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Washington State is truly a wonderland of natural beauty with abundant wildlife, big mountains, big trees and big water, lots of big water. We're talking fresh crystal clear water in the form of torrential rains pouring out of the constantly cloudy skies which creates Washington's many lakes and feeds its big rivers and countless creeks that all rush down toward the bays, sounds and inlets which all finally empty into the great Pacific Ocean. All of this water is COLD with an average temp at the beaches down in the 50’s but it can and does dive even lower to the frigid 40’s. Of course Mister Big White loves all that cold water and he’s out there. There is also a group of hardy surfers willing to suffer through the cold, wind and Mr. Whitey to fulfill their stoke.
Like its southern neighbor Oregon, Washington’s coastal weather can be ruthless with hellacious storms bringing gale force winds, massive deep water swells, merciless currents and overpowering rips. On the shore you have razor sharp rocks, thick kelp beds and tons of drift wood and logs. Oh, and there is surf, lots of surf from small summer waves to macking double overhead winter monsters.
The state surf scene is split into two zones, the Strait of de Fuca and the Coast. The straight has a limited swell window but if a Northwest swell of 10’ or bigger hits just the right angle the whole inner coastline goes off with every river mouth, creek and point getting waves. There is a well-maintained highway system that gets you close to all of these spots. The Coast has fewer breaks and is usually rainy, windy with inconsistent surf and has difficult beach access due to lack of roads and guarded Native American lands. So, pack up the neoprene, a good raincoat and plenty of warm clothes, show respect to the locals and enjoy what this state has to offer. Did I mention it's cold?
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