Fortress Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’ve been poring over the charts for our local patch. Gotta be straight with you – it’s a lean run ahead, and there’s no hiding from it.

We’re looking at a real struggle to get anything rideable for most of the next two and a half weeks. The only real whisper of hope comes on Monday the 17th of August at Fortress. This is a reef set-up that’s exposed to swell from the SE.

That Monday, a pulse pushes through. Morning sees a 4 ft swell from the SE with a period of 6 seconds, but the wind is offshore out of the WNW, blowing at 12 mph. It’s going to be clean. The combined energy is moderate (219), and the afternoon holds with a similar 4 ft from the S, period 7 seconds, and a gentle 9 mph offshore from the WNW again (energy 227). That’s the only window with any kind of shape. If you can get on it, you’ll be in luck, but it’s a short window and that period is short, so it’ll be a bit fat and quick on the face.

Other than that, it’s a whole lot of nothing. The rest of the period is plagued by cross-shore winds, onshore breezes, and tiny swell (mostly 1.0 ft to 2 ft). The combined energy values are nearly all below 100 (weak), and the wind is never your friend. Conditions are consistently rated as “poor” or worse. After the 17th, we don’t see another proper recommendation until late in the run. On Thursday the 27th of August, the morning sees very ordinary surfable waves with a 2 ft SE swell (period 10 seconds) but light cross-offshore wind – energy just breaks into three digits (109). The afternoon improves slightly with a clean 2 ft SE swell (period 10 seconds) and a 12 mph offshore from the W (energy 103). Compared to the rest, it’s a usable option, but it’s not a standout at all. It’s more of a “if you’re desperate” kind of session.

Honestly, with this persistent lack of quality and the small, weak swell, the setup at Fortress looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of the month. The Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th of August drop right back into the doldrums with no hope.

The water temp isn’t mentioned in the data, so I can’t give you a specific number. But with such a flat spell, even the fish are probably bored.

It’s a tough outlook. The forecast can change, but right now, mark your calendar for that Monday the 17th if you want the only real taste of action.

Rusty.

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