Stockton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be real about what’s happening at Stockton over the next couple of weeks.

First off, I gotta be honest: this is a tough stretch. The swell is small and weak for most of the run, and the wind is often messy. The water temp is sitting at 76°, which feels a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so you won’t need a thick wetsuit, but that’s about the only thing going for us.

We kick off Monday July 20th with tiny 1 ft SSE swell and a short 7-second period. The combined energy is a weak 14 – that’s barely a ripple. A light ENE cross-off wind keeps it clean, but honestly, it’s just poor surf. Nothing to get out of bed for.

Tuesday the 21st sees a bump in windswell, with a 3 ft SSE swell but a short 6-second period, and the wind goes straight onshore from the south at 25 km/h. It’s choppy and ugly. By Tuesday afternoon, the swell pushes to 5 ft from the south, but with strong onshore winds at 35 km/h, it’s a mess. The combined energy climbs to 132 (moderate energy), but it’s not surfable for a paddle – this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Wednesday the 22nd brings the biggest swell of the period, 6 ft from the south with an 8-second period. The combined energy hits 689 (moderate-strong energy), but it’s blowing cross-on from the SW at 25 km/h. The conditions are poor, and at that size with onshore wind, it’s a washing machine. Not recommended.

Now, a bit of hope. Thursday July 23rd. The swell drops to 3 ft from the SSE, but we get a clean, offshore wind from the north at 20 km/h. Combined energy is 79 (weak energy), but the waves are surfable, if very ordinary. For a beginner, this is the best we’ll see. The wind is offshore, so the waves will be clean. It’s not pumping, but it’s rideable.

From Friday July 24th through to the end of July, it’s a long, flat spell. Swell heights hover between 1 ft and 3 ft, periods are short, and the wind is mostly cross or onshore. There are a few days with light winds and clean conditions, like Friday morning and Saturday morning, but the swell is just too small to do anything with. The combined energy is often below 100, meaning weak wave energy. It’s a solid gap of about a week with nothing worth recommending.

Heading into August, the first weekend (August 1st and 2nd) is a write-off: strong onshore winds, short-period windswell, and poor conditions. On Sunday August 2nd, the swell tries to pick up to 5 ft from the south, but it’s still onshore and messy. The combined energy is 144 (moderate), but it’s not clean.

The very last day in the window, Tuesday August 4th, has a tiny 2 ft SSE swell with a clean cross-off wind from the WNW at 15 km/h. It’s clean, but again, the wave size is tiny. Combined energy is a low 43.

So, the standout here? It’s Thursday July 23rd. The waves are small, only 3 ft from the SSE, but with a clean north offshore wind, it’s the only time in the whole forecast that everything lines up for a surf. Keep your expectations low – it’s not a classic Stockton day, but it’s the best we’ve got.

Other than that, it’s a long wait. The surf is mostly poor, and the wind is often wrong. For a beach/jetty like Stockton, it’s a frustrating stretch. Stay patient, Rusty’s out.

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