Taft (Siltetz River) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the Taft (Siltetz River) stretch over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first few days are looking pretty marginal, with small swell and messy wind. You’ll see a few knee-high waves from the SW on Sunday the 30th, but it’s cross-shore wind and the energy is only moderate (347). Monday and Tuesday aren’t much better, with the wind swinging cross-on and the swell staying small and weak. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. It’s a bit of a frustrating wait, honestly.

Things start to get interesting around Wednesday the 2nd of September. The swell picks up, but it gets messy. The wind is howling from the south at 18 mph, and the swell is short period, just 6-8 seconds. The energy jumps up to strong (1343). For a river break, this is more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle session.

Then we hit Thursday the 3rd of September. This is the standout. The swell is a solid 7 ft to 8 ft from the WNW, with a period of 11 seconds. That’s a nice groundswell with some real punch. The energy is very strong (1463). The wind goes glassy calm in the afternoon. Now, here’s the caveat – this is a river break, and with that size, it’s going to be pushing big. For the experienced crew, this could be the session of the window. The clean, glassy conditions will make it look like a dream, but it’s definitely an expert-only wave at that size. Thursday morning offers a light cross-shore breeze, still big, but also a bit more manageable for the strong intermediates.

After that, the swell backs off a touch. Friday the 4th of September afternoon is a real gem. The swell drops to 3 ft from the SW, but with a very long period of 18 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy (643), and the wind goes glassy again. For a river break, that long-period swell will wrap in with some real shape. It’s a small wave, but it’ll be clean as a whistle. Perfect for a longboard or a fish.

The following week is a mixed bag. There’s a bit of a lull, with smaller, less consistent swell and onshore breezes. You’ll see some 5 ft NW swell on the 9th of September, but the wind is cross-shore, keeping it a bit lumpy.

Another promising session shows up on the morning of the 10th of September. The swell is 6 ft from the SSW, with a short period of 7 seconds, but the wind is a clean cross-offshore breeze from the NNE. The energy is strong (935). It’s not a classic, but with that offshore wind, it’ll be the most fun it’s looked all week.

Looking further out, the weekend of the 12th and 13th sees another pulse of bigger WNW swell, around 7 ft to 7 ft. The 12th of September Saturday morning is glassy, but again, that size is likely too much for this river mouth. By the 14th of September, we see a 7 ft W swell with a 12 second period, but the wind is cross-on, so it won’t be clean.

So, the true standouts are the Thursday the 3rd of September (big, glassy, expert-only) and the Friday 4th September afternoon (small, clean, and perfect for the longboard). The rest of the window is filled with days that are either too small, too windy, or too big for a clean, enjoyable paddle.

Stay patient, and pick your window.

Rusty.

Read more