Fortress Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for your local stretch. We’ve got a pretty quiet start, so don’t rush to the water just yet. We’re talking about Fortress (a reef break, exposed to the swell) and the first couple of weeks are looking flat and uninspiring for the most part. There’s a big gap with next to no surf worth paddling for, stretching from now all the way until the end of the first week of September. The only real light on the horizon comes in a few distinct windows, but they’re a bit of a wait.

Alright, let’s break it down. For most of August and into the very start of September, the surf is just too small and weak to bother with. We’re looking at tiny waves—1 ft to 2 ft—with poor surf conditions. The combined swell energy is pathetic, barely reaching three-digit figures. The wind is mostly cross-off or cross, but with heights that small, it’s not going to get you anywhere. Expect a lot of days with “poor surf conditions” or just “surfable but very ordinary.” It’s a frustrating stretch, honestly. There’s a little blip on Thursday the 28th of August afternoon with a 3 ft swell and a short 5 second period, but the energy is still weak (104), and it’s not worth getting excited over. The following days stay tiny until we hit the start of September.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Wednesday the 2nd of September morning is our first real standout. We’ve got a 4 ft swell pouring in from the ESE with a solid 13 second period, and the combined energy finally kicks up to a moderate 429. The wind is offshore from the WNW, light, at 6 mph. That means clean, lined-up waves at Fortress. This is a reef break, so that longer period groundswell is going to wrap in nicely. It’s not huge—still fine for intermediates—but the quality is there. Thursday the 3rd of September actually sees a bump up to 7 ft from the east, but the period drops to 8 seconds and the wind turns cross-shore, bringing marginal conditions. That’s more of a challenge: 7 ft is getting into expert territory for some, and the shorter period means it might be a bit lumpy and closed-out at a reef. Keep that in mind.

If you ask me, the absolute best call is Friday the 4th of September. The morning delivers a 4 ft swell from the east with an 8 second period, but here’s the beauty: the wind goes glassy. Literally glass. 3 mph from the NW with a “glassy” wind state. The combined energy is a healthy 345, and conditions are rated as “expect good surf.” Clean, smooth, offshore conditions at a reef. That’s the one you circle on the calendar. The afternoon stays glassy too, with a smaller 2 ft SE swell and a very long 13 second period (275 energy). It will drop off in size, but still clean.

After that, the weekend of the 5th and 6th sees the wind turn cross-onshore and choppy, with 3–3 ft swell. Not the move. The following week (7th to 9th of September) drops right back down to tiny, weak surf with onshore or cross-onshore wind. It’s a dead end.

So, to sum it up: don’t waste your time until Wednesday the 2nd of September. The two standouts are that Wednesday morning with the 4 ft offshore clean waves (429 energy, ESE swell), and Friday the 4th of September morning with the glassy 4 ft east swell (345 energy). That Friday morning is the best of the lot – glassy conditions at a reef are hard to beat. Just be aware that the Saturday and Sunday after that turn rubbish. Plan around those two windows.

Rusty out.

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