Surf Forecasts:
Fortress surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 5s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s period, S swell with 107 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 5s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Fortress this week:
The surf forecast for Fortress over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Fortress in the next 16 days are 1.1m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fortress over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what we’ve got in store. It’s been a quiet stretch and will stay that way for a while, so patience is the name of the game.
The only spot that’s even worth a mention is Fortress. This is a reef break, exposed to the swell, and it’s a beginner-friendly wave. The water temps are sitting about where you’d expect for this time of year.
We’re looking at a real barren start. There’s nothing of note until the morning of Saturday, 29 August. That’s over a week of slop or flatness you’d be better off spending on land.
On that Saturday morning, we finally see a pulse. Swell bumps up to a modest 3 ft from the S with an 8-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 143, so there’s some push behind it, but the period is short, so it’s going to be a bit weak and soft. The magic here is the wind: a light WNW at just 3 mph blowing offshore. That will clean it right up. It’s glassy, clean, and surfable, but the conditions are still just ordinary because the swell is so weak. For a beginner reef like this, it’s a fun little window for a longboard or a foamie. Since it’s a reef, that 8-second period isn’t ideal—it’ll be a bit crumbly—but the offshore wind will help.
For the rest of the 16-day run, it’s mostly a write-off. There’s a bigger bump on the morning of Friday, 28 August, with 5 ft from the SSE and a 7-second period giving a strong combined energy of 221, but the wind is a messy cross NE at 9 mph. It’s just poor. Then again on the morning of Tuesday, 1 September, there’s a bit more juice from the SE with a 11-second period, giving 85 combined energy, but the wind is all wrong again and the swell direction is off.
Honestly, if you’re looking for a surf, the best bet is that Saturday morning (29 Aug) at Fortress. It’s not a standout by any stretch, but with the offshore wind and a wave that’s just about knee-to-waist high, it’s the only time the stars line up even a little. After that, the forecast just drains away into poor conditions again. If you’re kited up, some of those windy, messy afternoons with stronger winds and onshore chop might be more your thing, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a tough run.
Stay patient, mate. The waiting game is on.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 57mm), heaviest during Sat afternoon. Warm (max 26°C on Thu afternoon, min 18°C on Sat morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Warm (max 24°C on Sun night, min 18°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | E 4 | E 5 | SE 5 | S 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSE 7 | S 6 | S 7 | SSW 7 | SE 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 20 | 18 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 28 | 28 | 59 | 37 | 47 | 81 | 54 | 61 | 49 | 22 | 25 | 22 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | off | off | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 1:03AM0.61m | 2:23PM0.77m | 1:53AM0.57m | 3:43PM0.74m | 3:07AM0.55m | 4:56PM0.75m | 5:09AM0.57m | 5:52PM0.77m | 6:10AM0.62m | 6:36PM0.80m | 6:56AM0.68m | 7:13PM0.84m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:51AM0.20m | 8:51PM0.30m | 7:45AM0.24m | 10:13PM0.29m | 8:54AM0.27m | 11:11PM0.26m | 10:13AM0.26m | 11:56PM0.22m | 11:19AM0.23m | 00:32AM0.16m | 12:09PM0.19m | 1:04AM0.11m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | | | |  | |  |  |  |  | | | | | |  | |
 | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — |
 | 7:40 | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | 27 | 27 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 23 | 26 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 19 | 23 | 22 |
Feels °C | 23 | 24 | 24 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 15 | 24 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 15 | 19 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 6 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 6 | E 5 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSE 7 | S 6 | S 7 | SE 10 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | 20 | 18 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 27 | 3 | 28 | 12 | 46 | 37 | 47 | 81 | 54 | 61 | 49 | 22 | 17 | 22 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | SE 9 | SE 9 | NNE 3 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 14 | SSE 5 | SE 13 | ESE 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | S 6 | SE 11 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SE 11 |
| kJ | 6 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 21 | 27 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 18 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 9 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 15 | SW 5 | SE 10 | ESE 8 | SE 9 | SE 13 | ESE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 8 | SE 11 | — | SE 11 | E 6 | ESE 6 |
| kJ | — | 12 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 19 | — | 18 | 1 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | E 4 | S 5 | SE 5 | S 5 | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | WNW 3 | SSW 7 | W 4 |
| kJ | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | 17 | 28 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | 25 | 3 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 129 | 2 | 222 | 193 | 668 | 716 | 222 | 223 | 0 | 2 | 178 | 118 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 222 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Long Island New York | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Fortress surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Fortress Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Fortress provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Fortress can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Fortress surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Fortress) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Fortress may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Fortress is 39 km (24 miles) from New London. If you plan a vacation in Long Island New York, look for hotels and other accommodation in New London. New London has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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