The Gallows Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the table for The Gallows over the next couple of weeks. This is a heavy-duty reef break, strictly for advanced surfers, and it’s fairly consistent, which means it gets swell. The water temp is sitting at 67°, about 2° warmer than what’s typical for this time of year—so it’s a touch warmer than average, already notable.

The outlook starts on Sunday the 12th of July, but there’s a real issue right out of the gate. We’re looking at a massive, solid SW groundswell—10 ft to 12 ft—with periods in the 14 to 17 second range. That’s *huge* energy here, and the cross-on wind is going to make it messy. This is expert territory for sure; it’s too big and grunty for anyone else. Monday the 13th is more of the same: 12 ft SW swell at 16 seconds, still with a light cross-on wind, so it’s not clean. Tuesday the 14th sees a drop in wind strength, turning cross-off from the NE, with 10 ft SW groundswell. That’s a bit cleaner, but the size is still commanding—only for the well-prepared.

Wednesday the 15th takes a turn for the worse. The wind ramps up to a strong breeze from the N at 25 mph, and while there’s still a 6 ft to 8 ft SW swell with a long period (16 to 17 seconds), the whole setup is marginal. The energy is still serious, but conditions are poor. Thursday the 16th is a write-off with strong winds and messy surf. Friday the 17th is similar—decent swell size but cross-winds and eventually a short-period, windy mess. The weekend of the 18th and 19th is a full-on blowout. We’re talking a 20 ft to 21 ft WSW swell on Saturday, with a near-gale cross-onshore. This is unsurfable, unless you’re a fan of being dragged across the reef.

Then, a turnaround. The standout window shows up on Monday the 20th of July. Morning delivers glassy conditions with an offshore wind from the E, 8 ft SW swell from 11 seconds. This is clean, powerful, and manageable for the advanced crew. The combined swell energy is moderate, but the quality is high. Tuesday the 21st morning is another gem—glassy conditions with a NNW wind, 5 ft SW groundswell at 14 seconds. A touch smaller, but beautifully clean and long-period. These two mornings are the pick of the entire forecast.

Wednesday the 22nd afternoon offers a small clean window with 4 ft SW swell and light cross-off wind. Then we’re back to heavy stuff. Thursday the 23rd brings a massive 15 ft to 16 ft SW swell with a long period, but with clean offshore winds. That’s pure big-wave territory for experts only. After that, the wind turns onshore and messy again from the 24th through the 27th, with size still in the 10 ft to 15 ft range, but conditions are blown out or poor for surfing.

In short: the first week is huge and constantly marginal. The real highlights—the ones I’d circle on the calendar—are the mornings of Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st. Glassy, clean, solid swell, no crowds mentioned but at a spot that’s only for the brave. That’s your window. The rest is a mix of too big, too windy, or just plain sketchy. Keep an eye on the 23rd if you’ve got the skills and the board for it.

Rusty.

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