Stockton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Stockton over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – it’s looking pretty grim. We’ve got a long stretch of flat, choppy, and just plain ordinary surf ahead. The first real chance of anything rideable doesn’t pop up until the 20th of September, and even then, it’s a bit of a stretch to call it good. That’s a solid 12-day gap from the start of the forecast with nothing worth paddling out for.

The first few days are a write-off. Tiny swells, strong onshore winds, and a lot of chop. Tuesday the 8th sees a pathetic 0.7 ft from the east with a light breeze, but the wave comment says it all – poor surf. Wednesday and Thursday are no better, with cross-onshore winds and messy conditions. The water temp on the 8th is sitting at 77°, which is a massive 5° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a weird anomaly, but it won’t help the waves.

We finally get a tiny window on Sunday the 20th of September. The afternoon shows a 5 ft east swell, and the wind is a clean cross-offshore from the north-northeast at 9 mph. The combined energy is moderate at 146, and the period is a short 8 seconds. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and the score is only a 1 out of 10. It’s not a standout, but it’s the only time we see any real size and clean conditions. It’s a beach/jetty setup, so that east swell might offer a few peaks, but it’s not gonna be a classic.

Monday the 21st is a similar story. The morning has a 4 ft east swell with clean offshore wind from the northeast, but the energy is moderate at 195. The wave comment is still “poor surf conditions,” so it’s not really a goer. The afternoon is slightly better with a 4 ft east swell, clean cross-offshore wind, and a score of 1.

After that, it drops back down to tiny, weak swells for the rest of the run. The 22nd of September has a 3 ft east swell, but the wind goes cross-onshore, and the energy drops off. The 23rd is even smaller.

So, if you’re an absolute beginner looking for a tiny, clean wave, the afternoon of the 20th might be your best bet. The 5 ft east swell at Stockton with light offshore winds could be okay for a learner. But for anyone else, it’s a hard pass. The setup is a beach/jetty, so with that short period and weak energy, it’s not going to hold any power. Honestly, it’s more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during that 20th and 21st window.

Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, I’d leave the boards in the car.

Rusty.

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