The Gallows Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ over the next couple of weeks at The Gallows.

Alright, so right out of the gate, we’ve got some serious size brewing. The swell is solid and it’s comin’ in from the west-southwest, with very long-period groundswell energy – think 15 to 16 seconds. That’s deep ocean pulse, folks. The combined energy is massive, readings up in the thousands (6039, 5998, 5715). That’s strong to very strong wave energy for sure. We’re lookin’ at wave heights consistently over 10 ft, gettin’ up to 12 ft on Monday the 6th and Tuesday the 7th. This is not a day for the beginner crew. At over 8 ft, this is expert territory only, and The Gallows is already a reef setup for advanced surfers. Water temps are sittin’ at 67°, which is bang on average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

Now, the caveat here is that while the swell is there, most of these days see it being too big for the break. But the wind plays ball early on. Monday the 6th afternoon has a clean, cross-off breeze from the southeast, givin’ us proper shape. Tuesday the 7th morning holds that same clean, glassy-ish feel with a light SSE cross-off. Even with the massive swell, when a spot like this gets clean offshore wind, it’s gonna be a heavy, powerful wave for those who can handle it. Late in the day Tuesday it goes cross-shore, but still light.

Wednesday the 8th is a standout for me. Glassy conditions? You bet. Wind’s light from the west, a true offshore for The Gallows. Swell holds at 12 ft from the WSW with a 16-second period. That’s premium energy, but again – it’s big, and it’s a reef. For the experienced chargers, this is the pick of the first week. The water’s still clean and the power is unreal.

We get a bit of a reprieve on Friday the 10th as the swell drops to around 7 ft, but the wind turns messy and cross-shore, and the wave state gets choppy. It’s not worth paddlin’ out for that marginal slop.

Then Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th sees another pulse of 10 ft+ swell, but winds start to shift onshore or cross-onshore, and the wave comment flags the surf as too big for the break or marginal. A bit of a washout for clean conditions, but the raw energy is there.

Lookin’ further out, there’s a glimmer of gold. Monday the 14th kicks off with a light offshore from the northeast on the morning, and then Tuesday the 14th? That’s a special mention. Glassy conditions in the afternoon, with a steady 10 ft SW groundswell at 14 seconds. Combined energy is 3234. That is a beautiful window of clean, powerful reef surfing. The wind is dead calm – glassy – on Tuesday afternoon. If you can get out there, that is the session to aim for. It’s a bit further out in the forecast, so treat it like a promise with a pinch of salt, but it’s lookin’ sweet.

After that, it gets messy. From the 15th, the wind cranks up from the north-northeast, 18 mph, then by the 16th we’re talkin’ a strong breeze and risk of thunderstorms. The 17th and 18th see gale-force cross-onshore winds, rain, and the surf gets lumpy and blown out completely. That’s when you put the board away and watch from the cliffs.

The 19th and 20th settle down a notch, but it’s still windy and the waves are messy. On the 21st we see another clean-up with a southeast cross-off wind and 10 ft WSW swell at 16 seconds – that’s two weeks out, so it’s a “keep an eye on it” situation, but the potential is there for another excellent day if the wind stays true.

To wrap it up: if you’re an expert looking for a proper slab, the first week, especially Wednesday the 8th, is your best bet for clean, heavy waves. The second week, Tuesday the 14th with glassy conditions is the hidden gem. Otherwise, it’s a lot of swell with wind problems or just too big for the spot. Crowds are only sometimes an issue here, but with this much juice, expect a few locals in the water for those clean windows.

Rusty.

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