Stinson Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Stinson Beach.

The next sixteen days are a real mixed bag. For the most part, we’re looking at small, choppy, cross-onshore conditions that aren’t worth paddling out for. There’s a long stretch of marginal and poor surf from the start up until the end of August, so don’t expect much action for the first week. The wind is mostly from the west-northwest, and it’s going to mess up the surface most days. The combined swell energy is weak to moderate, running between 244 and 849, but with that wind, it’s just messy.

Now, the standout. Sunday the 30th of August is your best early bet. That morning the wind goes glassy, with a light west-southwest breeze, and you get a clean little SW swell at 3 ft. The period is a solid 16 seconds—proper groundswell—giving the waves some shape and punch. Combined energy is 576, which is moderate but with the glassy conditions, it’ll feel like a real treat after all that chop. That’s the one to circle.

If you can wait, Wednesday the 2nd of September morning turns things around with a cleaner look. A light north-northeast cross-offshore breeze and a 4 ft WNW swell at 7 seconds—short period, but the wind is light and the water will be clean. The combined energy is 407, nothing huge, but it’ll be a fun, user-friendly wave.

The real highlight, though, comes on Saturday the 5th of September. That morning is glassy again with a 5 ft WNW groundswell at 10 seconds. Combined energy jumps to 890—that’s a solid pulse. The wind is calm, the water is clean, and this is expert territory because 5 ft with that period will have some punch. If you’re experienced, that’s the session to wait for.

Sunday the 6th of September morning also looks good—clean offshore wind from the north-northeast, 6 ft WNW at 11 seconds, and combined energy of 1052. That’s strong. But again, that size is for experienced surfers only. The water temperature is about average for the time of year.

Stinson Beach is a beginner-friendly spot, fairly consistent, and exposed to the southwest. It does get crowded sometimes, and with these small, clean windows, expect company. The big swells in early September are best for experts; the smaller glassy windows on the 30th and 2nd are better for the average surfer looking to score a few clean ones.

So to sum it up: the first week is mostly a write-off. Sunday the 30th of August is a sneaky good window. The second week ramps up, with Saturday and Sunday the 5th and 6th of September being the real standouts—just don’t go if you’re not ready for solid waves.

Rusty.

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