Shooting Gallery Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. This is a bit of a tough one for the Shooting Gallery. The whole 16-day stretch is pretty much a write-off for any proper sessions, so I'll be straight with you.

Right off the bat, from Friday the 17th of July right through to the end of the month, the story is the same: persistent cross-onshore winds, mostly from the north and north-northeast, just chewing up the surface. The swell is there, but it's a messy, short-period windswell, and the wind is just ruining any chance of a clean wave. The energy is moderate at best, hitting a peak around 403 (combined energy) on the 26th, but it's all for nothing with that wind. The water temp is a touch warmer than normal at 73°, but that's about the only positive.

Then, there's a glimmer, but it's a long way off. We're looking at Saturday the 1st of August. Now, the swell drops right off, down to a tiny 1 feet from the north-northwest. The energy is weak (95), but the wind is finally offshore, coming from the west-southwest at just 3 mph. That's a glassy morning. The period is 10 seconds, which is a decent groundswell pulse. For a reef break like Shooting Gallery, that long-period swell (over 9 seconds) is perfect for holding up and offering a proper line. But, and it's a big but, it's 1 feet. It's not going to be a day for power; it's a longboard or a foiler if you've got one. The wave comment says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions," which is fair. It's clean, but tiny. There's also a brief window on the Saturday afternoon with a 3-foot NNE swell and cross-offshore wind, but the period drops to 6 seconds, and the energy is still weak (118).

So, the honest truth? There's no standout session here. The only genuine highlight is that Saturday morning (1st of August) for the clean, glassy conditions on a tiny, long-period swell. It's the best on offer, but only just. For the rest of the 16 days, you're looking at flat, choppy, and onshore. If you're a kite surfer, that constant north wind and lumpy swell might be your thing, but for the rest of us, it's a waiting game. The forecast is reliable for the near term, and that long-range Saturday window is promising but less certain. For the first week, forget it. The second week offers that one clean morning, but it's very small.

Alright, that's the read. Rusty out.

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