Fortress Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Well, I've scoured the charts for the next couple of weeks, and to be honest, it's looking pretty bleak for a proper surf at Fortress. We've got a long stretch of mediocre conditions ahead, so let's break it down.

The overall pattern is one of small, weak swells getting chopped up by all kinds of wind. The water temp is sitting at 69°F which is pretty average for this time of year, nothing to write home about. The only real standout, and I'm using that term loosely, is a small window right at the end.

Starting off, Tuesday the 7th is a write-off. We've got a northeasterly howling at 28 mph with light rain, making a total mess of the 4ft NE swell at Fortress. The combined wave energy is only moderate at 155, but the cross-shore wind just kills it. Zero to recommend.

Things don't get much better. Wednesday the 8th morning offers a moment of calm with glassy conditions and a clean 3ft E swell, but the period is a short 8 seconds and the wave energy is weak at 130. It's surfable, but very ordinary. The rest of that week and into the next is a parade of tiny swells – we're talking 1ft to 3ft – with cross-offshore and onshore winds that never quite line up right.

There's a real gap in quality from Wednesday afternoon right through to Saturday the 19th. All those days are filled with small, weak swell and winds that are either cross, cross-on, or just too strong. The combined energy during this stretch is mostly under 100, which tells you how little power is in the water.

Now, Sunday the 19th morning is our one and only true standout. The wind drops to nothing – glassy – and we get a 3ft SSE swell wrapping in. The period bumps up to a solid 8 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to a moderate 141. This is the best we'll see. For one morning, Fortress will have clean, surfable waves. It's a reef break, so with that longer period, it might hold up nicely for a beginner-friendly wave. Expect crowds to be likely here, because everyone will be trying to get in on the only decent session.

Monday the 20th morning picks up a touch with a 4ft SSE swell and a 9-second period, pushing the wave energy to a moderate 199. It's got more size, but the morning is cross-shore with a light breeze, so it'll be a bit rippled. Not as clean as Sunday. After that, the last few days fade back into small, clean but weak cross-offshore conditions.

So, to wrap it up: don't get your hopes up for the next week and a half. Surf the glassy Sunday the 19th morning – that's the one to point your car at. After that, keep an eye on Monday morning the 20th as a backup. It's a long wait for not much, but that's how it goes sometimes.

Rusty.

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