Stockton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, checkin' in from the beach. We've got a bit of a slow start, but the week ahead is shaping up to offer some real moments of magic, especially for those who know this stretch of sand.

It's a quiet start, no doubt. The first few days are a real write-off with tiny, weak swells. Thursday the 23rd is a no-go with a piddly 2ft easterly windswell, and the energy is just a whisper (69). Friday the 24th is a step up with a 5ft south swell, but the cross-off wind is a tease – the morning looks clean but the quality is still just average. The real spark arrives on Saturday the 25th. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the south with a nice long period of 12 seconds, giving it some real grunt (696 combined energy). The morning has a cross-off breeze, but it's the afternoon that's the standout for the weekend: clean lines, 4ft south swell, a light cross-off from the northwest, and the energy is solid (388). It's a beautiful afternoon for a paddle.

But the crown jewel of this forecast is Sunday the 26th. The morning session is the one to circle. We've got a clean 5ft south swell, a long 12-second period (602 energy), and best of all, a light offshore wind from the west. That's the recipe for clean, lined-up waves at Stockton Beach. The water is a very pleasant 65°F, which is bang on average for this time of year. It's a winner.

Monday the 27th still has some fun waves in the morning – 4ft from the south with a clean offshore. After that, the pulse fades. There's a big lull from Tuesday the 28th through Wednesday the 29th, with tiny, gutless swells. Then, hold onto your board. On Thursday the 30th of July, the ocean turns on a monster. A massive 8ft swell from the south is forecast, with a combined energy of 1325. The wind is fresh offshore, but this swell is simply too big for this break. It's a warning for experienced chargers only; the 12ft and 10ft swells that follow on Friday the 31st are in the same league – huge, powerful, and dangerous. The energy readings are off the charts (4733, 3419). This is not a time for the average punter.

The week after that is a slow return to normal. Saturday the 1st of August cleans up with a 6ft SSE swell and a solid offshore wind, but it's still big. By Sunday the 2nd, it's dropping back to 4ft, and the rest of the week is a mixed bag of small, clean surf in the mornings and crummy onshore slop in the afternoons. Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th of August look like the best of the second week, with 4ft to 4ft swells, clean offshore winds in the morning, and moderate energy.

So, to sum it up: the absolute best on offer is the Sunday morning session on the 26th. It's a clean, offshore, 5ft groundswell that will have the banks grinning. A close second is the Saturday afternoon on the 25th. Everything else is either flat, blown out, or too big. Keep your eyes on the horizon, and the forecasts can change, but for now, Sunday the 26th is the call.

Rusty.

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