Shooting Gallery Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's get straight into what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

We're looking at a pretty grim run of surf ahead. Honestly, the whole 16-day window is a bit of a struggle. There's no single standout day where everything clicks. The swell is small to mediocre, and the wind is nearly always onshore or cross-shore. It's a long stretch of poor surf conditions, so don't get your hopes up for anything epic. The first real recommendation doesn't pop up until the very end, so we're looking at a long gap of over a week and a half with nothing good to report.

The only spot on the radar is Shooting Gallery. The water temperature there is sitting at 76°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so the water will feel nice at least.

Let's run through the slog. From Sunday the 30th of August all the way through to Saturday the 12th of September, it's a write-off. The swell is running between 2 ft and 6 ft, but it's mostly weak, short-period windswell from the north, with the combined swell energy bouncing between weak and moderate (100 to 439). The wind is a constant problem—moderate to fresh breezes, mostly cross-onshore, chopping everything up. It's just not worth paddling out.

There's a brief moment on Sunday the 6th of September morning where the wind goes cross-offshore and the conditions are clean, but the swell is a pathetic 3 ft with a 7-second period. The energy is weak (135). It's clean, but there's no push to it.

The only glimmer of hope comes way out on Monday the 14th of September. The morning shows a light onshore breeze from the ENE, and the afternoon sees a little more size with a 2 ft swell from the NW, but with a long 11-second period. The combined energy is moderate (195). The wind is onshore in the morning and moderate onshore in the afternoon, so it won't be perfect, but it's the best wave quality we've seen in the whole forecast. For a spot that's a consistent reef break, those longer period swells from the NW can offer up some decent shape. The crowds are sometimes there, so you might have a few buddies out.

That Monday afternoon is the closest thing to a call-out. The swell is small, but the longer period gives it a bit of punch compared to the rest of the junk. If you're desperate for a paddle, that's your window. Otherwise, I'd be giving it a wide berth.

Rusty, signing off.

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