San Gallan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this 16-day window for San Gallan is a tough one. We’ve got a big gap of nothing at the start. The first few days, from Saturday the 18th through to early on Monday the 20th, are a write-off. Tiny, short-period slop, onshore winds, no energy. Not worth paddling out for.

Then Monday the 20th morning throws us a little bone. The wind goes glassy, which is a major positive, and we get a 2 ft swell from the south with a period of 11 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, which usually means better-shaped waves, but the combined energy is still weak at 127. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The water temp is about average for the time of year.

After that, it’s back to onshore wind and poor surf until we get to Saturday the 25th. That’s a full week of mostly onshore junk. The standout of the whole outlook is Saturday the 25th afternoon. The wind swings to a clean offshore from the NNW, a gentle breeze (9 mph), and we’ve got a 4 ft south-southwest swell with a 12-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 328, and the forecast says *expect good surf conditions*. This is the best on offer – clean, lined-up waves, but it’s an advanced reef break, so it’s not for beginners. The crowd profile says rare, so you might have it to yourself.

Then it’s flat again until the very end. The last real highlight is Friday the 31st of July morning. Another glassy morning with a 4 ft south swell, period of 6 seconds (short period, so less grunt), but combined energy is moderate at 266 and it’s rated as *expect good surf conditions*. Another clean window, but short period means it might be a bit crumbly at the reef.

The first weekend of August (1st and 2nd) looks marginal at best – mostly cross-on wind and choppy conditions. The 6 ft swell on Saturday the 1st morning is solid, but the wind is cross-on and the energy is strong (517), so it’s more for the crew who don’t mind a wrestle.

If you’re a beginner, most of this is too big for you when it’s over 5 ft, and the 6 ft day is only for experts. Overall, it’s a lean run. The only two windows worth working around are the 25th afternoon and the 31st morning. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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