Gulf Islands Driftwood

British Columbias Beachcombing Destination

Gulf Islands driftwood is some of the best in the world for patina, colour and sheer quantity. On the British Columbia coast where the economy has depended on the lumber industry for nearly two centuries a huge stock of stumps, roots and other material is produced for the tumbling process of the sea.

Ocean currents, tides and storms pound the wood into a smooth and salt hardened product. Finding driftwood washed up after a storm can be an exhilarating experience. If you’re at all into making driftwood crafts such as driftwood dining tables or driftwood planters, the gulf islands are definitely a place to go.

A gulf islands driftwood expedition is a niche holiday, no doubt about it. Several places that may be useful to start looking are those that are harder to access without a boat, so you can pick driftwood to your hearts content without worrying about trespassing on other beachcombers territory.

The species that you will most likely find as gulf island driftwood are coniferous species, as the inlets and rocky shores of most of the coastline is covered in spruce, fir, hemlock, cedar and pine.

Once the wood has gone through the commercial washing machine that is the ocean, it’s hard to identify the particular type, but these species are all suitable for most driftwood crafts. In some cases, boards from a shipwreck or a dock breaking up in a storm will wash up – these are even tougher to tell what they are.

The tumbling and sanding the pieces will receive will mostly eliminate any finishes such as paint or varnish. The corners and ends appear to be rounded and smooth, and ready for use in a driftwood table or bench.

Driftwood crafts made with some of the best driftwood in the world from the Gulf Islands will show the quality and patina. If you’re lucky enough to go on a beachcombing holiday be sure to check out the possibilities on the Gulf Islands first. Some of my favorite islands are Saltspring, Mayne and Cortes – which is your favorite beachcombing island?