Fortress Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's break down what Fortress is looking like for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, the first week is a tough one. From Monday the 24th of August through the end of the month, it's a whole lot of knee-high mush with bad wind. You're looking at tiny 1ft to 2.5ft swells from the south and southeast, with periods so short they've got no grunt. The combined swell energy is weak, mostly under 100, and the wind is rarely working for you. Monday morning the 24th gives you a tiny 3ft south swell, but it's a messy cross-off wind and only a 6-second period – it's surfable but very ordinary. There's a little window on the morning of Monday the 31st of August where a 1ft southeast swell sneaks in with a very long 19-second period and a clean, offshore breeze from the WNW, but the size is so small it's barely a ripple. The rest of that week is a write-off. You're looking at days of poor conditions, with strong cross-shore winds and lumpy chop. It's a real dry spell.

The second week starts to show some signs of life. The first real standout, and the best on offer across the whole forecast, hits the morning of Wednesday the 2nd of September. The swell jumps to 2.5ft from the southeast, with a solid 13-second period. The combined energy hits a moderate 369, and the wind is a light, clean cross-off from the northwest. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing special. This is the one to circle. The break is a reef, so that long period energy will wrap in nicely. It's a beginner-friendly spot, which is good, because the crowds are likely to be there.

The only other moment that's worth a mention is the morning of Thursday the 3rd of September. A 4.5ft southeast swell rolls in with a strong 15-second period, pumping the combined energy up to 847 – that's a serious amount of power. But the wind is a howling 25 mph cross-shore from the NNE, with heavy rain. That's a washing machine. For a reef break, that's a no-go for surfing. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. After that, the swell drops back down and the whole thing fades out into tiny, onshore dribble for the rest of the run. If you miss that Wednesday morning, you've missed the window.

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