The Gallows Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s comin’ down the pipe for The Gallows.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid run of SW groundswell on the way, but it’s a bit of a tricky one. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild there. The first real window of opportunity doesn’t really kick off until Saturday the 11th, and even then it’s a mixed bag. The swell will be a chunky 8ft to 10ft from the SW with a long 13-14 second period, which is proper groundswell. The energy is strong, with readings in the 2372 to 3208 range.

Saturday afternoon is the first real standout. The swell is 10ft from the SW, period 13 seconds, and the wind is a gentle cross-shore breeze. The wave energy is strong at 3208. It’s a clean setup, but that 10ft is only for the experienced crew; beginners will be in over their heads. The crowd factor is "sometimes" here, so you might have to share the reef.

Now, from Sunday the 12th right through to Thursday the 16th, the swell just keeps pumping. We’re talking 10ft to 12ft from the SW, with periods hitting 16-17 seconds. This is very long-period groundswell. The combined energy is huge, peaking at 8181 on Sunday afternoon. This is proper big-wave territory. The wind is generally light and clean, especially Tuesday the 14th with a light cross-offshore breeze and clean conditions. But again, this is strictly for experts. For the average punter, it’s a show day.

There’s a bit of a lull from the 15th into the 20th, with smaller, more marginal swell and some strong winds. The 18th and 19th see another massive pulse of 16ft to 20ft SW swell with extreme energy readings like 13798, but that’s absolute monster territory, only for the brave.

The next proper chance for a good, clean session that’s not just for the big-wave chargers comes on Friday the 24th. We’ve got a 7ft SW swell, period 13 seconds, with a light offshore wind from the ESE. The energy is a manageable 1599. The conditions are clean. It’s a far cry from the 20ft bomb, but it’s the best quality surf for the experienced surfer who wants a decent wave without the life-threatening size. The Gallows is a reef, so that long-period groundswell will be well-defined.

So, the pick of the whole 16 days for the experienced surfer is Saturday the 11th afternoon for the first decent swell, but the true standout, the one that balances size, cleanliness, and quality, is Friday the 24th morning. It’s the cleanest session for skill-level without getting absolutely smashed. After that, the 25th is looking at another 12ft pulse, so it’s back to the big stuff.

Rusty.

Read more