Taft (Siltetz River) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s break it down for you in feet and knots.

The outlook for Taft (Siltetz River) is a rough one, plain and simple. We’ve got a long stretch of blowy, chopped-up conditions that don’t give a surfer much to work with.

Starting with the pattern, the first real glimmer of anything rideable isn’t until Friday, August 14th. The water is sitting at a very unusual 53°F – that’s about 6°F colder than the average for this time of year, so you’ll want a thick steamer, no doubt.

From Sunday the 9th through Thursday the 13th, it’s just a no-go. The wind is cross or cross-onshore, blowing 10 to 15 mph, and the waves are short-period and messy. The combined energy readings are weak to moderate (219 to 377), and the scores are all zero. It’s just a mess.

Friday the 14th morning offers a small window. The wind drops to a light 6 mph cross-onshore, and the swell is from the NW at 4ft with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is 283. It’s still got a bit of texture, but that light breeze makes it the least ugly option of the first week. It’s a marginal call, but if you’re itching to get wet, that Friday morning is your best bet.

The following days through the 17th stay poor. The wind stays stubborn, and the swell comes in short and weak. There’s a jump in energy on the 15th and 16th, hitting 413 and 406, but that’s from a SW groundswell with a long period of 14 to 16 seconds. At a river mouth, that long-period swell can run a bit too straight and won’t give you the shape you want. The scores are still zero.

Now, the second week starts to show a bit more hope. Tuesday, August 18th, is the first time the scores creep up to a 2. The combined energy jumps to 632 (strong) on the morning, with a WNW swell of 3ft and a 14-second period. The wind is light cross-onshore at 6 mph. It’s still marginal, but that energy is building. The afternoon sees the energy even higher at 661, with a 3ft WNW swell. The wind turns cross-shore with a light breeze, so it’s cleaner. That Tuesday afternoon looks like a real standout window.

Wednesday, August 19th, and Thursday, August 20th, keep the energy in the moderate to strong range (471 to 607), but the wind picks up to 10-12 mph cross-shore, which just puts a chop on it. The best call remains Tuesday the 18th.

The very end of the period, on Monday, August 24th, shows a bigger swell building – 5ft to 6ft from the NW with a 7-8 second period. That’s getting into the zone where it’s too much for beginners, and the period is short, so it’ll be a bit fat. The wind is light cross-onshore, so it might be okay for the more experienced crew, but the energy is strong (572). It’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

Overall, this is a dry spell. The river mouth isn’t firing, and the wind is just not playing ball. The standout is Tuesday, August 18th, with the afternoon session looking the cleanest with good energy. Get on it if you can.

Rusty.

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