Shooting Gallery Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me have a look at what we’ve got for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, I’ve got to be straight with you – this is a tough one. I’m looking at Shooting Gallery, and for the vast majority of this 16-day window, we’re dealing with a persistent cross-onshore wind that’s just going to wreck the surface. The swell is there, but it’s not going to be any fun.

The first proper surfable day I can see is on the morning of Sunday, August 2nd. Even then, it’s only a 3ft swell from the north, but the wind finally swings offshore from the southwest. It’s light, at 6 mph, so the surface will be clean. The wave energy is weak (136), and it’s a short period of 7 seconds – not much push. It’s surfable, but it’s ordinary. That afternoon, the swell drops to 2ft and the wind goes cross-off, so it’s clean but tiny.

The next morning, Monday, August 3rd, we get a 2ft, 9-second swell from the west-northwest with a gentle cross-shore breeze. Still clean, but it’s small and weak (126). The afternoon picks up a little to 3ft, but the period drops to 7 seconds and the cross-chop starts to creep in.

After that, we go back into a run of poor conditions. From Tuesday, August 4th right through to the end of the forecast on Monday, August 10th, the wind is a consistent cross-onshore from the north or north-northeast, blowing between 9 and 22 mph. The swell picks up significantly, especially around the 6th and 9th of August, with waves hitting 6ft to 8ft from the north, and the combined energy gets strong – hitting 727 on the 6th morning and 965 on the 9th afternoon, and even 1040 on the 10th afternoon. That’s a lot of power, but it’s all under a fresh, lumpy cross-onshore wind. The water temp is about 72°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

For a spot like Shooting Gallery, which is a reef break that’s fairly exposed to the north and works best with a north-northwest swell, the direction is close but not perfect. The bumpy, onshore wind just kills it. For a surfer, this setup is a write-off. If you’re into kiting, though, that strong cross-onshore wind and the solid 6ft+ swell might look interesting.

So, the honest truth? There’s no standout here. The best chance for a paddle is the morning of Sunday, August 2nd, or maybe the morning of Monday, August 3rd, if you’re desperate for a tiny, clean wave. But I wouldn’t call it good. The rest of the window is a no-go for quality surfing. Forecasts can change, but right now, this is a long, blank run.

- Rusty

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