Fortress Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Fortress (reef). It’s been a quiet stretch, and honestly, the outlook is a tough one to get excited about, but I’ll walk you through the whole 16-day window.

The first real sniff of action doesn’t come until Friday, August 28th, and even then it’s a weak offering. Up until then, we’ve got a big gap of days with nothing really worth paddling out for. The swell is tiny, below 3 ft, and the wind is messy. The combined energy is weak, barely cracking 30 to 50 (31 to 45), so don’t hold your breath.

Finally, on Friday August 28th morning, the wind drops to glassy, calm conditions. The swell is a pathetic 2 ft from the ESE, period a short 9 seconds, but it’s clean. Combined energy is a weak 82. It’s surfable, but ordinary. The wind is perfect, but the wave size is a real letdown. A beginner might have a pop, but it’s not going to be a session to remember.

The rest of the week is more of the same: small, inconsistent, and mostly cross or onshore winds. Saturday August 29th morning offers a slight improvement with a clean 2 ft from the S, period 7 seconds, and a light cross-offshore breeze. Still, combined energy is only 76. It’s a window for a quick paddle, but nothing to plan a trip around.

Then we hit a real dead zone until September 3rd. The wind gets nasty on September 1st with a strong breeze and rain, so that’s a write-off.

The standout, if you can call it that, comes on Thursday September 3rd afternoon. The swell jumps to 7 ft from the SE, period 7 seconds, and combined energy hits 420 (strong wave energy). BUT, the wind is light cross-onshore, and the surf is described as marginal. That’s a big messy long-period swell for a reef, and the wind direction is not ideal. This is definitely for experienced surfers only, as 7 ft is solid. The water temperature is 73°F, which is about 2°F above average for this time of year, so it’s a touch warmer than normal.

After that, it fades quickly. Saturday September 5th morning is glassy again, but with a tiny 3 ft E swell (7 seconds), combined energy 65. Another clean, but flat-feeling session.

Best bet: Honestly, the best on offer is the glassy morning of Friday, August 28th. The conditions will be perfect, but don’t expect any power. If you’re desperate for a clean surf, that’s your window. The other option is September 3rd afternoon for the bigger swell, but with the short period and cross-onshore wind, it’s not going to be pretty. The crowds at Fortress are often there, so be prepared for company.

The water is a little warmer than usual, so you might not need the thickest wetsuit.

Rusty.

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