Taft (Siltetz River) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this forecast for the Siltetz River area is a real heartbreaker. We're looking at a long, dry spell with barely a ripple worth paddling for over the next 16 days. The first few weeks are a write-off. There's a glimmer of hope right at the very end, but it's a long way off.

Let's start with the only real window, and it's a week and a half away. On Thursday morning, August 20th, we get a pulse of 5ft swell from the WNW, with a period of 11 seconds. That's a decent groundswell pushing some moderate energy (677). The wind is a light cross-onshore from the WNW at 6 mph, which will put a few ripples on the face but it's not a total washout. The water temperature is 51°, which is a massive 8° colder than usual for this time of year – that's seriously unusual, so you'll want a thick wetsuit. That afternoon, the swell drops to 4ft, same direction, but still that light cross-on wind. It's not going to be perfect, but it's the best we've got. The spot is Taft (Siltetz River), a river mouth that can be fun when it lines up. The swell is coming from the W, which is the optimum direction for this place, so that's a good sign. It's a fairly consistent spot, but on a day like this, with that size, it might be a little too much for total beginners, but for intermediates, it could offer some fun walls.

After that, it's a brutal slide into tiny surf. Friday the 21st drops to 3ft, and then we're stuck in a rut of weak, small waves for over a week. The wind is all over the place – cross, cross-on, and generally messy. There's a moment on Sunday morning, August 23rd, where the wind goes glassy with a light breeze from the WNW, but the swell is only 4ft and has a short period of 7 seconds. That's weak, windswell energy (299) and it's going to be pretty crumbly and soft. It'll be clean, but not much push behind it.

The rest of the period is a dead zone. From the 24th of August all the way through to the 4th of September, we're looking at tiny waves, mostly under 2ft, with poor winds and choppy conditions. The energy readings are low, and the scores are rubbish. There's a lot of cross-shore and cross-onshore wind, which is going to make a mess of whatever small bumps are there. The combined energy drops to weak, two-digit numbers by the start of September, like 141 and 144.

Then, on the very last day of the forecast, Friday afternoon, September 4th, we get a surprise. A sudden 6ft swell from the NNW, but it's got a terrible period of only 6 seconds. That's straight-up windswell, and it's dumping a lot of energy (404) in a short, choppy, close-out mess. The wind is cross-shore at 9 mph, which will just add to the chaos. That's not a wave for a paddle board; that's getting close to kite-surfing conditions, honestly. For a surfer, it's a washout.

So, if you're looking for a paddle, the only real shout is that Thursday morning, August 20th, at Taft, with the 5ft W swell. It's not a classic, but it's the only wave in town. The rest of the month is a long, flat wait. Keep your eye on the forecasts, because when it's been this poor for this long, things can only change for the better.

Rusty.

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