Shooting Gallery Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for the next 16 days, and I’m not seeing a single reason to get excited. The only break on the menu is Shooting Gallery, a reef that’s consistent and fairly exposed, but the conditions are just a total write-off. The water temperature is 75°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s the only good news.

Starting Tuesday, August 18th, we’ve got a tiny swell from the north at 3 ft, with a short 8-second period. The combined swell energy is weak to moderate (117), and the wind is cross-onshore, light but enough to mess it up. It's “poor surf conditions” from the start, and it doesn’t get better. The swell builds a little, but the wind stays cross-onshore, picks up speed, and keeps coming from the north, which is the wrong direction for this reef. By the 21st and 22nd, the wind is 25-30 km/h, and the swell is hitting 4-5 ft, but with a period of only 7 seconds and that cross-onshore breeze, it’s going to be a lumpy, choppy mess. Not worth paddling for, maybe a kite surfer could have fun, but that’s not our game.

As we head into the last week of August, the swell gets a bit bigger. On Monday the 24th, we’re looking at 6 ft from the north-northeast, with the energy jumping to 414 (moderate), but the wind is onshore from the northeast. It’s a washing machine. The period is still short, so no shape. On the 29th, the swell shifts to the north-northwest and the period jumps to 12 seconds on the Saturday afternoon, a proper groundswell. The energy is still moderate (262), but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore breeze. That long period would be better for a point or reef, but the wind is just ruining it. The waves would be too straight and won’t have a proper face.

The first couple of days of September show a slight improvement, with the swell at 5 ft from the north-northwest and a 10-second period, and the wind turning onshore but lighter. The combined energy is moderate (366). It’s still not clean, but it’s the least bad of the whole run. Still, every single session in the 16 days is marked as “poor surf conditions.” There’s no standout, no hidden gem, just a long stretch of onshore junk.

So, what’s the verdict? There’s a massive gap of no surfable waves here. A full 16 days of nothing worth getting wet for. The reef is consistent, but the wind is almost always cross-onshore or onshore, and the swell is either too short, too messy, or just not lining up. For a spot like this, a blank run is more normal than not, so don’t expect much. The forecast can change, but right now, I’d say keep your board in the car and drive somewhere else.

Rusty.

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