Shooting Gallery Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the next 16 days are looking pretty grim for Shooting Gallery. There’s swell on the way, but the wind is just going to mess it up, making it hard to find anything rideable. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The outlook kicks off on Thursday, July 9th, and it’s a rough start. We’ve got a weak 2ft swell from the north, but it’s a short-period 5-second windswell (combined energy only 40). The wind is a cross-onshore mess, and the whole morning is rated as poor surf conditions. This same pattern holds through Friday, July 10th, with similar small, choppy waves. Saturday, July 11th, actually drops even smaller, with 1ft to 1ft on offer, and while the wind is lighter, it’s still cross-onshore, so the surf is tiny and bumpy.

Sunday, July 12th, sees a bit of a pulse. The swell picks up to 3ft from the NW in the morning, and the combined energy jumps to 160 (moderate). By the afternoon, it’s 4ft from the NNW with a period of 10 seconds and energy of 246. That’s the best period we’ll see all week, suggesting a bit more shape. But again, the wind stays cross-onshore, so the surface will be choppy and messy. It’s a frustrating tease.

The following week, from Monday, July 14th, through Wednesday, July 22nd, the swell size actually builds. We see 5ft, 6ft, and even 6ft from the north on the 18th, with combined energy hitting 466 (moderate). That’s a lot of water moving around. But the wind never lets up – it’s a constant cross-onshore breeze from the north or NNE, at 12 to 18 mph. The report keeps saying “moderate cross-onshore and choppy” or “fresh cross-onshore and lumpy.” With that much wind, the waves will be blown out and bumpy, and the short period (mostly 5 to 8 seconds) means they’ll be weak and sectiony. This is the kind of setup that’s more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly.

The last few days of the outlook, from July 20th to 24th, the swell drops back to 4ft to 5ft, with the wind staying onshore. The energy fades back to around 100-200. There’s nothing to get excited about. The waves will be there, but the wind will be ruining them. There’s no standout session in this entire 16-day window. Save your energy for another time.

Rusty.

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