Taft (Siltetz River) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been watching the charts for Taft (Siltetz River) – and honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The next 16 days start slow, with a lot of small, choppy days, but there’s one real standout that’ll get your heart pumping.

Let’s be straight: the first week is pretty flat and messy. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly cross-onshore or cross-shore, and the combined energy is weak to moderate (188 to 427). The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. From Saturday 29 August through to Tuesday 1 September, you’re looking at ankle-to-knee-high surf with periods around 9–16 seconds, but the wind’s making it bumpy. The best of that early period is Sunday 30 August morning – a marginal 2ft SW swell with a 16-second period, cross-on wind at 6 mph, and combined energy of 347. It’s not great, but it’s the pick of a bad bunch.

Then, on Wednesday 2 September morning, things get interesting – but maybe too interesting. The swell jumps to 7ft from the SSW, with a short period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy hits 1012 (moderate). The problem is, the forecast says it’s too big for this break. That’s expert territory, and with a cross wind and moderate rain, it’s a wild card. The real highlight is Friday 4 September morning. The wind goes glassy (0 mph from the east), the swell is a clean 5ft from the SW, and the combined energy is 513. The period is short at 7 seconds, but the glassy conditions make it rideable. The swell direction (SW) is straight out of the optimum for Taft – this is the best session on offer.

After that, the surf drops off again. Saturday 5 September morning is glassy too, but with only 2ft from the SW, it’s more of a longboard session. The rest of the second week is a mix of tiny swells, cross-shore winds, and marginal conditions. There’s a gap of several days with no real recommendations from 6 September to 9 September, and then again from 10 September onwards, it’s all small and messy. The best you can hope for in the second week is a marginal 6ft WNW swell on Sunday 13 September morning, but with a short period of 8 seconds and cross wind, it’s not worth getting excited about.

Bottom line: if you want to paddle out, aim for Friday 4 September morning. It’s the one moment where the wind, swell size, and direction all line up for a decent session. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty

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