Stockton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this Stockton stretch is in a proper flat spell for the next 16 days. There’s nothing worth paddling out for, so I’ll give you the full rundown so you’re not sitting on the beach wondering what happened.

The forecast starts with a big gap of no real surf. From the first record we have, it’s all poor surf conditions with tiny, weak, and short-period swells. The water temperature is sitting at 74°F, which is about average for this time of year – nothing to complain about there.

We see a brief bump around Monday the 3rd of August with a swell height of 4 ft, but it’s a short 8-second period, coming from the SSE, and that fresh cross-onshore wind from the SW at 22 mph is going to make it lumpy and messy. The combined swell energy is moderate (201), but it’s not worth it – the cross-onshore chop will kill any hope of a clean wave. The next day, Tuesday the 4th of August, shows a moment of glassy conditions in the morning with a tiny 3 ft swell, but the energy is weak (59) and the wave comment says “surfable but very ordinary.” That’s the best we get, and it’s still not good.

After that, it’s a long stretch of gloomy, small, and onshore wind-affected surf right through to the end of the 16-day window. The swell direction stays mostly SSE or S, which is not the optimum SE direction that Stockton really needs to fire. The wind is often onshore or cross-onshore, and the periods are short – mostly 4 to 7 seconds – so there’s no power or shape.

The second week is just as flat. From around the 10th of August onward, the swell heights drop to 1 ft or less, with combined energy values in the teens or single digits – that’s weak. There are a couple of days with cross-offshore winds from the NE (like Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th), but the swell is tiny at 0.7 ft to 3 ft, and the period is still short. Clean conditions mean nothing when there’s no wave to ride. Even the 3 ft on the 14th is from a short 5-second period, so it’s not going to produce anything.

Honestly, this is a blank run. Stockton is a consistent spot, so this kind of flat spell is a bit unusual, but it happens. Don’t hold your breath – forecasts can change, but right now, there’s nothing to get excited about. If you’re desperate, maybe look at kite surfing on the windier, bigger days, but for paddle surfing, leave the board at home.

Rusty

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