Elwha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer. The river spot, Elwha, is a sheltered river break, and to be honest, the whole 16-day window looks like a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak waves with next to no energy. For the first few days, right through to the start of September, the swell is barely a ripple, mostly around 0.3m to 0.7m, with poor surf conditions and a score of zero. Not a whole lot to get excited about.

The water temperature here is sitting at 12°, which is a whopping 3° colder than usual for this time of year. That’s a significant chill, so you’ll want a thick suit if you’re even thinking about a paddle.

The first real flicker of hope comes on Thursday morning, 3rd September. We finally see a combined swell energy of 100 (moderate) and a wave height of 0.9m from the west, with an 8-second period. The wind is glassy, calm even. The comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and it scores a 1. It’s not a standout, but it’s the first time the report isn’t a total write-off.

The best chance of the whole period, and the only real standout, arrives on Monday morning, 7th September. The swell builds to 1.5m from the west, with a 10-second period, and the combined energy hits 467 (strong). The wind is a glassy 5 km/h from the east-northeast. The report says “expect good surf conditions” and it’s the only slot to get a score of 2 out of 10. That’s the one to aim for if you can be flexible. It’s a bit of a wait, but that morning session looks like the only clean, proper wave window in the whole forecast.

Other than that, there’s a glimpse on Sunday morning, 6th September, with a 0.9m swell from the west-northwest and a long 12-second period, which gives a moderate combined energy of 228. The wind is glassy, and it’s rated as “surfable but very ordinary.” It’s a backup, but nowhere near that Monday morning.

So, for the next two weeks, it’s a long, flat stretch with a single, promising morning on the 7th. Crowds are listed as “sometimes” here, so that morning might see a few heads out. The river setup and the fact it’s sheltered means the long-period swell on the 7th should wrap in nicely, but the short period stuff earlier won’t do much.

Rusty.

Read more