Shooting Gallery Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Shooting Gallery over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a tough outlook. This is a reef setup, fairly exposed to the swell, and it likes a good NNW pulse to get going right. The problem is, the wind is just not playing ball for most of this run.

The whole 16-day window is a struggle. We’ve got waves popping up at times, but the wind is almost always cross-onshore or chopping things up. The first real recommendation doesn’t even show up until Sunday the 23rd of August, and even then it’s a marginal call. That morning you’ve got a small 3 ft swell from the north at 10 seconds, but it’s cross-on and only giving us weak energy (223). It’s really not worth getting wet for.

Sunday afternoon sees a jump in size to 4 ft from the NNW with a 14-second period – that’s a nice groundswell, giving moderate wave energy (806). But again, the wind is cross-shore and creating a bit of chop. It’s rated as marginal, so if you’re desperate you might get a couple, but it’s nothing to write home about.

Monday the 24th brings a bit more size, with 6 ft from the NNW on the morning session, but the period drops to 12 seconds and the wind goes full cross-onshore, making it choppy. The energy is moderate (944) but the quality just isn’t there. The same story repeats for Tuesday and Wednesday – swell hanging around the 3 ft to 5 ft range, but always with that moderate cross-onshore breeze messing up the face. The combined energy drops off through the week, going from 415 on Tuesday morning down to just 38 by Thursday the 27th morning – that’s weak.

Thursday afternoon and Friday the 28th see the swell bump up again, but now the wind is getting stronger, hitting 19 to 22 mph from the NNE. Friday morning has a 6 ft onshore swell with a short 7-second period – not ideal. That’s more of a messy, lumpy situation than anything surfable. The energy picks up to 408 on Friday afternoon, but it’s still cross-onshore and lumpy.

Saturday the 29th morning has the biggest swell of the whole run – 7 ft from the north at 9 seconds. That’s getting into expert-only territory size-wise, and with 19 mph onshore wind, it’s going to be a washing machine. Energy is strong (839), but the conditions are poor.

From there, it’s a slow decline. We see swells between 4 ft and 5 ft through the end of August and into the first week of September, but it’s the same story: cross-onshore winds, choppy or lumpy conditions, and periods mostly in the 8 to 10-second range. The energy stays moderate, peaking around 431 on the afternoon of the 2nd of September, but the quality is always rated as poor.

Honestly, there isn’t a single standout session in this whole 16-day outlook. The wind direction is just wrong for Shooting Gallery almost every single day. If you’re dead set on paddling out, Sunday the 23rd afternoon might be your best bet for a few clean-ish waves, but it’s a stretch. Otherwise, this stretch is looking like a write-off. The forecast can always change, but as it stands, you’re better off waiting for a proper NNW groundswell with some offshore or light wind.

Rusty.

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