Taft (Siltetz River) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s shaping up for the Siltetz River mouth at Taft over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a mixed bag for the first week, but there are a couple of windows that are worth getting excited about. The water is sitting at 56°F right now, which is a bit colder than what we usually see this time of year, so you’ll want that 4/3 or a hood if you’re picky.

The real standout for this whole forecast is the morning of Friday the 4th. We’ve got a clean 5ft swell pushing in from the WNW with a solid 10-second period, and it’s dead offshore with the wind coming out of the East at just 3 mph. Combined wave energy is sitting at 642 (moderate) and the conditions are glassy. That’s a proper session for an intermediate surfer, and the river mouth setup should handle that long-period energy well. The afternoon stays just as good, with the wind going glassy and the swell dropping to a fun 4ft.

Saturday morning the 5th looks interesting too, but it’s a different beast. A tiny 2ft swell from the SW, but with a very long 16-second period and glassy conditions – calm wind, no wind. Combined energy is 488 (moderate). This is a classic river mouth groundswell. It’ll be clean, but the sets will be slow and fat. Great for a log or a mid-length, but not a standout compared to Friday.

Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th drop off into small, marginal waves and tricky winds. Monday morning is glassy again with a 2ft SW swell (14 seconds), but it’s just not got enough push to get excited about. The energy is down to 349 (weak to moderate).

We get a bit of a pulse back on Thursday the 10th with a 3ft WNW swell, but the wind is cross-onshore, and the quality takes a hit. The energy is up at 495, but it’s not clean.

Now, here’s the second big highlight. Saturday morning, September 12th, we’re looking at a return of the good stuff. A 5ft WNW swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is absolutely dead calm – glassy as it gets. Combined energy is 670 (moderate). This will be a super fun morning, clean and consistent. The afternoon gets a bit lumpy as the wind swings cross-onshore.

Sunday the 13th stays punchy with a 6ft NW swell, but the wind is cross-onshore and the conditions are only marginal.

Then, a word of caution for Monday morning, September 14th. The charts are showing an 8ft NW swell (9 seconds) with glassy winds, but that’s a lot of water for the Siltetz River mouth. The combined energy is 1373 (strong). For most surfers, that’s going to be too big and pushy. This is strictly for experts, and even then, it’s going to be a handful. The afternoon is similar with a big cross-shore wind.

After that, the second week is a bit of a letdown. From Tuesday the 15th through to the 19th, it’s mostly small, messy, and cross-shore winds. The swell drops right down to 2ft to 2ft by the 19th, with long periods but very weak energy. It’s a poor run for a paddle surfer, but if the wind is howling from the North, this setup might actually look more interesting for a kite surfer than for a longboarder.

So, the story is simple: Friday morning, September 4th is your best bet for a classic, clean, fun session. Saturday morning, September 12th is your second look. The middle of the second week is a write-off for quality waves.

Rusty.

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