Stockton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this is a tough 16-day stretch for Stockton. There’s no real surf to get excited about. The first few days are a write-off, and honestly, the whole window is a struggle. Let’s break it down.

Starting from Saturday the 18th of July, we’ve got a weak, short-period S swell at 4 ft, but it’s getting hammered by a strong southerly wind. That’s a messy, onshore mess – not worth a paddle. The water’s running a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting around 76°, but that’s the only highlight.

Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th are both small and clean, but the swell is tiny – 2 ft down to 1.0 ft from the south. You’d be floating around on a longboard, maybe, but it’s not really surfable. Tuesday the 21st shows a bit more size (3 ft), but it’s a short, crumbly 4-second period with onshore wind and a risk of thunderstorms. No good.

Wednesday the 22nd sees a spike in combined energy, hitting 190 (moderate) on the morning, with a 4 ft S swell at 8 seconds and a cross-shore westerly. Still, the wave comment is poor. The afternoon cleans up with a cross-off NW breeze, but the swell drops to 3 ft. Not enough.

Thursday the 23rd is the first time we see a “surfable” comment – morning offers 3 ft from the SSE with a clean offshore N wind at 12 mph. The energy is weak (78), but it’s the best we’ve got so far. The crowds are only “sometimes” an issue, so you might find a few peaks to yourself. Still, it’s small.

After that, it’s a long, bleak run. From Friday the 24th right through to Sunday the 2nd of August, the swell hovers between 1 ft and 5 ft, but the wind is often cross-on or onshore, and the period is short. The combined energy occasionally climbs into the 100s (like 138 on Saturday the 25th afternoon, or 225 on Wednesday the 29th morning), but with poor conditions and lumpy seas, it’s more a kite-surfing setup than a paddle one. The 5 ft to 5 ft swell on the 29th and 30th is too big for beginners, but it’s still wind-affected and messy.

There’s no standout. No hidden gem. This is a blank run, and for Stockton it’s not unusual – the area can go quiet. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d leave the board in the shed and wait for a better window.

Rusty.

Read more