Fortress Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and let’s be straight with you – Fortress isn’t exactly firing right now. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a bust for good paddle surfing. There’s pretty much no real standout day, and we’ve got a long, flat, or messy stretch ahead. The biggest issue is that when there's any size, the wind is junk, and when the wind is okay, the swell is tiny. Let’s walk through it.

The first couple of days are basically a write-off. Sunday the 5th has a tiny 1ft swell from the SE with a short 8-second period, meaning no real push. The energy is weak (19). Monday the 6th jumps up to 7ft from the ESE, but it’s coming in with a 6-second period and a howling 31 mph onshore wind, making for a complete mess. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than anything you’d want to paddle into.

Tuesday the 7th and Wednesday the 8th stay small and cross-windy, with the swell stuck under 4ft and short period. The energy is weak to moderate, peaking at 143 on Tuesday morning, but the strong cross-shore wind kills any chance of a clean wave.

Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th finally see some cleaner conditions with cross-offshore winds, but the swell is still undersized. Thursday morning you’ve got 2ft from the SE with clean conditions, but it’s just not enough. Friday morning has a slightly better 4ft from the SSW, but the energy is still only moderate (126) with a short 6-second period. It’s surfable but very ordinary.

The next real chance comes Saturday the 11th morning. Fortress picks up a 4ft swell from the S with an 8-second period, and the wind is light and cross-off from the NNW, keeping things clean. The energy is moderate (160). This is probably the best window in the first week, but it’s a far cry from anything special.

After that, we hit another dry spell. From Sunday the 12th through to Friday the 17th, the swell is mostly below 3ft, with onshore or cross-shore winds, and the energy drops into the double digits. There’s a brief moment late on Sunday the 12th afternoon with glassy conditions and a tiny 2ft swell, but it’s barely worth a mention.

The only pulse of size comes right at the end of the outlook, on Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th. Saturday morning sees a 7ft swell from the S with a longer 9-second period – that’s strong energy (597) – but it’s coming in with a gentle cross-onshore breeze that makes it choppy. That size is too much for beginners, and the conditions aren’t clean enough to call it a standout. Sunday the 19th stays in the 5-6ft range from the S, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore, lumping it up again.

So, to sum it up: there’s nothing here I’d call a proper standout. If you’re desperate, Saturday the 11th morning is your best bet for the cleanest, most user-friendly surf, but keep your expectations low. The area is prone to these flat, windy runs, so this isn’t unusual. Forecasts can change, but for now, it’s a waiting game.

Stay patient, Rusty.

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