Stinson Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Stinson Beach.

Alright, to be straight with you, this stretch of 16 days is a tough one for Stinson Beach. The swell is mostly on the small side, and the wind is a problem pretty much the whole time. The first recommendation doesn’t even show up until Saturday morning, August 15th. Up until then, the conditions are either messy or just too poor to bother with.

So, the earliest we see anything even *close* to surfable is on the morning of Saturday, August 15th. Even then, it’s marginal – a 3ft swell from the SW with a nice long 17-second period (that’s a proper groundswell) and light onshore wind. The energy is moderate, around (437). It’s just a *maybe* for a grovel session if you’re desperate.

The real highlight, such as it is, looks like it might be Sunday morning, August 16th. We’ve got a similar 3ft SW groundswell, also with a 16-second period, and light onshore wind again. The combined energy is a bit higher at (447). It’s still a marginal forecast, but this is the best on offer for the whole period. The wave energy is moderate, and that long period means the waves will have some push, but on a beach break like Stinson, those long-period swells can be a bit straight. Still, for a small day, it might just hold up.

After that, the pattern stays pretty grim. The rest of the 16 days is a mix of marginal surf and poor conditions, with the wind mostly cross-onshore or onshore from the W or WNW. There’s a bit of a bump on the morning of August 22nd, with a 5ft WNW swell, but it’s short period (7 seconds) and the wind is cross-onshore, so it’ll be choppy and weak. The energy is moderate (336), but it won't be clean. For the true standouts, stick with that Sunday the 16th.

The water temperature is sitting at 62°F, which is 5°F above the long-term average. That’s notably warm for this time of year, so you can get away with a thinner wetsuit, but it doesn’t fix the bumpy surface.

Look, it’s a rough run for Stinson. The consistent poor wind and small, often short-period swell just aren't making it happen. This is a fairly exposed beach, so it’s not uncommon to have blank stretches when the wind is wrong. Forecasts can change, but as it stands, don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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