Stinson Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, it's Rusty here. Let's be straight with you about Stinson Beach – the outlook's a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a couple of moments that could be worth a look.

Overall, these next couple of weeks aren't looking clean, with onshore wind and cross-onshore conditions messing with the waves for a lot of the time. The water temp is about average for this time of year. The swell energy is mostly in the moderate range, though it peaks strongly towards the very end.

Friday July 10th through to Thursday July 16th is a frustrating stretch. We've got chest to head-high swell (5 ft to 7 ft) coming from the WNW, with periods around 8-9 seconds. The main problem is the wind – it's blowing cross-onshore from the WNW most days, 6 to 16 mph, making it choppy. The combined energy is pretty solid, between 438 and 1076 (moderate to moderately strong), but the onshore wind means it's messy. Saturday morning July 11th with a light breeze might be a bit less bumpy, but still nothing to get excited about.

On Friday July 17th, the swell drops right off. We're down to under 2 ft of small, weak WNW swell (2 ft) with a period jumping up to 18 seconds, giving a combined energy of 562 (moderate). That long period means there'll be long lulls between sets and the waves will be fat and weak. The wind is still cross-onshore, so it's a write-off.

Saturday July 18th through Thursday July 24th is a quiet run. Swell stays small – around 2 ft to 3 ft – mostly from the SW with some long 14-18 second periods. Energy is low (283 to 554). A light offshore wind from the SW on a couple of mornings (like Sunday July 19th and Tuesday July 21st) might make the ocean look pretty, but you're really scraping for a ride. This whole week is a blank for good waves.

Then we finally get a glimmer of hope on Friday July 24th and Saturday July 25th. On Friday afternoon, we see a building WNW swell hitting 8 ft with a period of 8 seconds and a combined energy of 877 (moderate to strong). Saturday morning July 25th is the standout window – a 8 ft NW swell with a 9-second period and a combined energy of 1514 (strong). The wind is light and offshore from the SW, which should clean it up nicely. That's the best on offer, but at 8 ft, it's getting into expert territory for many.

Stinson (United States) is a fairly exposed beach break that picks up SW swell best, and it's fairly consistent. Crowds are possible there sometimes. With that 8 ft swell and offshore wind on Saturday the 25th, it could fire, but be aware the long period groundswell can make beach breaks a bit straight. Given the persistent cross-onshore winds for most of the period, this setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on many of those days. Keep an eye on that Saturday the 25th – that's the one to aim for.

Rusty.

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