Stinson Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Stinson Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this forecast is a tough one. We’re lookin’ at a long stretch of onshore or cross-shore wind and small, weak swell. There’s no standout day, no real window of glory. The first block of the outlook is pretty grim: from now through the end of August and into the first days of September, we’ve got cross-onshore winds from the WNW most of the time, with wave heights hangin’ around a measly 2ft to 2ft. The combined wave energy is weak to moderate, bouncing between 176 and 582 (most of it under 400), which tells you there’s just no push. The strong south-west groundswell with a long period (16 seconds) sounds fancy, but the wind is tearin’ it up.

There’s a one-to-two-day gap mid-week where the wind might lay down a little on the mornings of September 3rd and 4th, with the onshore wind shiftin’ to a light onshore breeze from the WSW and SW. On Thursday, September 3rd morning, with winds from WSW at 3 mph and a 2ft groundswell from the SW at 19 seconds, we get a taste of something clean, but it’s still tiny and marginal. The energy jumps up to 847 on the morning of Friday, September 4th, with a 3ft SW swell at 18 seconds and light offshore wind from the SW—that’s the closest thing to a decent window we’ve got. It’s still only a 2 out of 10 for overall quality, but if you’re desperate, that’s your best bet for a clean, lined-up wave with that long-period energy.

After that, the wind turns onshore again and the swell stays small. By the second week, around Monday, September 7th, we see a big drop in quality: a short-period 5ft to 6ft WNW wind swell with a period of just 7 seconds and onshore winds. That’ll be choppy, messy, and not worth your time unless you’re a kite surfer. The combined energy hits 513 but the setup is all wind-chop and no shape.

Overall, this is a blank run for surf. Stinson Beach is exposed to the SW, and the wind is just too persistent from the wrong direction. The water temp is about average for the time of year, no anomaly to note. If you’re a beginner, the small stuff might be *okay* on the 4th or 5th morning, but it’s still marginal. Mostly, this stretch is a bust. Forecasts can change, but for now, leave the board at home.

Rusty.

Read more