Slip Point (Clallam Bay) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks at Slip Point are looking pretty grim. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak surf with only a few moments that are even worth paddling out for. It’s not a total flat spell, but it’s close. We’re looking at a lot of knee-high dribble and more time staring at the horizon than actually riding. Don’t get your hopes up for any hero waves.

We start off on Wednesday morning, September 9th. There’s a small 2ft west swell rolling in with a 12-second period. The energy is weak, coming in at 174. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the east, so it’s clean. It’s surfable, but “very ordinary” is the best I can say. Water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there. But honestly, it’s a marginal one – you might get a couple of soft ones if you’re desperate. By the afternoon, the wind swings onshore from the NNW and it dies off. That’s it for the day.

Thursday the 10th is worse. The morning has almost nothing – a pathetic 1ft with cross-shore wind. The afternoon brings a bit more size, 4ft, but the period drops to a weak 8 seconds and it’s cross-onshore and choppy. It’s a messy, blown-out mess. Not worth it. The combined energy is only 195, which is weak, and the waves will be crumbly and wind-affected.

Friday the 11th is a write-off. There’s nothing on offer for the morning, and the afternoon has a tiny 1ft glassy ripple. Not a wave you can ride. Saturday the 12th has a small 2ft west swell with a 10-second period and clean, glassy conditions in the morning. It’s small, but at least it’s clean. Another “ordinary” day, though. The energy is only 68, so it’s weak. The afternoon is onshore mush.

Then we hit a dead zone. From Sunday the 13th through Monday the 21st, there’s essentially no surfable swell. We’re talking days with zero on the charts. It’s a long, flat stretch, and the only thing you’ll be surfing is the web. The wind is all over the place, but it doesn’t matter when there are no waves. This is a proper lull, so find something else to do.

Tuesday the 22nd sees a small pulse return, but it’s still poor. A weak 2ft west swell with a 10-second period, but conditions are clean with light east winds. It’s surfable, but again, very ordinary. Not worth a special trip.

The only real highlight in this entire period is Thursday morning, September 24th. We finally get a touch more size and a bit of quality. There’s 2ft of west swell with a 9-second period and a combined energy of 73 – still weak, but it’s the best we’ve seen in over a week. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the ENE, so it should be clean. It’s still not big, but for Slip Point, this is the standout session in a very bleak forecast. It’s the one to try and grab if you have any flexibility. It’s a point break, so it handles the longer period swells better, and while it’s small, the clean conditions will make it more fun than the rest of the trash we’ve been looking at.

So, to sum it up: get out there Wednesday morning if you’re jonesing, but the smart play is to wait for that Thursday the 24th morning session. Everything else is a wash. It’s not a good stretch for the paddle surfer. With the small, weak swell and the onshore winds, this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than anyone with a paddle in their hand. Keep the boards waxed, and check back – this can’t last forever.

Rusty.

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