
Surf Forecasts:
The Fort surf forecast from 30 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, NW swell with 1,629 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period with WNW 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 Thursday (Jul 30) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 16s is also forecast. 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 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Fort over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a 16-day window for The Fort, and if I’m being honest, it’s a bit of a grind. The forecast is a long stretch of lumpy, cross-shore chop and marginal conditions. The wind is going to be a problem for most of the period, keeping things messy. There’s no real standout session that’s going to get the heart racing, but let’s walk through the story.
The first surf worth mentioning starts on Wednesday afternoon, July 29th. We’ve got a 3ft SW swell running, but it’s a real tease. The period is a very long 16 seconds, which is groundswell, but the wind is a cross-shore from the NW at 22 mph, creating a lumpy cross-chop. The water is sitting at 55°, which is about half a degree cooler than normal for this time of year, nothing wild. The combined energy is moderate at 873, but the poor conditions make it a tough call. The swell is from the SW, which is the optimum direction for this spot, but the wind just ruins it.
On Thursday morning, July 30th, the swell drops a touch to 3ft from the SSW, with a 12 mph cross-shore wind. The energy is still moderate at 953, but it’s a marginal forecast. The afternoon gets worse again with the wind picking up to 22 mph. This pattern of cross-shore winds and fading swell repeats through Friday and into the weekend. By Friday afternoon, July 31st, a short-period 5ft WNW swell shows up with a period of only 6 seconds, but the wind is fresh and cross-shore, so it’s just a messy, lumpy ocean.
The weekend is a bit of a write-off. Saturday, August 1st, has a 4ft WNW swell in the morning, but the cross-shore wind is 16 mph. By the afternoon, the swell jumps to 7ft, and the energy climbs to moderate 691, but the wind is 22 mph. That’s a lot of power for a reef break with a cross-shore breeze, and it’s going to be a washing machine. Sunday morning, August 2nd, sees a 8ft WNW swell with a 9-second period, and the energy is strong at 1319, but again, the wind is cross-shore at 12 mph. The wave comment says marginal, and with that size, it’s getting into expert-only territory if it’s not clean.
Monday, August 3rd, offers a glimmer of hope. The morning has a 4ft WNW swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is a light 6 mph from the west, which is a cross-on direction. The energy is moderate at 386. The afternoon is similar, with a 4ft WNW swell and a gentle 9 mph cross-shore wind. These are the best-looking days of the whole stretch, but it’s still marginal. The waves could be rideable, but don’t expect anything epic.
The rest of the first week into the second week stays quiet. The wind stays mostly light, but the swell is small, often around 1ft to 4ft, and the direction swings around to the WNW. The combined energy drops into the low hundreds, which is weak. The long-range from August 5th onward is a mix of small, weak SW and WNW swells with very long periods up to 18 seconds, but the wind is often cross-on or onshore, keeping things bumpy. The best you can say for the second week is that the swell is there, but it’s small and not clean.
Given the persistent cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions, The Fort is going to be a frustrating watch. The best bet is Monday, August 3rd, for a light wind, waist-to-chest high swell, but it’s far from a standout. If you’re really keen, you might get a few waves, but honestly, this setup looks more interesting for the kite surfers than anyone paddling out. The conditions are just not cooperating.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Wed afternoon, light winds from the NW by Thu morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Sat afternoon, calm by Mon morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 16 | WNW 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | NW 8 | SSW 14 | WNW 6 | NW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
521 | 545 | 430 | 302 | 438 | 261 | 186 | 405 | 181 | 555 | 1145 | 883 | 479 | 1363 | 301 | 248 | 222 | 112 | 109 | 68 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:05PM1.78m | 1:02PM1.42m | 11:43PM1.73m | 1:28PM1.47m | 00:23AM1.65m | 1:54PM1.52m | 1:07AM1.54m | 2:22PM1.59m | 1:57AM1.40m | 2:52PM1.66m | 2:59AM1.26m | 3:28PM1.72m | 4:23AM1.14m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:33PM0.86m | 6:16AM-0.13m | 6:09PM0.81m | 6:45AM-0.09m | 6:48PM0.74m | 7:14AM-0.02m | 7:31PM0.66m | 7:45AM0.10m | 8:20PM0.58m | 8:18AM0.26m | 9:16PM0.48m | 8:54AM0.45m | 10:20PM0.37m | |||||||
— | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 19 | 21 | 25 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 17 |
Feels °C | 17 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 18 | 13 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 15 | WNW 8 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | WNW 8 | S 12 | SW 14 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 12 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 |
521 | 223 | 149 | 302 | 172 | 261 | 132 | 128 | 78 | 99 | 387 | 322 | 46 | 455 | 301 | 248 | 222 | 112 | 109 | 68 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | — | SSW 15 | — | S 13 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | S 11 | SW 14 | SSW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 13 |
11 | 436 | 430 | — | 272 | — | 87 | 210 | 73 | 22 | 72 | 47 | 46 | 44 | 43 | 41 | 37 | 60 | 77 | 43 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 20 | SW 20 | SSW 12 | SW 14 | SW 18 | SSW 10 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 15 |
11 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 15 | 29 | 67 | 49 | 22 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 36 | 36 | 34 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 6 | NW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
330 | 545 | 374 | 256 | 438 | 105 | 186 | 405 | 181 | 555 | 1145 | 883 | 479 | 1363 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 203 | 0 | 29 | 203 | 0 | 29 | 203 | 0 | 83 | 203 | 103 | 83 | 204 | 0 | 12 | 60 | 2 | 15 | 15 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sonoma County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.










