Surf Forecasts:
Fortress surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 21 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 6s period, E swell with 212 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Fortress this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Fortress in the next 16 days are 1.7m 6s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 21) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 20) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Mon 21st Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fortress over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. Rusty here, looking at what’s on the cards for Fortress over the next couple of weeks.
Gotta be straight with you: the outlook for Fortress is a tough one. We’re staring down a long, quiet stretch before anything even gets close to worth paddling out for. The first ten days are mostly a write-off—small waves, messy winds, and not enough energy to get excited about. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year at 69°, nothing unusual there.
From Monday the 14th through to the middle of the next week, it’s near flat. Swell heights barely tickling 1ft to 3ft with weak combined energy readings mostly in the teens and thirties (37, 29, 58)—that’s just not enough to push a reef setup like Fortress. Winds are cross-off or cross-on, but even when clean, there’s no power behind it.
Around Tuesday the 21st, we see a bit more size pushing in—5ft to 5ft from the east with combined energy jumping to 169 and 171—but it’s accompanied by strong onshore winds, making it a messy, choppy mess. Not one for a clean ride. That trend continues into the 22nd with 6ft to 7ft from the ESE and SE, energy hitting 279 to 429, but again, strong cross-onshore winds ruin any chance of quality. At that size and with those winds, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The one potential highlight comes on Wednesday the 23rd. Morning shows 5ft from the SSE with cross-off winds from the SW, light breeze, clean conditions, and combined energy at 279. It’s not perfect—the period is short at 7 seconds—but it’s the best on offer in the whole outlook. You’ll get some punchy, shapely waves, but be aware Fortress is a reef break, and with that shorter-period swell, it won’t have the long, lined-up walls you’d want for a classic session. Still, clean conditions and reasonable size make it the standout. That afternoon drops off a bit to 4ft.
After that, it fades again. The end of the month sees small swell returning in the 1ft to 2ft range with weak energy, and winds are mixed—some cross-off but mostly fresh and lumpy. A couple of afternoons on the 26th show light winds and clean surfaces, but with waves under 2ft, it’s barely a ripple.
So, if you’re hanging for a wave, keep your eye on Wednesday the 23rd morning. That’s your best shot, though it’s a one-off in an otherwise slow run.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon morning. Warm (max 23°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNW on Mon morning, light winds from the S by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 25°C on Fri afternoon, min 19°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Fri afternoon, strong winds from the S by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ENE 5 | E 5 | ESE 9 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 8 | SSW 4 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | ENE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 20 | 27 | 18 | 33 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 23 | 23 | 17 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 46 | 47 | 39 | 110 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | on | on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 10:31AM0.98m | 10:34PM0.79m | 11:08AM0.92m | 11:06PM0.73m | 11:46AM0.85m | 11:40PM0.67m | 12:26PM0.79m | 00:22AM0.62m | 1:16PM0.74m | 1:14AM0.59m | 2:31PM0.70m | 2:28AM0.57m | 4:10PM0.70m | 4:33AM0.60m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:20PM0.06m | 4:11AM0.06m | 4:59PM0.13m | 4:46AM0.11m | 5:42PM0.20m | 5:24AM0.17m | 6:31PM0.27m | 6:08AM0.23m | 7:37PM0.31m | 7:03AM0.27m | 9:21PM0.31m | 8:15AM0.30m | 10:29PM0.28m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | |  |  | |  | |  | | | | | |
 | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:53 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:49 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 23 | 21 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 14 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 22 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 11 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | 17 | 27 | 18 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 23 | 23 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 19 | 47 | 39 | 12 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 7 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | SW 4 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 7 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 |
| kJ | 20 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 3 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 15 | E 15 | S 6 | E 7 | SE 13 | SE 10 | — | — | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 12 | ESE 8 | — | E 7 | — | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | — |
| kJ | — | — | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 7 | — | 4 | — | 5 | 5 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 3 | NNW 3 | NE 4 | ENE 5 | E 5 | — | — | — | SW 3 | — | SSW 3 | SW 3 | SW 4 | — | — | ESE 6 | SE 3 | SSW 4 | SW 6 | ENE 4 | ENE 6 |
| kJ | 8 | 2 | 17 | 33 | 11 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 5 | 6 | — | — | 12 | 5 | 46 | 95 | 24 | 110 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 129 | 15 | 273 | 676 | 801 | 803 | 223 | 1155 | 202 | 187 | 1155 | 210 | 414 | 803 | 636 | 1163 | 2537 | 803 | 55 | 0 | 160 |
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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