The Fort Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at the surf for The Fort. It’s a reef break that’s fairly exposed to the south-west, and it’s got a consistent track record. The water temperature is sittin’ about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s one standout session that’ll get you out of bed. The rest of the run is mostly poor or marginal, so you’ll need to pick your moments.

The action kicks off Saturday the 29th of August with a small 3ft swell from the SW, but a cross-shore breeze of 12 mph messes it up. The combined energy is moderate at 721. It’s a write-off, really. Sunday the 30th morning sees a little improvement with a light WSW offshore breeze of 6 mph and a 3ft SW swell (combined energy 618), but it’s still a marginal call. Monday the 31st morning is similar, with offshore winds again but the swell drops to 3ft. The rest of the first week into early September is a long stretch of poor conditions with small, weak swells and cross-onshore winds.

Now, hold onto your board – Thursday the 3rd of September afternoon brings a jump. The swell kicks up to 5ft from the WNW, with a period of 14 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 1255 (strong energy). The wind is cross-shore at 12 mph, so it’s a bit lumpy but the size is there – this one’s for the experts only, as it’s pushin’ over 5ft. Friday the 4th of September morning has a 3ft SW swell with a long 18-second period, combined energy 866 (moderate), but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s still marginal.

The best of the bunch lands on Tuesday the 8th of September morning. The swell is 3ft from the SSW with a 13-second period, and the combined energy is moderate at 445. But the real story is the wind – it’s glassy, with a slight 3 mph breeze. That’s clean, lined-up waves at a reef break, perfect for intermediates. The direction is close to the optimum SW, so it’s a solid, honest little swell. That’s the one to point your car at.

After that, it fades out. Wednesday the 9th of September morning has a 3ft S swell with a short 9-second period, and the wind is cross-onshore. The rest of the run through to Sunday the 13th of September is mostly poor, with small swells and cross-shore or cross-onshore winds. The last session on the 13th morning has a tiny 1ft SW swell with a long 18-second period but combined energy of only 331 (weak) and a moderate cross-shore breeze.

Signing off, Rusty

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