Fortress Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Well, I’ve had a good look at the charts for Fortress, and I gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window is a tough one. There’s no real standout session, and for the first week and a half, it’s mostly flat or just junk. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year, so nothing wild there, just your average July water.

The first real mention of anything surfable doesn’t come until Friday morning, the 10th of July. We’re looking at a tiny 2 ft S swell, with a short period of 6 seconds, so it’s weak and wonky. The wind is offshore from the West at 6 mph, so the morning session will be clean, but the wave energy is a measly (43) – it’s a real knee-slapper. By Friday afternoon, the swell bumps up slightly to 2 ft, still from the S, period still 6 seconds, and the wind swings to a moderate offshore from the West at 12 mph. The energy goes up to (63), and it’s described as “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s the best of the first week, but that’s not saying much.

Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th are both write-offs with cross-onshore winds and choppy, tiny surf. Then we get a long, flat gap from Monday the 13th through to Monday the 20th of July. That’s over a week of nothing worth paddling out for – mostly poor surf conditions with weak energy readings in the teens and twenties.

Then, on Tuesday the 21st of July, things get interesting, but not necessarily in a good way. We get a pulse of swell from the ESE, jumping to 6 ft in the morning with a period of 6 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to (235) – moderate energy. The wind is cross-shore from the SSW at 12 mph, which will leave a chop on the surface. By Tuesday afternoon, it gets bigger: 8 ft from the SSE, period of 8 seconds, and the energy jumps to a strong (728). That’s a solid amount of juice, but it’s cross-shore wind again, and the surf is rated as “marginal.” For a reef break like Fortress, which is exposed and fairly consistent, this is expert-only territory. The swell direction is ESE to SSE, while the optimum for this spot is SE, so it’s not a perfect match. The wind is not helping, and with that size, it’s going to be a messy, heaving beast. This is not a beginner’s playground.

Wednesday the 22nd sees a drop back to 6 ft in the morning (energy 534) and then 4 ft in the afternoon, but still with cross-shore winds and that same messy look. The best chance for a clean wave comes on Thursday the 23rd morning, when a 3 ft S swell with a 7-second period and a light offshore from the SW at 9 mph gives us “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” The energy is (162). It’s the most user-friendly wave of the entire run, but it’s still only a 1 out of 10 in the data.

So, to wrap it up: the first week and a half is a total bust. The only real swell event is around the 21st and 22nd of July, but it’s big, windy, and messy – a kite surfer might get a kick out of the cross-shore wind and the size, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a tough ask. The 23rd of July morning is your best bet for a clean, small wave, but don’t expect any barrels. Keep an eye on the forecasts, because things can change, but right now, it’s a lean period for Fortress.

Rusty.

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