Fort Fisher Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. I’m looking at the whole 16-day window for Fort Fisher, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s pretty grim. The first real surf worth mentioning doesn’t show up until the morning of Thursday the 24th, and even then it’s a struggle. For the first few days, from the 20th through the 23rd, we’ve got tiny, weak swell with energy barely cracking 30 (combined energy 9 down to 16), and the wind is mostly cross-off from the southwest, which is fine for the surface but there’s just nothing to ride. So that’s almost a week of nothing.

The best chance for any kind of wave comes on Friday the 24th. The swell picks up to 4ft, coming from the SSE with a short period of 6 seconds – that’s all windswell, no groundswell. The energy jumps to 142 (combined energy), which is moderate. But the wind is the problem. In the morning, it’s a moderate cross-onshore from the NNE at 12 mph, making it choppy. By the afternoon, it switches to onshore from the ENE at 12 mph, and the wave comment says “poor surf conditions.” At 4ft, it’s not too big for intermediates, but the short period and onshore wind mean it’s going to be messy. For a beach and reef setup like Fort Fisher, this is more of a kite-surfing day than a clean paddle session.

The rest of the window is a tease. Morning of Sunday the 26th has a glassy moment with 2ft swell from the ESE, but with combined energy of 36, it’s weak. After that, we’re back to tiny, inconsistent fluff – 1.0ft, 0.7ft, even 0.3ft – right through to the end on the 4th of August. The period never gets longer than 9 seconds, so there’s no real power. The energy is weak, often in the single digits or low teens (combined energy 3 to 38). The wind is sometimes glassy or light offshore, which would be perfect if there was any swell, but there isn’t.

Water temperature is about 84°, which is a degree warmer than the long-term average for this time of year – a bit notable, but not crazy.

Bottom line: Fort Fisher is a bust for the next 16 days. There’s no standout session. The only day with enough size to get you out of bed is the 24th, but the wind and short period ruin it. If you’re looking for a paddle, you’re out of luck. The conditions are better suited for a kite or a longboard in the glassy moments if you’re desperate, but the energy just isn’t there. It tends not to stay this poor for long around here, so keep an eye on the forecast – things can change.

Rusty.

Read more