The Gallows Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the only spot on the menu, The Gallows.

The Gallows is a reef break, and it's an advanced wave. We're looking at a 16-day window, but to be honest, it's a bit of a wild ride. The real story here is that we get a massive pulse of swell that's just too big for this place for most of the run. There's a bit of a gap at the start, but the first real chance to paddle out comes right away.

The water is sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can probably leave the 5/4 at home.

The standout session is hands down Friday afternoon, August 14th. We've got a solid 10ft SW groundswell, with a very long period of 15 seconds. The combined energy is massive at 4402, and here's the kicker – the wind is glassy, dead calm from the NW at just 3 mph. That's about as clean as it gets. Now, this is a reef, and that kind of long-period groundswell is going to hold up beautifully. But heads up, at 10ft, this is strictly for the experts. It's a big, powerful wave.

Saturday morning, the 15th, is still big at 8ft from the WSW, but the wind cranks up to 16 mph from the NNE. That's a clean cross-offshore breeze, so the wave face will be smooth. It's still a solid 14-second period, but it loses a bit of that magic from Friday.

Sunday the 16th sees another 10ft SW swell, with an even longer 15-second period. The wind is howling 19 mph from the NNE in the morning, which is still cross-off and clean, but it's a battle to get out. The afternoon turns more cross-shore and lumpy. Again, expert territory.

The middle of the week, from the 17th to the 20th, is a write-off. We're looking at 13ft to 16ft of raw, onshore fury. The wind is screaming from the west at 28-31 mph. The combined energy hits insane levels (10615, 13628). This isn't surf; it's survival. Kite surfers might be having a ball, but for paddle surfing, it's a no-go.

We get a bit of a reprieve around Friday afternoon, August 21st, with a 10ft SW swell and a 14-second period. The wind is clean from the ESE at 6 mph, making for some good morning conditions. The morning of Saturday the 22nd also looks promising with a 10ft SW, 16-second period swell and a clean cross-offshore breeze from the NE at 9 mph. But again, it's big and powerful.

The run from the 25th to the 29th stays big and messy. There's a 16ft pulse on the 25th that's just monstrous. The end of the month, the 28th and 29th, still has massive 13ft to 16ft swells with cross-onshore winds. It's choppy, lumpy, and not worth the drive unless you're a masochist.

So, the bottom line: Friday afternoon, August 14th, is the absolute pick of the bunch. Glassy conditions, a solid, long-period groundswell. It's a legitimate, world-class wave for experts only. The Saturday the 22nd morning is a distant second. Everything else is either too big, too windy, or both. This is a spot that demands respect, and most of the forecast is demanding you stay on the beach.

Rusty.

Read more