Shooting Gallery Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here with a look at what's coming our way. I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking like a write-off for anything decent. We've got a long stretch of small, messy junk coming in, and the wind just won't play ball.

Let's break it down. We're looking at Shooting Gallery, a reef setup that’s generally pretty consistent. Water temp is sitting at 72°F, which is pretty average for this time of year, so no worries there. But the surf itself? Forget it. From Sunday, July 5th, right through until Saturday, July 18th, it's a brutal run of poor surf conditions. The swell is tiny, mostly 1ft to 4ft, with very short periods – often 4 to 6 seconds – meaning no power or shape. The wind is constantly cross or cross-onshore, keeping everything choppy and lumpy. The wave energy during this period is weak, mostly in the double digits or low triple digits (like a weak energy of 26 or moderate energy of 109). This isn't surf for paddling; it's a frustrating paddle-out for nothing.

There is a bit of a pulse that pops up around Sunday, July 19th, with the swell building to 6ft from the North. The period climbs to 8 seconds, and the combined energy jumps up (409 to 464), which suggests there'll be a lot more water moving around. But – and it's a big but – the wind is still a moderate onshore breeze from the North, making for lumpy, blown-out conditions. It’s still technically "poor surf" according to the data. The swell will be too big for beginners (over 5ft), and the onshore wind will kill any chance of a clean face for the experts.

Then into Monday, July 20th, the swell holds at 6ft from the North, with a period of 9 seconds. The energy is strong (520). But again, the wind is fresh and cross-onshore, making it a lumpy, bumpy mess. This is more of a windsurfing or kitesurfing setup than a paddle-surfing one.

Honestly, there isn't a single standout session in this whole 16-day window. There's no one day to circle on the calendar. It's a long, bleak run. Hang tight, forecasts can change, but right now, don't expect much.

Rusty.

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