Shooting Gallery Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee. This is Rusty.

We’re staring down the barrel of a pretty grim stretch here. The forecast for the next 16 days is a long, tough slog. The first solid recommendation doesn't appear for a while, and even then, it's a narrow window. The wind is the main villain here, blowing hard from the north and northeast, keeping the surface chopped up and messy. The one break we've got to look at is a tricky reef setup, so when the conditions are this poor, it’s a write-off.

Let's be real: the first week and a half is a total washout. You’re looking at a solid 10 days of nothing worth paddling for. The wind is relentless, mostly cross-onshore in the 15-19 mph range, and the swell is short-period, weak, and wind-affected. It’s a frustrating run of poor surf conditions.

The only light at the end of the tunnel, and I mean the *only* one, is a tiny window around Thursday, August 20th. We finally get a bit of a break from the worst of the wind. On the afternoon of the 20th, the wind swings to the NNW at a gentle 9 mph, going cross-shore. It’s not perfect, but it’s the cleanest we’re going to see. The swell is still small, but the period finally stretches out a bit. This is the one to circle.

Shooting Gallery (Reef)
The best, and really only, chance to get wet is on the afternoon of Thursday, August 20th. The wind will be gentle and cross-shore, which will make this reef setup a lot more inviting. The swell will be a clean 3 ft from the north, but with a period of 9 seconds, it’ll have a bit more shape than the slop we’ve been dealing with. The combined energy is still low (141), so don't expect bombs, but it’ll be rideable. The water temperature is sitting at 74°, which is about a degree warmer than normal for this time of year, so the water feels good. This is a fairly exposed reef that goes best with a NNW swell, and we’re close enough to that direction that it should line up. It’s a consistent spot, and if you’re an intermediate surfer, this is the session. Just be aware that crowds are *sometimes* an issue here, so you might have a few others with the same idea. After this brief window, it’s back to the same old choppy, windy story for the rest of the forecast period.

Stay patient. The forecasts can change, but for now, it’s a long wait for a short, sweet window.

- Rusty

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