Fortress Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with the long-range look for Fortress.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are mostly a slow grind. We’ve got a reef break that’s fairly consistent, but most of the time the swell is small, the wind is cross-onshore, and the conditions are just plain messy. From Wednesday 22 July right through to the end of the month, you’re looking at poor surf day after day. The odd morning might offer a clean window with light offshore winds, like Thursday 30 July morning (3 ft from SSE, NW wind offshore) or Friday 31 July morning (3 ft from S, glassy), but the waves are weak and the energy is low – around 114–122 on the combined scale. Those are barely worth paddling out for unless you’re desperate for a float.

Then we hit the first week of August, and it’s still mostly cross‑on and choppy. The swell bumps up a little on Monday 3 August (7 ft from SSW, but onshore wind) and Tuesday 4 August (7–8 ft from S, fresh cross‑wind), but the quality is poor – lumpy, messy, and not fun for paddle surfing. The combined energy hits 700–840, but the wind kills it. Honestly, if you’re into kite surfing, those Tuesday afternoons might be more interesting than trying to paddle.

Now, the real standout – and I mean the only one worth circling on your calendar – is Wednesday 5 August. Early morning, Fortress lights up. The swell jumps to 13 ft from the south, with a long 12‑second period. That’s a proper groundswell, and the combined energy screams 4639 – that’s serious power. The wind is from the northwest at 15 km/h (9 mph), which is cross‑off and keeps the face clean. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers only – 13 ft is way too big for beginners. The reef will hold it, but the long period means it might jack up fast. Crowds are often a factor here, so expect a lineup. That morning is the clear winner. The afternoon drops to 12 ft with a cross‑shore wind and light ripples, still decent but not as clean.

After that, Thursday 6 August morning drops back to 6 ft from S, cross‑onshore, and the energy is gone. So the whole 16‑day window is pretty barren except for that one epic morning on the 5th. Keep an eye on the forecasts – things can change, but right now, that Wednesday is the only day I’d get excited about.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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