Surf Forecast The Strait
Predictions
Other stuff
The Strait surfspot characteristics
More about The Strait surfspot
Fluky and finicky, but when juicy W and NW swells pump out of the North Pacific, Washington surfers looking for quality waves head for the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where it's all lefthanders (okay, there are a few mysto right shoulders) from Neah Bay to Point Angeles and occasionally even further up the strait. If the swell is strong enough and the tides incoming, there can be waves as far east as Whidbey Island, 100 miles from Cape Flattery and the Pacific. Winter S winds are offshore or side-off at most spots on the Washington side of the strait. Outgoing tide kills all but the biggest swells. If you're a regular foot, take the ferry over to Vancouver Island, where it's all rights inside the strait. Different spots work on different tides, but it's mostly mid-tides incoming.
The main issue in the strait is access. Just about all of the good spots are on either tribal (check in at tribal offices any time you're entering Sovereign Lands) or private land. Inconsiderate behavior has cost the open access of earlier days, and surfing the strait now requires subterfuge, guerilla tactics, and lots of respect. Regrettably, most of the hostile locals are non-native surfers.