The Fort Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, listen up. We got a dry spell on our hands for the next couple of weeks. The Fort is lookin’ pretty lackluster, to be honest. It’s a long stretch of small, choppy, cross-shore junk. You’d be better off fixin’ the screen door than paddling out for most of this.

The first week is a total washout. From Monday the 17th through the 24th, we’re talking knee-high dribble at best. The swell energy is weak (around 282 to 356 on the energy scale), and the wind is just trashin’ any chance of a clean wave. It’s mostly cross or cross-onshore, so the surface is gonna be bumpy and lumpy. Water temp is 59°, which is pretty standard for this time of year.

Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th are a bit of a tease, with a little more period in the swell, but it’s still puny. You’d be grabbin’ for air on the reef. Not worth the paddle.

Then it gets real quiet. From the 27th to the 31st, it’s a mix of flatness and short-period windswill. There’s a bump of energy on the 28th (577 on the energy scale), but it’s all short-period and messy with a fresh cross-shore breeze. This spot needs the long-period SW groundswell to work, and while the direction is right, the period and wind are just off. For a lot of this, the setup looks way more fun for a kite surfer than a surfer.

Now, the only real ray of hope is the morning of the 29th of August. The wind is light offshore, and there’s a groundswell startin’ to fill in. The energy jumps to a strong 734, but the wave height is still only 2ft. It’s the first time the stars are alignin’ for a clean wave or two, but it’s still a gamble.

The long-range forecast for the 1st of September is where it gets interesting. We see a real push of energy. The afternoon of the 1st is showing 6ft of swell, but with a period of 8 seconds. That’s windswell territory, not the good stuff, but the energy is strong (717). The wind is light and offshore too, which is a massive positive. It’s a promise of things to come, but it’s a week out, so we gotta take it with a grain of salt.

Bottom line, it’s a grind. No days that will get your heart racin’. The one standout, if you can call it that, is the morning of the 29th. That’s your best shot for a clean little session. The 1st is promising, but don’t book the day off yet. Keep an eye on the charts and wait for that proper SW groundswell.

Rusty, out.

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