Shooting Gallery Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Alright, let’s look at what’s on offer at Shooting Gallery over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – this stretch is looking pretty grim. The whole 16-day window is basically a bust for quality surf. The water temp is sitting at 75°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing that’s not a letdown.

We’ve got a long run of poor conditions starting from Friday 4th September. Through the first week, the swell is small, mostly between 2ft and 4ft, coming from the N or NNW, with a short, weak period of 5 to 7 seconds. The wind is a persistent cross-onshore, mostly from the NNW or N at 12 to 16 mph, making it choppy and messy. The combined swell energy is weak to moderate, hitting 72 on the Friday morning, then climbing to 224 by Sunday afternoon – but it’s all wind-affected junk. There’s nothing to recommend here.

We hit Monday 7th September with a bit of a change. The wind swings to a light onshore from the NNE at 9 mph, and the swell period jumps to 12 seconds, giving a combined energy of 361 (moderate). The swell height is only 2ft from the NNW. But the wave comment still says poor surf conditions. The longer period might give a bit more shape, but it’s just too small and the wind is not ideal. This is a reef break, so a long-period groundswell like that can work well here, but the size is lacking.

The rest of that week and into the next, from Tuesday 8th to Saturday 12th September, is more of the same – small swell, mostly cross-onshore winds, and a lot of choppy days. The energy values fluctuate between 129 and 332, but the quality is consistently poor. The standout factor here is that nothing really stands out.

From Sunday 13th September onward, it remains a tough watch. The swell stays small, 1ft to 3ft, with periods bouncing around. The wind does occasionally turn onshore or light, like on Monday 14th September morning with a light breeze from the NE at 6 mph, but the swell is only 3ft from the N with a period of 6 seconds. The energy is 130 – weak. Still poor.

It’s not until Thursday 17th September that we see a slight uptick. The morning shows a 5ft swell from the N with a period of 7 seconds, and the wind is a light onshore from the NNE at 6 mph. The combined energy is 320 (moderate). The wave comment calls it “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” It’s the only day in the whole window that scores even a 1 out of 10. For a surfer, that’s not a green light – it’s a yellow flag at best. The swell is over 5ft, so it’s getting a bit much for beginners, and the short period won’t give it much punch.

The rest of the final days, through to Saturday 19th September, are all poor again. The swell holds around 4ft to 5ft, with similar short periods and onshore winds, and the energy is moderate.

So, what’s the best on offer? Honestly, there’s no true standout. The only day that even *might* be worth a look is Thursday 17th September morning, if you’re desperate and the tide lines up. But it’s a long way off, and the forecast confidence is low. The rest of the time, the wind is a killer, and the swell is too small or too short-period to do anything with. This is a reef break, so it does need a bit of size and a good direction to fire, and we’re not getting that.

Because there are zero good recommendations in the whole 16-day window, I’ll say it plain: if you’re out at Shooting Gallery, you’re better off doing something else. The forecast can change, but right now, this stretch looks like a write-off. Keep an eye on the charts, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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