The Fort Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

Well, it’s a pretty tough run ahead for The Fort. Looking at the whole 16-day window, we’ve got a solid block of days with very little surf worth paddling out for. In fact, the outlook is grim right from the start. There’s a long stretch of marginal to poor conditions, and we don't see anything firing until the very end of the window.

The Overall Pattern

The wind is the big problem. It’s hanging in the WNW – NW quadrant constantly, which is a cross to cross-onshore breeze for this southwest-facing reef. That's putting chop and bump all over whatever little swell we have. The surf stays small, mostly under 3 feet, and a lot of the time it's just plain messy.

Friday 14th August kicks things off with a tiny 2ft SW swell, but that cross-shore breeze is already messing it up. Combined swell energy is weak (355). Not one to get excited about.

From Saturday 15th through to Sunday 24th August, it's a desert. There are a few mornings with a bit of waist-high SW swell – like 3ft on the 15th and 16th, and 3ft on the 17th – but the wind is always on it or cross-on, leaving the surface chopped. The combined swell energy is barely reaching moderate levels, and the wave comments say it all: "marginal" or "poor." You’d be fighting bump and wind the whole time. These are days to stay on land.

Around Tuesday 25th August, the swell bumps up a bit with 6ft from the WNW, but the period is a short, weak 8 seconds. The energy is moderate at best (643), but a 15-18 mph cross-shore wind is tearing it up again. That’s not surf; that’s a washing machine.

The Standout (and it’s a long-range one)

The only time I’d even consider waxing a board is for the Friday morning of the 28th August. We see a bit of a pulse: a 5ft swell from the NW with a 9-second period. The combined energy jumps to a solid moderate 937. What makes this interesting is the morning wind is light from the NW, not hammering it. It’s cross-on, so not perfect, but light enough that there might be some cleaner moments between sets at The Fort. This swell direction (NW) is a bit off the optimum SW, but it will wrap in. Because it’s over a week out, treat this with caution – a long-range promise that could easily change.

The Breakdown

Let’s be honest: there are no real standouts in the first two weeks. The water temp on the 14th is sitting at 58°F, which is perfectly average for this time of year. The real issue is the persistent wind and lack of decent consistency. For a spot that’s described as consistent, this blank run is a surprise, but the wind is just making it impossible to get a clean wave.

A lot of these days with small, weak swell and a strong cross-shore breeze? That’s more kite-surfing weather than proper paddle surfing.

To sum it up: The Fort is a no-go zone for the next ten days. Everything is too small, wind-affected, or both. The only flicker of hope is the morning of Friday 28th August, but lock it in lightly.

Stay patient, stay dry.

- Rusty

Read more