
Surf Forecasts:
The Fort surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 11s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 14 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 8s period, NW swell with 805 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Fort this week:
The surf forecast for The Fort over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Fort in the next 16 days are 2.4m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 8ft (2.4m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Fort over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple weeks at The Fort.
The surf outlook starts with a bit of a dud. Tuesday morning sees about 3ft of south swell, but the wind is cross-onshore and it’s choppy. Water temp is around 59°F, which is about normal for this time of year. The afternoon is no better – 3ft and cross-shore winds chopping it up. Wednesday morning flattens out to under 2ft, but at least it’s glassy. Still, there’s just not enough juice.
We then hit a gap with nothing worth paddling out for. The swell stays small, below 3ft, and the winds are all over the place – cross, cross-on, with moderate to fresh breezes. The wave energy stays in the weak to moderate range. It’s a long, flat, bumpy stretch.
Come Monday the 14th, it picks up a little – 3ft in the morning with a short 8-second period and light cross-onshore wind. By the afternoon, it’s a bit bigger at 5ft, but the wind jumps to a fresh 30 km/h cross-shore and it’s just messy. Tuesday the 15th sees the biggest swell at 6ft in the morning, but again, it’s short period and the wind is up, making it a blown-out, lumpy affair at this reef. Not one for beginners, and not much fun for anyone in that wind.
After that, it fades again. Swell drops under 3ft and the wind keeps it grovelly. We do get a few long-period southwesterly swells, but they’re too small to do anything with at the Fort.
But hang in there, because your best window is Monday the 21st. The morning session sees 3ft of southwest swell with a long 17-second period, and the wind is glassy. The ocean is clean, the energy is moderate, and this is the one to be out for. Get there early.
Tuesday the 22nd is also worth a look – similar size, a touch smaller at 3ft, but again glassy in the morning with light winds. These two mornings are the pick of the entire period. Clean and lined up, even if it’s not big.
Now, a word of warning for Wednesday the 23rd. It looks like it might build to 5ft in the morning, but with a short 7-second period and a cross-shore wind. That’s a combo that tends to close out or get sloppy at a reef, and it may be too much for the average surfer. The afternoon blows out again with a fresh cross-shore.
So, lots of flat and choppy days to sift through, but the 21st and 22nd mornings are your serious chances for clean, small surf. Longer range is always a bit of a gamble, but those two have the right look.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Wed morning, min 15°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Fri afternoon, calm by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | WNW 11 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | NW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
304 | 236 | 126 | 181 | 175 | 192 | 283 | 398 | 513 | 411 | 400 | 251 | 251 | 203 | 158 | 113 | 111 | 180 | 144 | 281 | 647 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:08AM1.51m | 9:08PM1.87m | 10:43AM1.58m | 10:03PM1.83m | 11:16AM1.65m | 10:55PM1.77m | 11:48AM1.69m | 11:46PM1.67m | 12:18PM1.73m | 00:38AM1.56m | 12:47PM1.73m | 1:31AM1.44m | 1:16PM1.72m | 2:29AM1.33m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:25PM0.68m | 4:08AM-0.14m | 4:15PM0.53m | 4:48AM-0.08m | 5:03PM0.40m | 5:25AM0.03m | 5:49PM0.29m | 6:01AM0.18m | 6:34PM0.21m | 6:36AM0.35m | 7:19PM0.17m | 7:12AM0.54m | 8:05PM0.16m | ||||||||
6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | |
— | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 22 | 23 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 15 |
Feels °C | 22 | 21 | 21 | 27 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 14 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | WNW 11 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 17 | WNW 9 |
304 | 236 | 114 | 143 | 71 | 192 | 283 | 398 | 164 | 411 | 400 | 251 | 251 | 203 | 158 | 113 | 111 | 99 | 144 | 77 | 232 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 17 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 11 | SW 16 | SSW 8 | SSW 7 | WSW 15 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | NW 10 | NW 10 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 17 |
33 | 21 | 84 | 181 | 175 | 42 | 60 | 65 | 348 | 20 | 11 | 72 | 59 | 34 | 25 | 24 | 57 | 85 | 84 | 59 | 77 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 19 | WNW 10 | SW 20 | WNW 4 | WNW 12 | S 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 9 | SW 12 |
50 | 50 | 126 | 19 | 134 | 6 | 56 | 37 | 64 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 29 | 24 | 23 | 92 | 77 | 3 | 38 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | WNW 9 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | — | WNW 9 | NW 8 |
— | — | — | — | 33 | 26 | 7 | 32 | 513 | 159 | 167 | 176 | 66 | 90 | 16 | 14 | 90 | 180 | — | 281 | 647 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 15 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 60 | 135 | 0 | 204 | 203 | 100 | 204 | 206 | 0 | 83 | 206 | 0 | 60 | 204 | 100 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sonoma County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Fort Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Fort provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Fort can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Fort 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 (The Fort) 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 The Fort 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.
The Fort is 38 km (24 miles) from the city of Windsor. If you plan a vacation in Sonoma County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Windsor. Windsor has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










