Shooting Gallery Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Shooting Gallery over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, this is one of those stretches where the ocean just isn’t playing ball. We’ve got a long, flat spell on our hands. The first surf worth mentioning doesn’t show up until Sunday the 9th of August, and even then it’s a bit of a rough start. From the get-go, we’re looking at a consistent but messy run of small, wind-affected waves. The water’s sitting at 74°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – not a game-changer, but nice if you’re in a spring suit.

For the first week, from Sunday the 9th right through to Saturday the 15th of August, the swell is weak and short-period – mostly around 3 ft to 4 ft from the north, with periods barely scraping 6 to 7 seconds. That’s pure windswell, no power behind it. The wind is a problem: mostly a moderate breeze out of the N to NNE, blowing cross-onshore, keeping the surface choppy and bumpy. The combined energy is moderate at best, hitting around 150 to 250 (moderate wave energy), but it’s all just messy. Friday the 14th morning and Saturday the 15th morning have the wind going “on” shore, which doesn’t help at all. Honestly, for a reef break like Shooting Gallery, this setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing – the wind’s got more going for it than the waves.

We get a bit of a change heading into the second week. From Monday the 17th of August, the period starts to creep up – 8 seconds, then 9, and by Wednesday the 19th we’re seeing 10 seconds. That’s a touch more groundswell character, but the size is still small, between 3 ft and 4 ft. The wind eases at times, especially Wednesday the 19th morning with a light breeze – just cross-onshore with small wind ripples. Still, the wave comment says “poor surf conditions” right through. The combined energy gets into the 200s (moderate) on a few days, but it’s never clean enough to get excited about.

By the final weekend – Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd of August – the swell is back to 4 ft, but the wind is back up, cross-onshore again. Monday the 24th of August is a real fade: just 2 ft and 1 ft with tiny energy (46 to 49 – weak). That’s the end of the run, and it fizzles out.

There’s no standout session here. The best on offer would probably be Wednesday the 19th of August, where the period hits 10 seconds and the wind is lightest in the morning – you might find a cleaner, longer-period wave at a reef like this, but the size is only 4 ft from the north, and the optimum swell direction for Shooting Gallery is NNW, so it’s not quite right. It’s the closest we get to a window, but it’s still a long shot. Crowds at Shooting Gallery are listed as “sometimes” – on a stretch this poor, you might have the place to yourself.

Bottom line: a long, flat, choppy outlook. No big swell, no clean windows. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing through most of it. We’ll see if forecasts shift, but for now, don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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