Fort Fisher Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me tell you how it’s lookin’ for Fort Fisher. Gonna be a long wait for any kind of real surf, so don’t get your hopes up too quick. The next week and a half is basically flat and messy, with nothin’ worth paddlin’ out for. We’re talkin’ about a solid ten days or more of just poor surf conditions, tiny waves, and onshore junk.

The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so nothin’ weird there.

First up, you gotta understand– there’s not much on offer here for ages. Wednesday the 16th through to just before Tuesday the 29th, it’s all poor. Tiny swell, mostly under 2 ft, short period, and wind is either cross-on or onshore. Combined wave energy is laughably low, barely crackin’ 100 (most days sittin’ between 25 and 79). You’re lookin’ at chop and closeouts. Not even worth waxin’ the board.

The first hint of any life comes on Tuesday morning, the 29th of September. Fort Fisher sees a little bump up to 4 ft from the E, period is a weak 6 seconds. Wind flips to glassy early, so the surface is clean. The combined energy hits 113 (moderate), but the comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s a 1 out of 10 though, so it’s just barely a wave. If you’re desperate, you could probably snag a few weak, crumbly ones on the inside before the afternoon onshore kicks in.

But the real standout– the one day you should actually mark on your calendar– is Wednesday the 30th of September. That morning, Fort Fisher gets a serious pulse of energy. We’re talkin’ 4 ft from the SE, but with a long period swell of 12 seconds. That’s groundswell, and it packs a punch. Combined energy jumps to 603 (strong). Wind is light and cross-offshore from the SW, so the face should be clean, even a bit glassy. The report says “expect good surf conditions,” which is the best we see in the whole window. This one’s worth a session, no doubt. Just be aware– with that long period and a beach/reef setup, it might wall up a bit straight on the beach, but there could be some proper lines if you find the right bank.

After that, Thursday the 1st of October still has some leftover energy (3 ft, 9 seconds, combined 218) and cross-off wind, but it’s already droppin’ off. Still clean, but more of a fun-size leftover.

So bottom line: the whole first ten days are a write-off. The only real highlight is Wednesday the 30th morning. Get out there if you can, because that’s as good as it gets in this 16-day run. Keep an eye on the forecasts though– things can always pop up.

Rusty.

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