Taft (Siltetz River) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the table for the Siltetz River mouth at Taft.

Right off the bat, we’re looking at a pretty quiet start. The first few days – from Friday the 31st of July all the way through to the end of the first week of August – are offering nothing but tiny, weak waves and poor conditions. The wind is a constant problem, coming from the north or northwest, keeping things cross-onshore or cross-shore and choppy. Swell heights are hovering around 2ft to 6ft, but the energy is all over the place, with most readings showing weak to moderate combined energy. The period is short, mostly 7-9 seconds, making for weak, crumbly waves. Honestly, it’s a bit of a grim stretch.

The second week doesn’t start much better. The morning of Thursday the 13th of August is still a mess of cross-shore breeze and a weak 2ft SW swell (16-second period, 387 combined energy) – looks better on paper but the wind is a killer. That afternoon, the swell picks up to 6ft from the NNW but with a short 6-second period, and cross-shore winds are still up, making it rough.

Then we get to the real standout. The morning of Friday the 14th of August. This is the one. A solid 7ft swell from the NW, with a groundswell period of 13 seconds. The combined energy is a massive 1607, which is strong. But here’s the catch – the wave comment says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. This is a river mouth setup, so a 7ft, long-period NW groundswell is going to be a beast. This is going to be a heavy, powerful, and potentially dangerous wave for experts only. The wind is a moderate cross-shore, so it won’t be glassy, but it’ll be a proper, meaty session for those who can handle it. The crowd factor? Taft (Siltetz River) can get crowded, so expect a few others out there for this one.

The rest of the 15th of August settles into a more manageable 6ft swell from the NW with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is still high at 918. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, which is better, but the tides and conditions will be the deciding factor. It’s a far cry from the Friday morning peak, but it’s still a decent wave.

Overall, the main game is that Friday the 14th of August morning. That’s the one to circle. Everything else is a bit of a frustrating wait. The water temperature? Not mentioned in the data for this spot, so I can’t speak to it.

Rusty out.

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