The Fort Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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.

Read more