Taft (Siltetz River) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cookin’ at Taft on the Siltetz River.

Truth is, the whole 16-day forecast is a bit of a bummer. The swell is small and weak, and the wind just won’t get out of our face – it’s almost always cross-onshore or cross-shore, keeping things rough. And that water? It’s running at 52°F, which is a massive 6°F colder than normal – that’s really unusual, so don’t forget the thick rubber.

We start on Sunday the 26th of July. Swell is a tiny 0.9m (call it 3ft) from the SW with a long period of 20 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 781, but the wind is a light cross-onshore, so it’ll be rippled. They’re calling it marginal with questionable tide – nothing to chase. This same story – 0.8m–0.9m SW swell, light cross-onshore, marginal – keeps going through Monday and Tuesday.

Wednesday the 29th is no better: still 0.9m SW swell, but the wind picks up, making it choppy. That whole week and into the start of August is flat and forgettable: swell drops to 0.6m (about 2ft) with low energy under 260, and those onshore or cross-shore winds aren’t helping.

Come Sunday the 2nd of August, the swell shifts to the WNW and gets a little bigger at 1–1.4m (4–5ft). But the period plummets to 9 seconds – that’s a short-period, bumpy windswell. Energy is still only moderate at 378–432, and the wind is a moderate cross-shore at 15–16 mph, making a cross-chop. It’s poor. The whole first week of August (3rd–7th) is a mess: 1–1.8m (5–6ft) of short-period NW/NNW swell with a moderate to fresh cross-shore or cross-onshore wind. It’s all rated as poor. I’d say the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than a paddle session.

There is a slim chance on Sunday the 9th of August: 1.3m (4ft) from the NW with a period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to 503 – the highest we’ve seen in a while. But the wind is a gentle cross-onshore, so it’ll be bumpy. It’s only called marginal, and the afternoon turns worse.

Look, Taft (Siltetz River) is a pretty consistent spot, so this long dry spell is unusual. Keep an eye on it because forecasts change, but if you have to get a wave, the 9th of August is your only slight chance – and it ain’t much.

Rusty.

Read more