Tofino ended up being totally opposite from what I expected. Everyone that I spoke to when I was living in Victoria told me that Tofino was an extremely popular camping destination. I expected something more along the lines of Cavendish, PEI (full of campgrounds and tourist traps). Tofino turned out to be a small, peaceful town.
With views of the ocean and the mountains at all times, it's truly breathtaking. Longbeach was our everyday destination. With surfboards and boogie boards for rent, it's impossible not to have a great time. This is definitely the best surfing destination in Canada. The waves are pretty amazing. Even to wade out in the water with no surfboards is a rush. The beach (as the name hints) is long and spacious. You can walk for about a half an hour down the public beach.
For nightlife, there's pretty much one bar in town, which isn't a bad thing at all. Tofino seemed to attract people from all over the world. In the bar we met travellers from Australia, Switzerland, Germany, and Japan. It was definitely a unique experience. Other nights we all met up for a campfire party on Longbeach. Kayaking is a great time in Tofno as well.
Quick Tips:
There are lots of surfboard rental shops, and they will try to pretty much force you to double the price of your rental by adding in a full body suit all year-round. It's probably a good idea in the winter, but when we were there in May, we were able to brave the cold waters all day long with no signs of the so-called hypothermia the rental girl swore up and down we'd get.
Best Way To Get Around:
You definitely need rent a car to get there. It is a long drive and there are shuttle-bus services, but once you get there, it is a good drive down the highway to get to the good beaches.