Shooting Gallery Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s shaping up over the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a tough stretch. We’ve got a long run of small, choppy, and just plain poor conditions, so you’ll need some patience. The first real glimmer doesn’t show up until the very end of the period. For the most part, it’s a write-off, but let’s break it down.

It kicks off on Monday the 6th of July with a tiny 1ft NNE swell, period a short 8 seconds, and cross winds from the NNW at 12 mph. The wave energy is weak, coming in at only 63, and the water is a touch warmer than normal at 72°F, about 2°F above average. But the surf is poor – small, weak, and choppy. That pattern sticks around. Tuesday the 7th stays tiny at 1.0ft, Wednesday the 8th is 1ft, and through that first week into the second, we’re stuck with these little windswell pulses, generally under 3ft, with periods between 4 and 7 seconds. The wind is a constant cross-onshore from the north or NNW, mostly moderate, with a few days bumping up to a fresh breeze. The energy readings stay in the 20s, 30s, 40s, and low 60s – very weak. It’s all “poor surf conditions” day after day. We’ve got a solid 13 days here with nothing worth paddling out for.

Now, staying with Shooting Gallery, it’s a consistent reef break, but it’s not showing its hand. It’s fairly exposed to swell, and the optimum direction is NNW, which we do see in the swell direction, but the size and wind just aren’t cooperating. The winds are never offshore or even glassy – always at least a cross-onshore, often choppy. There’s one fleeting moment on the morning of Sunday the 12th when the wind looks onshore from the NNE, but the swell is only 1ft and the period jumps to 11 seconds. That longer period groundswell would be ideal for a reef, but there’s no energy behind it – just 86 – and the forecast still calls it poor. So, no dice.

Eventually, we get to the third weekend – Sunday the 19th of July – and things finally start to change. The morning shows a 3ft NW swell with a period of 12 seconds. The wind is still cross-onshore from the north at 19 mph, so it’s fresh and lumpy, but the combined energy jumps to 353 – that’s moderate wave energy now, a real step up. It’s still rated as poor, but the size and period are getting interesting. That afternoon the swell nudges up to 4ft from the NW with the same 12-second period, energy at 376. Still lumpy wind, but at least there’s some grunt in the water.

Monday the 20th backs off a touch: morning has 3ft NW swell, 10-second period, energy at 244. Wind stays moderate cross-onshore. The afternoon drops to 2ft with the same period. So nothing clean, but the background energy is much better.

The real standout – and I mean the *only* standout – lands on Tuesday the 21st of July. That morning we’ve got a 4ft swell from the north, period only 6 seconds, energy at 135. The wind flips onshore from the NNE at 16 mph. The afternoon sees the same 4ft from the north, but the wind backs off a bit to 12 mph cross-onshore, energy at 126. Look, with the swell around 4ft, it’s still okay for intermediates if they’re keen, but the short period and onshore wind mean it’ll be bumpy and weak. Not great shape. The best window in the whole 16 days is probably that Sunday the 19th into Monday the 20th when the longer period NW swell (12 seconds, 3-4ft) gives a little more push and better wave shapes – but the wind is still a problem. Right now, if you’re a kitesurfer, this setup is worth a look, because the consistent north wind and building swell energy will appeal more to you. For paddling, it’s a tough call.

Truth is, it’s a lean run. Shooting Gallery is consistent, but it needs the right conditions, and they’re just not lining up. It won’t stay this poor forever – forecasts can change – but for now, we’re in a dry spell.

Stay patient, keep an eye on that NW pulse around the 19th-21st, and hope the wind eases. That’s your best bet from this outlook.

Rusty

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