The Gallows Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking.

We’re looking at a solid run of swell, but honestly, it’s a bit of a heartbreaker for the lineup. The Gallows is a reef break that knows how to handle a proper west-southwest groundswell, and boy, is it going to get it. But the problem is the size. For most of the next week and beyond, the swell is just too big for this spot. The water’s sitting at 65°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing weird there.

We kick off on Sunday, 30 August. The morning is looking real good on paper – a clean 10ft swell from the WSW, with a very long period of 17 seconds, and a light northeast breeze keeping it glassy. The combined energy is massive, at 6043, and the wind is offshore. This is a standout window for experienced surfers only. The Gallows is an advanced wave, and with that much power, it’s not for the faint-hearted. The afternoon stays clean but the wind switches to a light cross-on, so it’s still rideable.

Monday, 31 August, things get messy. The wind picks up from the WNW, and by the afternoon we’ve got a fresh southerly breeze and rain. The swell is still big, but the quality drops right off. Skip it.

Tuesday, 1 September, the swell is still 10ft, but the wind is cross-on in the morning and then straight onshore in the afternoon. It’s choppy and not worth the paddle out.

Wednesday, 2 September, same story. Big swell, poor conditions, rain showers and strong winds. Not your day.

Thursday, 3 September, the swell bumps up to 12ft, but the wind is howling from the WNW at 19-25 mph. This is a mess. Strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy surf. Don’t even think about it.

Friday, 4 September, the swell absolutely explodes. We’re talking 20ft with a combined energy of 13684. That’s massive, but it’s accompanied by strong winds and messy conditions. This is a kite surfer’s playground, not a paddle surfer’s. The setup is too blown out for a reef break.

The entire first week is a washout for the average surfer. The only real standout is the very first session on Sunday morning, 30 August. That’s the one. Glassy, clean, powerful, but only for the experts.

Moving into the second week, it’s still big. The swell stays well over 8ft for most of the time, and the wind is a problem. There are a few mornings where the wind eases off and goes offshore or light, like on Monday, 7 September, and Tuesday, 8 September, but the swell is still too big for this break. The energy is still in the thousands, so it’s not a lack of swell, it’s a lack of manageable conditions.

Around Thursday, 10 September, we get a massive 15ft swell from the WSW with a very long period of 18 seconds and a light north wind. The combined energy is 11328. It’s a monster, but again, with the reef and the size, it’s only for the absolute best. The wind stays cross-on in the afternoon, so it’s a short window.

The pattern continues right through to the end of the 16 days. Swell, swell, swell, but rarely with the right wind. The standout in the second week is the morning of Monday, 14 September. We’ve got a 20ft swell from the west, a very short period of 11 seconds, so it’s not a classic groundswell, but the wind is a solid cross-off from the NNE. It’s clean, but it is huge. Again, experts only.

So, to wrap it up: if you’re an expert, your best bet is Sunday morning, 30 August, and maybe Monday morning, 14 September. For everyone else, it’s a waiting game. The swell is there, but the conditions are just not cooperating. It’s a lot of power with nowhere clean to go.

Rusty.

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