Shooting Gallery Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you – the next 16 days at Shooting Gallery are a real struggle. There’s no good surf on the cards, and it’s a proper dry spell. We’re looking at a blank run from Tuesday, September 1st, right through until Saturday, September 12th, with nothing worth paddling out for. The wind is just a constant pain, mostly cross-onshore or cross, and the swell is all short-period, wonky stuff. The water temperature is sitting at 75°F with a 2°F anomaly, so it’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s the only silver lining.

The first hint of anything even remotely rideable doesn’t pop up until Sunday, September 13th, and even then it’s only a marginal call. On the morning of the 13th, we’ve got a 5ft swell from the north with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate at 392. The wind is a light cross-onshore, which is better than the fresh junk we’ve been dealing with, but the wave comment says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” It’s a reef break, and it’s consistent, but the swell direction is north, and the optimum swell is from the NNW, so it’s not quite lined up. With the crowds marked as “sometimes,” you might have a few others out there, but honestly, it’s not going to be a standout. The swell is over 5ft, so it’s a bit much for beginners, but the 8-second period means it’s short-period wind swell, not a proper groundswell, so the shape’s going to be average at best.

The morning of Monday, September 14th, is another marginal call with a 4ft north swell, 8-second period, and moderate energy at 388. The wind is light cross-onshore again, but it’s still not clean. Then, on Tuesday, September 15th, we get a weird one – a 3ft north swell, but the period jumps to 12 seconds, so it’s a long-period groundswell. The combined energy is 302, which is moderate. The wind is offshore in the morning (NNE at 19 mph), and that’s a major positive – it’s a glassy, offshore wind that’ll make the surface clean. But here’s the kicker: the wave comment still says “poor surf conditions.” The swell direction is north, and the optimum is NNW, so it’s a bit off. Plus, that long-period swell (12 seconds, but not over 15) is better for points and reefs, and Shooting Gallery is a reef, so it might hold up, but it’s not a guarantee. The crowd factor is “sometimes,” so you might get a few takers. The swell is 3ft, so it’s okay for all levels. But with the poor surf comment, I’m not getting excited.

The last day, Wednesday, September 16th, drops right off to a tiny 2ft from the northwest with a 10-second period and 147 energy. The wind is a fresh cross-onshore, so it’s lumpy and messy. Forget it.

So, the only real standout – and I’m using that word loosely – is the morning of Tuesday, September 15th, because of the offshore wind and the longer-period swell. It’s promising, but it’s far out, and the forecast confidence is lower. For a reef break that’s consistent, seeing a 12-second period and offshore wind is rare in this run, but the wave comment says “poor,” so don’t get your hopes up. The rest of the 16 days are a total write-off. The break is called Shooting Gallery, and it’s a reef break. The water is a touch warmer than average, but that’s about it.

Rusty.

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