the Olympic Peninsula, is breathtaking. Even for someone who is not a surfer, JR and Sombrio are such destination points to go walk and see. It's just so cool that there is a surf break there too," he said.

The Food

I love camping and sitting out by the fire, but with the February sun dipping at 5:20 p.m., that leaves a lot of time to kill in between surfs. It was nice to rip back to the Prestige, settle the dog and put on comfy pants before foraging for food.

Thankfully, there are two awesome restaurants located at the resort, so I didn't have to go far. Vault Lounge served as cozy spot to watch a hockey game over tasty pub fare, like poutine, a quintessential Canadian dish of fries, gravy and cheese curds, oh my. My friend David Schiaffino is opening a poke bowl joint in Sooke and met me for a meal – with four of his tradie friends in tow. Needless to say, it was a fun night…

"I searched many cities on the Island for my third poke restaurant and I feel Sooke is the right decision because of the location. The people here are great. It's the same idea as Ukee Poke on Cox Bay (Tofino); poke bowls with a surfing vibe," says Schiaffino, who is a three-time Canadian longboard champion and the founder of the Vancouver Island Longboard Surf Classic.

"The point break is kind of a perfect wave. It can get big and challenging. That's one thing I like," he says of surfing Jordan River.

On my last night, after a couple luxe days surfing South Island, I indulged in a seafood share platter of crab, mussels, clams and fish cakes with a friend at the West Coast Grill. The day wrapped with a soak in the hot tub; from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. it's an adults only zone.

After checkout, we stopped at East Sooke Regional Park (Aylard Farm parking lot) for a rainy seascape trail amidst twisted Arbutus and towering Douglas-fir trees. It meant skipping a surf before heading home, but the dog and kid-friendly trail was so beautiful, I consider it a win.

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This story was originally published by Surfer on Mar 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Surf Culture section. Add Surfer as a Preferred Source by clicking here.