Taft (Siltetz River) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, with a look at what's coming up for Taft at the Siltetz River. Let's get straight into it.

The good news is we've got a solid week and a half of waves on the table, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The opening weekend is the real standout, with some sweet, clean conditions. After that, we see a big swell pulse mid-week, but the wind and quality get a bit messy. There’s a bit of a lull later, but the second weekend brings some new, long-period energy.

We kick things off this Saturday morning, September 5th, with the best of the lot. The river mouth is glassy, a light 5 km/h SSW breeze, on a sweet 2ft SW groundswell. The period is a very long 16 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate (519). The water is 56°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a hood. That low tide, glassy combo is just magic. The wind stays clean into the afternoon, even with a slight cross-on breeze, it’ll still be fun.

Sunday, September 6th, starts off with another glassy morning, 2ft SW swell, 15 seconds of period. The combined energy (347) is moderate but a bit weaker. The clean conditions make it a great follow-up to Saturday, but the afternoon gets chopped out by a NNW breeze.

Monday, September 7th, has a faint offshore wind in the morning, but the swell is small and the tide is questionable. The afternoon turns to junk.

The standout for the following week, if you can handle some chop, is Friday, September 11th. The swell builds to a solid 6ft from the NW. The period is a short 9 seconds, so it's a bit of a wind swell, but the combined energy is strong (823). The wind is a moderate cross-onshore, so it won't be clean, but there's a lot of power. This is more for the experienced crew; 6ft at a river mouth can get a bit bumpy. It's a bit of a kite-surf vibe if you're not into the paddle.

The rest of that week into the next is a bit of a washout. The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, making for poor conditions. The swell drops off and the quality just isn't there.

We see a bit of a revival on Friday, September 18th, with a moderate 5ft NW swell (combined energy 504) and a clean cross-shore breeze. It's a step up from the garbage around it, but not a world-beater.

The final weekend, September 19th and 20th, is a bit of a letdown. The swell is tiny, 2ft to 2ft, but the period is very long, 18-19 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (388-433). The wind is a strong cross-shore, which will hold it together, but there’s just not enough size to get excited about.

Bottom line: This Saturday, September 5th morning is the pick. The glassy, clean conditions and that 2ft SW groundswell are a joy. Sunday morning is a close second. The big 6ft swell on Friday, September 11th is for the hardcore, but it’s not clean.

Rusty.

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