Stinson Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’re looking at Stinson Beach for the next couple of weeks, and I’ll be honest with you – it’s a bit of a slow burn. The water’s sitting at 62°, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, so if you’re going in, it’ll feel nice.

Sunday, August 30th kicks things off, but it’s not exactly firing. There’s a 3ft SW groundswell in the morning with a very long 16-second period, and the combined energy is moderate (652). The wind is a light WSW breeze, blowing onshore, so it’s going to be a bit messy. The afternoon sees a slight drop in swell to 3ft, SW, with a 15-second period, but the wind swings W and gets a bit stronger, making it cross-onshore and choppy. Honestly, for the first few days, the conditions are poor. The swell hangs around the 2ft to 2ft mark through the start of September, with cross-onshore winds and only weak to moderate energy (between 210 and 361). Not really worth paddling out for.

Friday, September 4th morning gives us a glimmer. There’s a 3ft SW groundswell with an 18-second period, and the combined energy is a solid moderate (697). The wind is light and cross-shore from the WNW, which is okay. Still, it’s marginal. The afternoon gets choppy again.

Monday, September 7th morning is a standout. The wind goes glassy – dead calm – and the swell is 3ft from the SSW with a 14-second period. The combined energy is moderate (428). It’s raining moderately, but with no wind, the surface will be clean. This is a rare moment of quality surf in the window.

Wednesday, September 9th morning is another highlight. We’ve got a 5ft S swell, period of 11 seconds, and the combined energy is strong (768). The wind is light from the WNW, glassy again. This is the best-looking swell of the early part of the forecast – clean, decent size, and good energy. It’s a bit much for beginners at 5ft, but intermediates will have fun.

Saturday, September 12th morning brings a big shift. There’s a 7ft WNW swell, but the period is short, only 8 seconds, so it’s a windswell. The combined energy is very strong (1079), and the wind is glassy again. However, the short period and beach break setup mean it might be better for those with a kite setup than a surfboard. The afternoon gets even bigger at 8ft, but it’s too choppy and cross-onshore for paddling. This is expert-only territory.

Sunday, September 13th afternoon sees the biggest raw swell of the window: 10ft from the WNW, period 9 seconds, and combined energy is massive (1617). That’s a lot of power, but the wind is onshore and the period is short, making it messy and dangerous. Only for experts, and even then, it’s a gamble.

After that, Monday, September 14th drops back to 6ft WNW swell with a 9-second period, but the wind stays onshore. Not great.

Overall, the best bets are the glassy mornings on Monday, September 7th and Wednesday, September 9th. The 14th looks promising for size but the wind doesn’t cooperate. The rest of the time, it’s pretty poor. Crowds are possible at Stinson, so get there early if you chase the good windows.

Rusty.

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