Stinson Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, and I've gotta be straight with you – the outlook for Stinson Beach over the next couple of weeks is a real mixed bag and mostly a bit of a letdown. The water is a very unusual 62° at the start, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so that's a rare treat if you're brave enough to get in.

We start off on Monday, 27 July, with a small 3 ft swell from the SW, but the problem is a cross-onshore wind that's got it all choppy and messy. The combined wave energy is moderate at best (737), and it's just not worth getting excited about. Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th are more of the same – a bit of cross-offshore wind on Wednesday morning (10 km/h) tries to clean it up a little, but the swell is still only 3 ft to 4 ft with a short, weak period, and the energy is moderate (914 to 1237). It's marginal surf at best.

Thursday the 30th brings a small bump in size on the morning (3 ft) but the wind is still cross-onshore, and the energy drops off (839). The afternoon sees a jump to 7 ft, but it's a windswell from the WNW with a pathetic 8-second period – that's just a messy, lumpy shorebreak. Friday the 31st morning is the best of a bad bunch: a 7 ft swell from the NW, still short period (8 seconds), but with a light cross-onshore breeze (10 km/h) that keeps the ripples small. The energy is moderate (1165). It's still a toss-up with the tide though, so don't get your hopes up.

The first weekend of August is for the brave or the kitesurfers. Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd have 5 ft to 8 ft of short-period, wind-affected slop, with the wind picking up to 30 km/h on Saturday arvo. This is a classic beach-and-reef setup, but with that much wind and poor quality, it's looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The energy is moderate (563 to 1160).

The second week rolls in with a slight improvement in wind, but the swell really drops off. From Monday, 3 August to Thursday, 6 August, we're looking at 3 ft to 6 ft swell from the WNW, with morning light winds giving a few cleaner windows. The energy is weak to moderate (286 to 721). The best of this period is probably Monday morning the 3rd – a 6 ft swell with a 10-second period and a light cross-onshore breeze (10 km/h). The energy is moderate (721). It's marginal, but it's the best you'll see.

Then it gets really small. From Friday, 7 August all the way through to the end of the period on Tuesday, 11 August, the swell drops to 2 ft to 4 ft, mostly from the SW or WNW, with poor conditions and almost no energy (286 to 487). A few mornings have light winds, but the waves just aren't there. The one standout, if you can call it that, is Monday, 10 August morning – a 4 ft swell from the WNW with a 9-second period, moderate energy (437), and a light cross-onshore breeze. It's thin pickings.

Overall, it's a long stretch of poor to marginal surf. If you're desperate, the early morning windows on Friday, 31 July or Monday, 3 August are your best bets, but don't drive too far. The second week is a real bust. The blank run of good surf from the 4th of August to the 11th is a big gap. Forecasts can change, but right now, this is a sad one.

Rusty.

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