The Gallows Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break down what’s cookin’ at The Gallows. This is a reef break that’s wide open to the west, so it catches a lot of swell, but it’s strictly for advanced surfers and it’s only fairly consistent. The water temp is 20°, which is a solid two degrees warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s much warmer than normal, so you’ll be fine in a spring suit or maybe even a shorty.

Now, here’s the deal: for the first week and a half, the swell is absolutely pumping, but it’s just too big for this spot. We’re talkin’ 13ft to 16ft of south-west to west swell, with combined wave energy readings in the thousands – think 6494 to 18772 – that’s strong to very strong energy. The swell period is mostly between 14 and 17 seconds, which is a long-period groundswell, so the sets are gonna be powerful and lined up. But for The Gallows, that’s just too much. It’s gonna be a mess, and the wind is often cross-on or onshore, so it’s not pretty. There’s a stretch from Wednesday the 12th through to Sunday the 17th of August where it’s just too big, and then Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th are a write-off with strong onshore winds and rain. Honestly, for a paddle surfer, it’s a no-go. If you’re into kite surfing, the strong cross-onshore winds and big swell might be your thing, but for a regular surfer, forget it.

The first real chance of something rideable comes on Saturday the 15th of August, when the swell drops to 8ft from the west-south-west, energy is 2576 – still moderate. The wind is cross-off from the north-north-east at 12 mph, so it’s clean. But even then, the tide conditions are questionable and it’s only a marginal call. Sunday the 16th has a similar story – 10ft from the west-south-west, clean cross-off winds, but again, it’s borderline. The real standout in this whole period, if you can call it that, is Friday the 14th of August. The morning has a 12ft south-west swell with a 16-second period, cross-off north-east wind at 6 mph, and the energy is 5535 – strong. The afternoon is even better: 10ft, glassy conditions with a north-west wind at 3 mph, and the energy is 4402. That’s clean, lined-up, and the swell is big but not totally out of control. That’s your best window. But still, it’s big for an advanced break, so only the experienced crew should be out.

After that, from Wednesday the 19th of August, we get another pulse of big swell – 16ft to 20ft – with strong winds and rain, so it’s messy and dangerous. The energy readings go through the roof, up to 18772, and the wind is onshore or cross-on, so it’s just a wall of white water. That lasts until the 22nd, when it drops to 13ft and the wind goes cross-off from the south-south-east, but it’s still huge. The 23rd of August has a drop to 10ft with south-west swell, but the wind is cross-shore and lumpy, so not great.

The last potential window is on Thursday the 27th of August. The morning has 7ft from the west-south-west, clean cross-off wind from the south at 12 mph, and energy of 2177 – moderate. The afternoon picks up to 8ft with a 17-second period, gentle cross-shore wind, and energy of 3665. That’s the most manageable size we’ve seen, and it’s clean. But it’s still a marginal call due to tide conditions.

So, overall, there’s a lot of surf, but most of it is too big for this break. The best bet is Friday the 14th of August, with 10ft to 12ft of south-west swell and glassy conditions. After that, it’s a long wait until Thursday the 27th of August for something smaller and cleaner. There’s a big gap of poor conditions from the 19th to the 22nd, and then again from the 24th to the 26th. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, that’s the picture.

Rusty.

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