The Gallows Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, but I'll switch it up for the imperial crew.

We've got a solid run of action coming up at The Gallows, but you've got to pick your moments. This is a real heavy-hitter spot, and it's going to be sizeable for most of the period. The water is hanging around 66°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might not need the thickest wetsuit.

The big story is the massive amount of energy on the way. Thursday the 27th kicks off with a powerful 13ft SW groundswell, with a very long 15-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 6486. That's some serious, deep ocean power. The morning is clean with a cross-off breeze, but at 13ft, this is strictly for the experts only. The afternoon sees the swell dropping to 12ft, but the wind picks up to 22 mph, making it a bit of a handful. Still, the energy is pumping at 5216.

Friday the 28th is a big step down, dropping to 8ft in the morning and 6ft in the afternoon. The period is still solid at 12 seconds, but the conditions are only marginal. A bit of a rest day.

Now, here's the standout. Saturday morning, the 29th of August. The swell is a solid 7ft from the SW, but the period jumps to 16 seconds, and we’ve got a beautiful gentle offshore breeze from the ESE. The combined energy is 2992, which is strong, but the wind is magic. The data says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers," and that’s the truth. This is the best window for an experienced surfer to get some clean, lined-up waves. The afternoon gets bigger at 10ft, but the wind swings cross-off, and at 10ft, it is going to be too big.

Sunday the 30th stays big, with 10ft all day, but the wind is less ideal—cross-off in the morning and a light cross-on in the afternoon. Still big, but not as clean as Saturday morning.

Then we hit a major stretch of poor conditions from Monday the 31st all the way through to Friday the 11th of September. The wind is mostly onshore, and the swell is often too big for this break. There are some moments where the energy is huge, like 7014 on the 3rd, but the wind is a mess. A few windows in early September, like the 5th and 6th, have marginal conditions, but nothing worth getting excited about.

The real sleeper might be Monday the 7th of September. It’s a long way out, but the morning shows a 12ft SW groundswell with a 15-second period, and a light cross-off breeze from the ENE. That’s a clean setup for a big day, but it's a long-range call, so don't bet the house on it. The energy is 5228, which is proper.

Bottom line: If you're an expert, Saturday the 29th morning is the absolute pick. The rest of the period is either too big, too windy, or both. This is a serious wave, not a beginner's spot.

Rusty.

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