Stinson Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's talk about Stinson Beach. I’ve been staring at this spot for the next couple of weeks, and I gotta tell you, it's going to be a game of patience. There's a couple of windows that look really good, but you gotta be ready to move when they open up.

Right off the bat, Thursday the 27th is a total mess. The waves are there, but the wind is howling from the WNW at around 15 to 25 km/h, and it's all cross-onshore, chopping everything up. Leave the board at home.

Friday the 28th ain't much better. Still a cross-onshore wind, and the surf quality is poor. You’re better off doing something else that day.

The first real chance you get is Sunday morning, the 30th. The swell backs off to about 3ft from the SW with a solid 16-second period. The wind drops to nothing, glassy, from the west at 5 km/h. That’s the kind of morning where the ocean is all yours. The wave energy is moderate, around 713, but that long period means the sets have some punch. It’s small, but it’s clean, and that’s a huge deal. That’s your first standout right there, but you gotta be on it early because the wind picks up in the afternoon and chop comes back.

Then we hit a flat, bumpy patch. From Monday the 31st through to Wednesday the 2nd of September, the swell shrinks to knee-high mush, with short periods and constant cross-on wind. Not worth the drive.

Thursday morning the 3rd of September teases us with a 0.6m, 19-second period SW groundswell. But it's still poor conditions. The afternoon wind returns, blowing 25 km/h out of the WNW.

Now, the big one. Circle Friday morning, the 4th of September. The swell jumps up to around 5ft from the S, with an 11-second period, and the combined energy is strong, hitting 1034. The wind is only a light westerly, 15 km/h, which is a gentle cross-onshore. This is the biggest swell of the whole two weeks. It’s got power, it’s got push. But be warned, the conditions are only called “marginal,” so there might be some bump on it. If it cleans up, this is the session to be out for. For a beginner, 5ft is pushing it—this one is more for the experienced crew.

From the 5th to the 8th, we settle back down to waist-high waves, mostly in the 3ft range from the SW. The mornings are sometimes clean with light winds, like Monday the 7th morning, which goes glassy from the NE. That’s a great, friendly one for the learners, with clean 1.0m waves. Water temp is pretty average for the season.

The last real gem is Wednesday morning, the 9th of September. The swell is only around 3ft, but it’s a long-period SW groundswell at 18 seconds. The wind goes glassy from the WSW. It’s clean, it’s lined-up, and for those who know Stinson, that long period will make it slower and fatter on the beach, but it’ll be a joy if you find a bank with some shape.

After that, the second week just dies out. Small, weak, and onshore.

So here's the call: the best bets are the glassy mornings on Sunday the 30th and Wednesday the 9th for clean surfing, and the bigger, more powerful Friday the 4th for when you want some size and grunt. The rest of the time, you're just waiting for the wind gods to give you a break.

Catch you in the water.

Rusty.

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