Gallows Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the charts for the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a couple of windows that’ll get the blood pumping.

The first few days are a write-off, honestly. We’ve got a bit of swell hanging around, but the wind is all wrong. Thursday afternoon is a no-go, and Friday’s just as messy with a cross-onshore chop. The water is sitting at 67°, which is about normal for this time of year, nothing to complain about there.

Then, Saturday the 25th of July morning is where it starts to get interesting. There’s a pulse of SSE swell hitting about 5ft, and the period is a whopping 14 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is a solid 906 (moderate). The wind is a light northerly, which is a clean cross-offshore breeze. That’s the kind of morning you want to be at Gallows. It’s an advanced reef and point break, so it’s not for the faint of heart, and with that long period, the sets will be clean and powerful. The crowd situation is something to keep in mind, as it can get busy here.

The rest of the weekend drops off a bit. Sunday morning is glassy but small at about 3ft, and the energy is way down. Still worth a paddle for the peace, but not a standout.

The middle of the week is flat and ugly. From Monday the 28th through to the end of the month, the swell drops to nothing, and the wind is either onshore or just plain messy. There’s a gap of about four days with no real surf on offer.

Now, we’ve got a big shift coming in the first week of August. The swell is going to get very serious. By the 5th and 6th of August, we’re looking at SSE swell in the 12ft to 15ft range, with very long periods of 11 to 13 seconds. The combined energy is huge, into the thousands (6713 and 11553). That is serious, heavy water. The problem is, the wind is onshore and the reports say it’s too big for this break. At that size, with onshore wind, it’s going to be a washing machine. Only for the most experienced, and even then, it’s a gamble.

The real standout, the one that’s got my heart racing, is Friday the 7th of August. Friday afternoon, the swell drops slightly to about 8ft from the ESE with a 13-second period. The energy is still massive (2431). The wind? It goes glassy. Completely calm. The wave comment says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s our window. It’s clean, it’s big, and it’s powerful. That’s a proper session at Gallows, but it’s for experts only. If you’re not comfortable in heavy, overhead surf, sit this one out.

So, to wrap it up: forget the first week. The 25th of July morning is a good, clean groundswell session. The absolute best bet, the one to circle on the calendar, is the afternoon of the 7th of August. Mark it.

Rusty.

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