Fortress Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's on the table for the Fortress.

Straight up, I’m not gonna sugar-coat it: this 16-day window is a tough one. We’ve got a real dry spell on our hands. The first solid week is pretty much a write-off, with nothing but small, weak, and messy conditions. The water temp is sitting pretty average for the time of year, nothing to write home about.

From Thursday the 27th right through the following Wednesday, we’re looking at a lot of cross-shore wind and tiny swell. The swell energy is super weak, never getting above 96 (71-96) for most of that stretch. A few moments on the 28th morning and 30th morning show a bit of a cleaner look with cross-offshore winds, but the waves are just too small and weak to get excited about – 1ft to 2ft from the SE with a short, weak period. It’s a real struggle.

We do get a brief glimmer of hope on Monday the 31st morning. The wind goes glassy, which is a massive positive, and the swell bumps up to 3ft from the SSE. The energy is still low (68) and the period is short (5s), but it’s the first time we get a “surfable” tag. Still, very ordinary.

Then the wind turns nasty. From Tuesday the 1st of September, we get a solid easterly wind event that just wrecks everything. The swell actually builds a bit, but it’s all onshore and blown out. By Wednesday the 2nd, the swell hits 5ft from the east with a near gale cross-onshore – that’s kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing. The energy climbs to 214 (moderate), but it’s ugly.

The biggest swell of the window hits on Thursday the 3rd of September, with 8ft from the east. That’s serious size, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy, and the energy is strong (853). This is strictly for experts only, and even then, the wind is a dealbreaker. The following days see that swell slowly drop, but the onshore wind sticks around, keeping it messy and lumpy right through to the 7th.

We get another little breather on Tuesday the 8th of September. The wind goes light and cross-offshore from the west, and we get 4ft to 5ft from the SSE. The energy is still low (95-115), and the period is short (5-6s), but it’s clean. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

The final few days, from the 9th to the 11th, just fade back into tiny, weak, and mostly choppy or glassy but flat conditions. The 10th morning is glassy, but with only 1ft on offer, it’s a tough paddle for nothing.

The standout? Honestly, there isn’t a proper standout. If I had to pick the best of a bad bunch, it’s a toss-up between Monday the 31st morning for the glassy conditions and the 3ft swell, or Tuesday the 8th of September for the clean 4ft to 5ft from the SSE. Of those two, the 8th probably offers the most size and shape, albeit still very ordinary. The 31st is smaller but glassy. Both are weak, short-period swells, so don’t expect any power.

Alright, keep your eyes on the forecast, because this run of poor surf can’t last forever. This is Rusty, signing off.

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