Gallows Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey, Rusty here. Let's break down what's happening at Gallows.

Honestly, the next week and change is pretty flat and ugly. Lots of small, bumpy, cross-onshore junk. Water temp is about normal for the season, nothing to note.

Friday the 4th is a total dud. A tiny 3ft S swell with a short 6-second period and weak energy reading of 85, all blown sideways by a cross-onshore wind. Leave the board at home.

Saturday the 5th morning cleans up a bit with a light cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is only 2ft from the S at 9 seconds, energy at 89. If you're desperate, you could get a knee-high roll on a log. Saturday afternoon the wind cranks up, making it a mess.

Sunday the 6th through Tuesday the 8th is mostly small, poor quality, and cross-onshore. Monday the 7th morning shows a pulse of 3ft SSE swell at 11 seconds, giving a combined energy of 258. That's got some punch, but the cross-onshore wind chops it up.

Finally, Wednesday the 9th morning gives us a clean window. Cross-offshore N wind, a 4ft SSE swell at 8 seconds, combined energy of 211. The report says "expect good surf conditions." It's surfable, finally, but it's not a standout.

Thursday the 10th is a brute. The swell hits 8ft from the SSE with a combined energy of 807, but it's accompanied by a strong 30 km/h S cross-onshore wind. That's a lumpy, blown-out mess. At that size, it's experts only, and honestly, it looks like a better day for kite surfing than paddling.

Friday the 11th is still big, with a 7ft SSE groundswell at a very long 13 seconds and a combined energy of 1409. The wind is still cross-onshore and strong. This is a long-period groundswell, which can be tricky at beach breaks but Gallows is a reef and point. Still, the wind is going to wreck it. Too big and too ugly.

The weekend of the 12th and 13th stays messy, but check out Sunday the 13th morning. Glassy conditions, a 3ft SSE swell at 11 seconds, and combined energy of 214. The report says “expect good surf conditions.” That's the one to circle for a clean, fun-sized session.

After that, we hit another dry stretch of small or windy surf until the real standout.

Friday the 18th of September morning. That’s the one. A solid 7ft S swell with an 8-second period and a combined energy of 1020. The wind is a light cross-offshore NNE breeze at 10 km/h, making it glassy clean. The report calls it “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” At 7ft, this is expert territory. It's going to be big, powerful, and clean with that offshore wind. Gallows is a reef and point, and with S swell and a light cross-offshore, it should be firing. The period is short at 8 seconds, so it'll be punchy, not long lines. Crowds are often a problem here, and on a day like this, it'll be packed. This is your best bet of the whole 16 days, but it's two weeks out, so keep an eye on it as it gets closer.

So, the next week and a half is a slog with only a few clean windows. The real gem is Friday the 18th morning, but you'll need your big-wave board and a bit of patience with the lineup.

Rusty.

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