Taft (Siltetz River) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be real about the next couple of weeks at Taft (Siltetz River). The short version is that it’s looking pretty bleak for most of the window. There’s a rough patch for the first five days where you're better off doing just about anything else. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly cross-shore or cross-on, and the water is noticeably cold – we're talking 53.4°F, which is a solid 5.8°F colder than what’s normal for this time of year. That’s a big deal, so bring the thickest rubber you got if you’re even thinking about it.

The first real chance for anything rideable shape-wise doesn't show up until Wednesday the 19th, when the swell bumps up to about 3.3ft from the west-northwest with a 12-second period. The energy is still on the weak side (436), and it’s labeled marginal at best. It's not going to be pretty, but it’s something. Thursday the 20th sees a bit more size, hitting 4.9ft, but the period drops a touch to 11 seconds and the cross-on wind keeps things messy. These days are for the dedicated, not for a fun session.

The weekend rolls in with some period dropping to 8 seconds or less, which is junk. The swell is all over the place, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross, leaving the river mouth section pretty choppy and weak. The energy is still moderate, but the quality just isn’t there. Honest truth? From the 21st through the 24th, it’s mostly a write-off. The waves are there but they’re soft and sectiony.

We get a tiny breather on the 25th and 26th, with the swell switching back to the southwest and the period jumping back up to a long 16 seconds. But the size drops right back down to 1.6ft – 2.0ft. Those long-period, small swells at a river break can be weird and won't have any push. The energy is weak (around 265-291), so it’s really just a ripple.

The period drops again for the final run of the month, and we are looking at more short-period, windswell junk. By the 30th and 31st, the swell does get a bit more size, up to 5.2ft, and the energy gets pretty strong – we’re talking 556 to 639. But here’s the catch: the period is only 8 seconds, which means it’s going to be a steep, bumpy, and closed-out mess. There’s also a fair bit of cross-shore wind, and that’s when a river-mouth break like this starts looking more like a kiteboarding lagoon than a surf spot. If you’re into that, you do you. For a paddle surfer, this isn't it.

Looking at the whole 16 days, there’s no standout day. There is no day where the direction, size, and wind all line up for a proper session. The best you can hope for is a couple of marginal mornings with light winds where you can get a few grovelly ones. The forecast confidence for the first week is higher, but even then, it’s not good. The second week is a long way out, and while the size might show up, the quality looks poor. There’s just nothing that gets the heart rate up here.

So, keep the board in the car and the expectations low. It’s a poor run, plain and simple.

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