Stockton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Stockton Beach. There’s a lot going on, but you gotta be patient – it’s a mixed bag with some real heavy hitters on the way, and a few windows of clean waves for the patient surfer.

Kickin’ things off on Saturday, the 4th of July, we get a bit of hope. The swell is a clean 3 ft from the south, with a solid 12-second period that gives it some grunt. The combined energy is in the moderate range (290) and the wind is glassy offshore from the west-northwest in the morning. It’s not huge, but for a fairly consistent spot that’s sometimes busy, this is your first real window for some clean, fun waves. The water temp is sitting at 67°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year.

Now, here’s where it gets wild. Sunday the 5th rolls in with a massive jump – we’re looking at 8 ft of south swell. The combined energy rockets up to a strong 1674, but with a 19 mph south cross-wind, it’s gonna be a lumpy, choppy mess. And honestly, even if the wind was perfect, 8 ft at a beach break like Stockton is getting into expert-only territory. This is more of a spectacle than a session.

Things stay big and messy through Monday and Tuesday. We’re talking 8 ft to 8 ft south and south-southeast swell, with moderate to fresh cross-onshore winds turning it into a washing machine. The wave energy is through the roof – those three-digit numbers (1028, 2296, 1451) tell you there’s plenty of power, but it’s all wrong for a clean ride. The winds do back off a bit on Wednesday and Thursday, turning cross-offshore, but the swell is still 5 ft to 7 ft. It’ll be cleaner, but still a hefty wave for the intermediate crew.

The standout of the whole outlook? For my money, it’s the morning of Saturday, the 11th of July. We’re back down to a manageable 4 ft swell from the southeast, but here’s the kicker: dead calm, glassy air from the west-northwest, and perfectly offshore. Combined energy is light (237), but that’s fine – it’s a clean, user-friendly size with a 9-second period that will give you some fun little walls. Considering everything else is either too big or too windy, this is the window you pencil in.

The following week sees the swell drop right off – 2 ft and smaller – before another massive pulse shows up. Around Tuesday the 14th into Wednesday the 15th, another south groundswell arrives, hitting 4 ft in the afternoon with a clean offshore wind (321 combined energy), and then it keeps building. By Wednesday the 15th morning we’re at 6 ft, then it jumps to a massive 8 ft by the afternoon with a 13-second period – that’s very long period groundswell. The combined energy is a huge 2412. It’s clean and cross-offshore, but again, 8 ft at Stockton is a lot of water. Thursday the 16th pushes even bigger: 12 ft in the morning with solid offshore wind. That’s a powerful, heavy wave – experts only, and you’d want a spot that handles long-period swell better than a beach break.

So, to sum it up: if you can wait, the morning of Saturday the 11th is your best bet for clean fun waves. The second week has the biggest swell of the whole forecast, but it’s for experienced crew only, and the wind will be a factor. The period from Sunday the 5th through Wednesday the 8th is a write-off for most of us – too big and messy. Keep an eye on the glassy mornings, they’re the gem.

Rusty.

Read more