Stinson Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's get into it.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – Stinson Beach is looking pretty grim for the next little while. We've got a long stretch of real "meh" conditions ahead, and for the first several days, it's a total write-off. The swell is there, but the wind is just making a mess of things.

From today, Thursday the 13th, right through to Monday the 17th, forget about it. We've got a mix of cross-on and onshore winds, with swell heights barely pushing 4 feet. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing to get excited about there. The wave energy is weak to moderate, but the real killer is the wind. It's just choppy and junky. There’s nothing to paddle for.

Things get a little more interesting on Tuesday the 18th. We see a pulse of NW swell bumping up to 6 feet, but it's short-period at 8 seconds and the energy is moderate. The wind is still cross-on for the morning, but it's light, so there might be a window. This swell direction isn't ideal for Stinson – it prefers a good SW wrap. Still, for a beginner spot, 6 feet might be pushing the limits for some.

The standout in this whole outlook is actually Wednesday the 19th morning. We get a solid 7 feet NW swell with 8-second period. The energy is strong. And the wind is a light cross-on offshore breeze. This is the only time where I'd say there's a chance of a few workable waves, especially for the more experienced crew. At that size, this is strictly for experts. Remember, short-period NW swell like this can close out quick at a beach break, so pick your peaks.

After that morning, it all falls apart again. We get a tease of some SW groundswell with 15-19 second periods on the 23rd and 24th, but the heights are tiny, only 2 feet. The energy is moderate, but the combination of small, long-period swell and moderate cross-onshore winds is just not going to produce anything rideable for a surfer. The wind is just too messy.

The 27th and 28th of August see another bump in NW swell, with 6 feet to 6 feet and moderate to strong energy, but the wind picks up and swings cross-shore, making it lumpy and ugly. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, to be honest.

So, the bottom line: the only real glimmer of a chance is early on Wednesday the 19th. For the rest of this 16-day window, you’re better off finding something else to do. It’s a real shame, because Stinson can be a fun little wave, but she's not cooperating right now.

Rusty.

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