Stockton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your wettie, let’s talk about Stockton Beach.

The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. We’ve got a slow start with hardly any surf to speak of for the first few days, and then things start to move around a bit. There’s a real window of opportunity late in the piece, but it comes with some wild conditions.

The first real chance of anything decent is on Wednesday, August 19th. It’s small, but clean. We’re looking at a 2ft ESE swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is glassy from the NNE in the morning. That’s your classic small-wave morning, and the water temperature is sitting at 63°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year. It’s not going to be pumping, but it’s the best thing on offer for that first week. The energy behind this swell is weak, only hitting 202 in the morning, so set your expectations low.

After that, we hit a real lull. From Thursday the 20th right through to the 27th, there’s basically nothing worth paddling out for. The swell drops off, the periods are short, and the winds are all over the place. It’s a frustrating stretch of tiny, messy waves. I wouldn’t bother even checking the cam. It’s a blank run, but it happens.

Then things get interesting. On Friday, August 28th, the morning looks like the standout of the whole period. We’ve got a 3ft S swell with a 12-second period, and the wind is offshore from the WNW at a light 3 mph. That’s clean and lined up. The wave energy is moderate, at 231, and with that longer period, Stockton should actually have some shape. This is the one to make a real effort for.

Saturday the 29th is more of a mixed deal. The morning has a 3ft S swell, but a fresher cross-off shore wind at 12 mph. It’s surfable, but it’s not as clean. By the afternoon, the swell jumps to 5ft and the energy is strong at 407, but the conditions are getting messier.

Now, Sunday the 30th is a big one. The morning sees a solid 8ft ESE swell with a short 7-second period. The wave energy is very strong, hitting 823. The wind is howling from the SW at 19 mph, but it’s cross-offshore. This is big, powerful, and unruly. This is expert territory only, and honestly, with that short period and the size, it might be more of a kite surfing day than a paddle surfing day. The afternoon brings more wind and a chance of storms, with the swell dropping to 6ft.

The following Monday the 31st is a washout. Massive 10ft SE swell meets 25 mph south winds, creating heavy, lumpy, cross-shore chaos. The energy readings are off the chart, over 2200, but you won’t be surfing it. This is not the time to be a hero.

We start September with more sizeable but junky surf. Tuesday the 1st has a 6ft ESE swell, and the afternoon looks like the better bet with a 6ft SE swell and a moderate cross-offshore wind. It’s heavy, around 1185 energy, but still a messy, marginal prospect. By Wednesday the 2nd, it’s back to strong winds and lumpy conditions, with a 8ft SSE swell.

So, here’s the deal. The clear standout is Friday morning, August 28th. Get out there for that session. Sunday the 30th is also notable for its power, but it’s for experts only. Everything else is either too small, too messy, or just plain too big and windy.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty

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