Fortress Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I've got to be straight with you – this stretch coming up is a bit of a tough watch. We're looking at a solid run of days where the surf just isn't cooperating. The good news is, there's a couple of windows that might just give you a session, but you'll need to be patient.

For the first week, right through from Wednesday the 8th of July, it's a pretty grim picture. Swell heights are tiny, mostly under 3 feet, and the periods are short, meaning the waves are lacking any real punch. The wind is all over the shop, mostly cross-shore or onshore, which is just making things messy. We're seeing combined swell energy figures in the weak range, down in the 30s, 40s, and 70s, which tells you the ocean is almost flat. Honestly, there's nothing here worth paddling out for.

The first real flicker of something happens on Wednesday the 15th of July. The morning session at Fortress (reef) sees the swell bump up to 5 feet from the SW. The combined energy jumps to 254 (moderate), so there's finally some juice in the water. The wind is a cross-offshore breeze from the W at 12 mph, which should keep the surface clean. It's still a short period swell of 6 seconds, so it'll be a bit lumpy and won't have that groundswell push, but it's the best we've seen. It's a beginner-friendly reef, so it's not going to be too heavy, but given the longer period swells (over 15 seconds) are better at reefs and points, the short period here is a bit of a letdown. It's still a marginal call, but it's the standout of the whole forecast.

Then, on Thursday the 16th of July, we get a bit of a treat. The morning at Fortress is glassy, with a light SE wind at 3 mph. The swell is 3 feet from the S with a 7-second period, and the energy is 95 (still weak). The water temp is 68°, which is about normal for this time of year. It's not going to be a world-beater, but if you're desperate for a clean, small-wave session, that glassy morning is the pick of the bunch. The afternoon gets a cross-shore breeze, so the window is small.

After that, from the 17th of July right through to the 23rd of July, we're back to the doldrums. Swell drops back to the 1 foot to 2 feet range, with weak energy numbers (14 to 38) and winds that are mostly cross-shore or onshore. There's a few glassy mornings, like the 18th and 20th, but the swell is just too small to do anything with. It's a long, dry spell.

So, to sum it up: the best bet is Wednesday the 15th of July morning for the biggest, cleanest waves, followed by a quick window on Thursday the 16th of July morning for a glassy, small-wave session. After that, it's a waiting game. The forecast can change, but for now, it's a test of patience.

Rusty.

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