Shooting Gallery Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's be real, this is a tough one for the whole 16-day window. The only break on the cards is Shooting Gallery, and honestly, it's a frustrating stretch for the most part. We're looking at a long-term forecast that's pretty much a write-off for quality surf.

We start on Thursday, July 9th, and it's grim. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 72°, but that's about the only good thing. Swell is tiny, barely 2ft from the north, with a short, weak period of 5 seconds. The combined energy is a pathetic 43, and the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, making it choppy and messy. This pattern of poor surf conditions, with small, weak swell and cross-onshore winds, just drags on and on through the 10th, 11th, and into the 12th.

There's a small pulse on Sunday the 12th—swell bumps up to 3ft from the NNW, with a period stretching to 11 seconds, and the energy jumps to 269. That's a bit more juice, but the wind is still cross-onshore, and the wave comment is "poor surf conditions." It's a tease.

We then hit a long, flat gap. From Monday the 13th right through to Wednesday the 22nd, it's a bleak run of poor surf. The swell hovers around 2ft to 5ft, but the wind is never favorable. It's constantly cross-onshore, onshore, or just lumpy. The energy values are moderate, ranging from 66 to 256, but it's all blown out. There's a period from the 16th to the 18th where the wind picks up to a fresh breeze (19 mph), making it even more of a mess. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The only real standout is a potential window on Thursday, July 23rd and Friday, July 24th. The swell is consistent at 6ft from the north, with an 8-second period, and the energy is strong, hitting 345 and 364. That's the biggest, most powerful swell of the whole period. However, the wind is still moderate to fresh cross-onshore, and the wave comment is still "poor surf conditions." There's a chance on Friday the 24th afternoon that the wind goes cross-shore, but it's still a fresh breeze with a lumpy cross-chop. For a reef break, 6ft with those winds is only going to be for the experts who don't mind a battle.

So, what's the best on offer? It's a sad choice, but that end of the second week, around July 23rd and 24th, is the only time there's any real power. But don't get your hopes up. It's a long way out, and the wind is a massive question mark. If the wind lies down and goes clean offshore (SW), then Shooting Gallery could be a diamond in the rough. But for now, it's a long-range, promising but less certain prospect at best.

For the rest of the 16 days, keep your board in the car and wait for a better forecast. The waves just aren't cooperating.

Rusty.

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