Surf Forecasts:
Fortress surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, ESE swell with 320 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 9s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Fortress in the next 16 days are 1.3m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fortress over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. It’s been a quiet stretch around here, and I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this 16-day window is looking pretty flat for Fortress. There’s a gap right from the start, with nothing worth paddling out for until the first surfable conditions show up on Thursday the 3rd of September. That’s a good four days of waiting.
The first real glimmer comes on Thursday morning. We’re looking at a tiny 4 ft swell out of the SE, with a short period of just 6 seconds. The combined energy is weak (117), so it’s pretty gutless. The wind is offshore from the WNW at 9 mph though, which will keep it glassy and clean. The water temp is 70°F—about average for this time of year with a slight 0.5°F anomaly, so nothing to write home about.
That Thursday is the only time in the first week that even gets a score of 1. After that, it’s back to poor surf conditions and mostly cross or onshore winds. We get a bit of a bump on Wednesday the 9th of September. That morning, the wind goes glassy, and we’ve got a 3 ft swell from the SSE with a period of 12 seconds—that’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy is moderate (347), and the conditions are clean. This is the standout, but it’s still only 3 ft, so it’s more of a log wave than a power hour. The longer period means better-shaped waves and longer lulls, which is nice for a relaxed paddle-out. But it’s not gonna be a big day.
The rest of the second week stays poor. There’s a few days of offshore wind, like on Thursday the 10th afternoon with a WNW offshore at 9 mph, but the swell is only 2 ft. The Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th have strong offshore winds—25 to 31 mph—which are clean but brutal to paddle into. The swell is there, up to 4 ft, but the period is a pathetic 5 seconds, so it’s just windslop. The combined energy is moderate (112–128), but it’s not worth the battle.
Overall, Fortress is a reef break that’s fairly consistent, but it’s just not getting any love in this forecast. The only real standout is Wednesday the 9th morning. If you’re a beginner, the 3 ft swell is fine, but it won’t be big enough for a thrill. For experts, it’s barely a session. The crowd can be a problem here—it’s often busy—so get in early if you want a few waves. The optimum swell direction is SE, and that’s what we’re getting, but the size just isn’t there.
It’s a lean run, but forecasts can change. Hang tight.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Warm (max 24°C on Sun afternoon, min 20°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (calm on Sat afternoon, fresh winds from the SW by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Thu night. Warm (max 23°C on Tue afternoon, min 17°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Tue afternoon, strong winds from the N by Fri morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | ||||||||||||||
PM | 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 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | E 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | S 7 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 30 | 24 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 144 | 117 | 117 | 88 | 88 | 56 | 54 | 19 | 10 | 23 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross |
High Tide | 9:17PM0.88m | 9:40AM0.92m | 9:54PM0.86m | 10:17AM0.94m | 10:34PM0.82m | 10:59AM0.94m | 11:19PM0.77m | 11:46AM0.94m | 00:10AM0.72m | 12:41PM0.91m | 1:10AM0.68m | 1:47PM0.89m | 2:24AM0.66m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:55PM0.05m | 3:11AM-0.02m | 3:38PM0.04m | 3:47AM-0.01m | 4:22PM0.05m | 4:26AM0.01m | 5:11PM0.09m | 5:09AM0.04m | 6:06PM0.13m | 5:59AM0.08m | 7:14PM0.16m | 6:57AM0.12m | 8:42PM0.18m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  | | |  |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — | — | 7:19 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | 3 | — | — | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 22 | 22 |
Feels °C | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 13 | 22 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | S 7 |
| kJ | 30 | 24 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 52 | 58 | 49 | 88 | 88 | 56 | 54 | 19 | 9 | 23 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | — | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 5 | SE 14 | SSW 3 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SSW 4 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 12 | 6 | 6 | — | 18 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 32 | 29 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 4 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 10 | SSW 4 | — | — | — | SSW 5 | — | — | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 9 |
| kJ | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 12 | 11 | 10 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 2 | SW 3 | SSW 4 | — | — | — | — | SSW 3 | SW 4 | E 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | — | SSW 5 | SSW 4 | NW 2 | NNW 3 | WNW 3 | NNW 3 |
| kJ | — | 1 | 2 | 20 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 5 | 144 | 117 | 117 | — | 3 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 653 | 15 | 636 | 187 | 15 | 675 | 668 | 273 | 710 | 92 | 252 | 574 | 616 | 236 | 0 | 55 | 15 | 675 | 15 | 51 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Long Island New York | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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