Fortress Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The forecast period starts with a tiny window of actual surf, but then it’s mostly a long stretch of small, weak, and messy conditions. The standout moment is right at the beginning — Tuesday morning, August 4th, at Fortress. That’s the only time you’ll really want to be in the water. After that, the wind and swell just don’t line up for anything worthwhile for days and days.

Fortress is a reef break, exposed to the south-east swell, but it’s a beginner-friendly spot, though it can get crowded. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual. On Tuesday morning, August 4th, we’ve got a 4ft swell rolling in from the south, with a period of 8 seconds. That’s a short-period wind swell, but the energy is moderate (222). The wind is glassy out of the NNW at just 3 mph — that’s perfect, clean conditions. The waves should be well-shaped for a reef, offering some fun little waves. This is the best on offer, no question.

But then it falls apart. By Tuesday afternoon the wind swings south-south-east at 9 mph, turning cross-onshore and choppy, and the swell drops to 3ft. The rest of the week is a mix of cross-offshore winds and small, weak swells, with wave energy dropping into the double digits (like 59, 75, 86). The swell period stays around 6 seconds, so it’s weak and crumbly. There’s no real quality surf through Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or the weekend. The wind is often moderate to fresh, and the waves are just too small and messy.

From Monday, August 10th, onward it gets even more grim. The swell drops to 0.3ft at one point, with energy down to 5. The wind does go offshore from the west on Monday morning, but the swell is so small it’s barely rideable. For the rest of the second week, the swell stays under 3ft, with periods mostly 6–7 seconds and energy under 100. The wind is often cross-onshore or onshore, and on Wednesday, August 19th, it’s a strong breeze of 25 mph from the southwest. That’s not surfable.

So, the short story: Tuesday morning, August 4th, is your only real shot. Glassy, clean, 4ft south swell at Fortress. After that, it’s a long drought of small, weak, and windy conditions. If you’re a kite surfer, the stronger winds later in the period might be interesting, but for a paddle surfer, there’s not much to get excited about.

Rusty

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