Taft (Siltetz River) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cookin’ at the Siltetz River mouth.

Honestly, mate, it’s a tough stretch ahead. The next two weeks are looking pretty flat and messy for Taft. We’ve got a long gap of mostly small, choppy, onshore junk with very little to get excited about. The water is running way colder than usual for this time of year, about 52°F, which is a massive 7°F colder than normal, so you’ll be wanting a good thick wetsuit if you’re even thinking about paddling out.

The first real chance of anything halfway decent doesn’t show up until Monday, July 27th. Even then, it’s tiny. We’re looking at a weak 3ft southwest swell with a very long 18-second period (groundswell) coming through, but the wind is a light cross-onshore, and the combined energy is only moderate (527). The call is marginal at best, so don’t expect much. That long period might make it a bit sectiony at the river mouth, but it’s a river break, so it can handle it sometimes. Tuesday the 28th stays small with a similar story.

The whole first week is just a grind of small, weak SW swells, never getting above 3ft, and the wind is either a light cross-onshore or a gentle cross-shore that leaves it choppy. The energy stays in the moderate range (peak at 742 on Wednesday the 29th morning), but the quality just isn’t there. By Friday the 31st, the swell is dropping to 2ft and the energy is fading (249). It’s a full-on lull, honestly.

We then hit a dry spell from about August 1st through the 6th. The swell stays tiny, under 3ft, and the wind is almost always a cross or cross-onshore breeze, making for poor conditions. The energy is weak to moderate (158-478). A few days in there, like August 3rd and 4th, the swell bumps up to 5ft-7ft, but it’s short-period windswell from the NW (6-8 seconds) and the wind is a moderate cross-shore chop. That setup is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer. It’s a real blank run.

The only standout in the whole 16-day window is a bit of a tricky one. On Friday, August 7th, we see a jump in size. The morning shows a 7ft swell from the NW with a short 9-second period, and a moderate cross-shore wind. The combined energy is strong (713). BUT, the data straight-up says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. At 7ft, that’s expert-only territory, and with the short period and cross-shore wind, it’s going to be a lumpy, powerful mess. It’s not a recommendation for the average surfer, but if you’re a seasoned local who knows how to handle the river mouth when it’s pumping and messy, that’s your one window. The afternoon drops back to 7ft and the energy stays strong (640), but the wind picks up to 16 mph cross-shore.

After that, it’s right back to small, weak, and choppy through to the end of the forecast on August 11th. The swells are all under 6ft, short period, and blown out by cross-shore winds. The energy is moderate (303-500). For the second week, the pattern is clear: small, onshore, and not worth the drive.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a flat, choppy write-off. The only real pulse is on August 7th, but it's a big, messy, expert-only affair. If you’re a beginner, stay home. If you’re a core local, maybe keep an eye on that Friday morning, but keep your expectations in check.

Rusty.

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