Taft (Siltetz River) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get straight into it. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for the Siltetz River mouth. I’m not gonna lie to you, the next couple of weeks are gonna test your patience. We’ve got a long, flat, and choppy stretch ahead before things finally turn around.

The first week or so is a real write-off. The swell is small, the wind is mostly cross or cross-on, and the wave quality is just poor. The energy is all over the place, but it’s weak. We’re looking at a lot of days with combined energy readings in the 200s and 300s – that’s just weak, messy stuff. The swell direction is all wrong, coming out of the NW when this spot wants W. The period is short, mostly 6-8 seconds, which never builds anything worth paddling out for. It’s just bumpy, unorganized lines. There are a few mornings, like the 16th and the 18th, that nudge into “marginal” territory, but honestly, you’d be fighting a cross-shore breeze and a cross-chop for a knee-high crumble. Not worth the effort.

The water’s also a bit cold – running about 3° colder than normal for this time of year, coming in at 56°. It’s that kind of summer that makes you wish you’d brought a hood.

Now, look ahead. The light at the end of the tunnel comes on the morning of Wednesday, August 19th. This is the standout. The wind finally swings around to the WSW and drops to almost nothing, with a “glass” wind state. That’s the cleanest we’ve seen it all forecast. The swell drops to 3ft, but it’s coming from the WNW, which is close to the optimum W direction. The period jumps to 13 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell with some push behind it. The combined energy leaps to 565, which is moderate, but the real story is the quality. This is a river mouth, so the longer period swell will actually help it focus. The forecast says “very good surf conditions,” and I believe it. This is the one.

The afternoon of the 19th is also worth a look – the swell pushes up to 4ft and the period stretches to 12 seconds, but the wind comes onshore from the WNW. It’s cleaner than the rest of the fortnight but not as perfect as the morning. Still, it’s a far cry from the garbage we’ve been dealing with.

So, here’s the plan. Forget the next two weeks. Do your chores. Fix your board. Then get down to Taft (Siltetz River) early on Wednesday the 19th. That’s the window. That’s the one we’re chasing.

Rusty.

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