Fortress Surf Break

Lat Long: 41.02° N 71.96° W

Fortress Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 22 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Fortress sea temperature is
22.5°C
1.0° 

Fortress surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Fortress surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period, SSE swell with 101 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period with SSE 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 12s. 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 0.9m 8s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Mon 24th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 6s
Best Surf 5AM (Mon 24th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 6s
Most Powerful 5AM (Sat 29th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 8s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fortress over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

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.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Warm (max 26°C on Sun night, min 20°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Tue afternoon, min 19°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Sat
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
E
5
0.3
ESE
7
0.8
SSE
4
0.8
S
5
0.8
SSW
5
1.1
S
6
1
SSW
6
0.8
SSW
6
0.4
SE
11
0.3
SE
10
0.3
SE
10
0.4
SE
9
0.6
ESE
8
0.6
ESE
8
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
10
0.6
SE
9
0.6
ESE
9
0.6
ESE
8
0.5
SE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
12
11
22
28
39
94
74
42
29
17
17
21
47
42
21
32
65
49
47
31
Wind (km/h)
10
ESE
15
SE
25
SSW
20
SSW
20
SW
25
WSW
30
SW
15
WNW
25
W
20
WSW
15
NW
5
WNW
20
SSW
15
SSW
15
SSE
20
SE
10
SE
0
W
15
SSW
15
NNW
Wind State
on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
on
glassy
cross
cross-off
High Tide
4:56PM0.75m
5:09AM0.57m
5:52PM0.77m
6:10AM0.62m
6:36PM0.80m
6:56AM0.68m
7:13PM0.84m
7:34AM0.74m
7:45PM0.87m
8:07AM0.80m
8:14PM0.88m
8:37AM0.85m
8:44PM0.89m
Low Tide
11:11PM0.26m
10:13AM0.26m
11:56PM0.22m
11:19AM0.23m
00:32AM0.16m
12:09PM0.19m
1:04AM0.11m
12:53PM0.14m
1:34AM0.06m
1:34PM0.10m
2:05AM0.02m
2:14PM0.06m
2:37AM-0.01m
part cloud
light rain
thunderstorm
clear
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:05
6:05
6:07
6:07
6:09
6:09
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:36
7:35
7:32
7:31
7:30
7:29
7:27
 mm
3
9
2
Temp °C
21
22
23
24
26
23
23
23
22
24
23
20
23
23
23
23
23
23
25
25
Feels °C
23
23
24
23
24
19
19
19
18
21
21
20
20
20
23
22
23
27
24
24
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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