Stockton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s see what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Overall, it’s a pretty frustrating start for Stockton Beach. The first week is mostly a write-off with tiny, messy waves, or wind-ruined conditions. You’ll be sitting on the beach more than in the water. The real light at the end of the tunnel is a very promising, but very distant, window early next month. The standout session is shaping up to be Tuesday, 1st September, but the absolute best day on offer is Friday, 4th September – though that one is for the experienced crew only.

The first real surfable moment arrives on Monday, 24th August. The morning has a clean 3 ft swell from the south with a light cross-offshore breeze. The wind is light, keeping things clean, but the wave energy is moderate (184). It’s surfable, but it’s ordinary at best – a good way to get a wet suit on, but not something to write home about.

The next tiny window is Wednesday, 26th August. The morning sees a jump in size to 5 ft from the northeast, with a clean cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is moderate (419), and it’s the first time the report says “expect good surf conditions.” It’s a solid shot for a fun session if you’re an intermediate, but the wind could shift. The afternoon is a bust.

We get a bit of a lull until Friday, 28th August. The morning has a 3 ft swell from the east-northeast, clean conditions again, but the energy is low (137). Just another small, clean, ordinary day.

Then, on Saturday, 29th August, the morning is glassy. Zero wind. A 2 ft swell from the east-northeast, but the energy is still weak (100). It’s flat, but it’s pretty. Good for a beginner or a longboard, but don’t expect any power.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Tuesday, 1st September is the first standout. The afternoon goes glassy again, with a 6 ft swell from the south. The combined energy jumps to 402 (moderate), and the report says “expect good surf conditions.” The wind is off, the swell is solid, and the period is short (7 seconds) so it’ll be a bit lumpy, but for a beach break, this is your best bet for a proper paddle before the big stuff hits. The water temperature is about average for this time of year.

Wednesday, 2nd September is a total write-off – howling 19 mph winds ruin any chance of fun.

The absolute headline act is Friday, 4th September. The morning shows a massive 12 ft swell from the south-southeast, with light cross-offshore winds. The combined energy is a whopping 1426 (very strong). The afternoon is 10 ft with glassy wind. The report says “wind and tide favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break.” This is a hard, heavy, expert-only day. The swell is strong, the period is short (8 seconds), so it’ll be a close-out freight train. If you are not a seasoned charger, stay on the sand. The water temp will feel about average for early September.

After that, Sunday, 6th September morning offers a final clean-up: 3 ft from the east with a light cross-offshore breeze. Moderate energy (232). A decent, clean, accessible wave to wrap up the outlook.

Crowd note: Stockton Beach is sometimes busy. On the 1st September afternoon and the 4th September, expect the locals to be out in force.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a grind. The best real surf for most of you is the glassy afternoon on Tuesday, 1st September. The big dog is Friday, 4th September, but that’s for experts only. Don’t get your hopes up too much for the long-range stuff – it’s promising, but the forecast can shift.

Rusty.

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