Fort Fisher Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I've had a good look at what's coming our way for the next couple of weeks here. To be straight with you, this is one of those outlooks where you might want to find something else to do for a while. The pattern is flat and quiet, with nothing that really gets the heart pumping. Let's run through it day by day.

We kick off on Saturday, August 8th, but it's a non-starter. The wind is a cross-on at 9 mph, and the water's already a bit choppy. That tiny 3 ft swell from the southeast with a short 8-second period has weak energy (78), and the waves are just messy. The water temp is a balmy 83°, which is pretty average for the time of year, but that's the only nice thing I can say.

Sunday the 9th through to the 15th is a proper dry spell. We're talking days of tiny, weak swell – nothing over 1 ft – with energy values barely registering. Some mornings, like Monday the 10th, have clean conditions, but there's simply no wave to ride. It's a solid week of flatness, with a couple of days of choppy onshore junk on the 15th. Honestly, don't even bother looking.

We get a slight pulse of energy on Sunday the 16th, with a 3 ft swell from the east, but it's short-period (5-6 seconds) and the wind is a messy onshore. That's not surf; that's just whitewash and bump.

Now, the best of a pretty average bunch shows up around Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th. We see a longer period groundswell arriving from the southeast. Monday morning has a 1 ft swell with a very long 14-second period, and the energy bumps up to a moderate 135. It's small, but those long lines will be clean with the light offshore wind. Tuesday the 18th is similar, with a 2 ft, 10-second swell and light cross-shore winds. The wave energy is 127. It's tiny and clean, but the long period means the waves might wall up a bit on the beach break here at Fort Fisher. It's not a standout for power, but it's the cleanest we'll see. Be aware that the crowds here can be often, so for this tiny bit of action, it might be a little busy.

The last gasp of any real interest is on Thursday, August 20th. We get a jump in swell size to 4 ft from the southeast, with a solid 11-second period. The energy is strong at 413. That's actually got some push to it. The problem is the wind. Thursday morning is a light onshore, and by the afternoon it's a light cross-onshore. It'll be a bit bumpy. 4 ft is a good size for intermediates, but that wind will make it hard work.

After that, it fades back into small, choppy junk for the final days of the outlook.

The one true standout, and I use the term loosely, is Tuesday the 18th. It's not going to blow you away, but with that light wind and small, clean swell, it's the best of a very quiet period. Keep your expectations low and you might snag a few little ones.

Rusty.

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