Shooting Gallery Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about Shooting Gallery. This is a reef break that’s fairly exposed to swell, with an optimum direction from the NNW.

Right now, and for the next several days, the truth is there’s really not much to get excited about. The surf is small, mostly around 1ft to 3ft, with short periods. The wind is coming from the north, blowing cross-onshore, so it’s choppy and messy. We’re not looking at anything rideable, honestly. The combined energy is low, around 34 to 58 – just weak, gutless stuff.

Those north-northeast winds keep up day after day. We go through Tuesday the 7th, Wednesday the 8th, Thursday the 9th, Friday the 10th, Saturday the 11th, all with the same story. On Sunday the 12th, the period bumps up to 11 seconds on the morning, which is better quality, but it’s still only around 1ft and the cross-onshore wind chops it up. The energy hits 85 in the morning and 103 in the afternoon. Still not enough to make it worthwhile.

Monday the 13th sees some onshore wind and wave energy climbing over 100, but the height is still under 3ft and the quality is poor. That trend carries into Tuesday the 14th, where we get 4ft swell, but with a short period of 5 seconds and a fresh cross-onshore breeze at 19 mph making it lumpy. The energy is now 116 in the morning and 132 in the afternoon, but it's not the kind of surf you paddle out for.

By Wednesday the 15th, the swell is 4ft to 4ft, still from the north, period still short, cross-onshore wind and choppy. Thursday the 16th is the same vibe – 4ft and messy. Friday the 17th drops back down to 3ft. A week in and we still haven't had a single recommendable session.

It’s not until Sunday the 19th that we see a bit of a pulse: 5ft swell from the NNE in the morning with onshore wind, and the energy jumps to 239. But the comment still says poor surf conditions. Monday the 20th pushes up to 5ft with energy hitting 306, but again, the wind is cross-onshore and the period is only 8 seconds – it’s still going to be lumpy and junky.

The real standout lands on Wednesday the 22nd. Swell height reaches 6ft in the morning and 7ft in the afternoon, all from the north. The period is still short (8 seconds), but the wind switches to a cross-shore from the NNW and NW, and the combined energy jumps to 464 and then 569 (strong wave energy). That’s a lot of water moving. The morning has a gentle cross-shore with just a slight chop, which is the best wind we’ve seen in the whole outlook. That Wednesday session is the one to aim for, but keep in mind – at 7ft, this is really only for experienced surfers. The short period at a reef break could make for some dumpy sections, but the power will be there.

Bottom line: there’s a long stretch of nothing until that pulse around July 22nd. It’s a promising day for the experienced crew, with clean-ish conditions and a lot of energy. Until then, maybe check if those north winds offer any other options.

Rusty

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