Stockton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Honestly, the first week or so is a tough one. We’ve got a long, slow run of tiny, weak swell with energy readings mostly in the single or low double digits, barely pushing 15 (max 15). Wave heights are stuck between 0.3ft and 1ft, and what little push there is mostly comes from the SSE or S with short periods around 4 to 7 seconds. It’s just not enough to wrap around or stand up. That said, the winds are often in our favour, especially Tuesday the 12th morning with a clean N offshore, and a clear NNW offshore on Friday the 14th morning. But you can’t ride what isn’t there. Come Saturday the 16th, the south swell even drops to 0.7ft with a strong onshore wind – a complete write-off. This dry spell stretches right through until around the 18th of August.

The first real glimmer of hope arrives on Wednesday morning the 19th of August. We finally see a jump in energy to 93, with a 2ft SE swell packing a long-period 12 seconds for that proper groundswell feel. The wind is a light NE cross-off, keeping conditions clean. For Stockton, a long-period SE swell can set up okay, but with that period, the sets will be a bit more spread out. It’s surfable, but you’ll want to be picky. The afternoon on the 19th gets bigger at 3ft and 146 energy units, but the cross-on wind will put a crinkle on the face.

Things get proper interesting, though, on Saturday the 22nd of August. The morning shows a 4ft S swell, climbing to 5ft in the afternoon with the combined energy hitting 130 for that moderate, punchy feel. The problem is the wind: a consistent onshore SSE breeze all day, so the wave quality is going to be poor. That’s rough, because the size is finally there for a proper session.

The standout window, and I’d call this the best bet of the period, is early Sunday the 23rd of August. We get a tiny 1ft SSE swell, but the magic is in the conditions: glassy, zero wind. It’s the kind of morning where you can find a clean little waist-high churner all to yourself. The crowd potential at Stockton is only “sometimes,” so that early glass-off will be your best chance at an uncrowded, fun little session. After that, the energy drops away again into weak, small stuff with onshore wind through the 24th.

Tuesday 25th August sees a jump again with a 3ft S swell and a fresh NW cross-off in the morning, but the period is a short 5 seconds, making it a bit fat and lumpy. The afternoon on the 25th builds to 4ft and 121 energy, but the onshore wind is back, making it choppy. Wednesday morning the 26th finishes the run with a clean, gentle offshore and 2ft of S swell.

So, for the final word: The opening is a total bust. If you’ve got to paddle out, your best choice is the glassy early morning of Sunday the 23rd. It won’t be big, but it will be clean and quiet. The most substantial swell is the 4ft to 5ft pulse on Saturday the 22nd, but the onshore wind will trash the surface – that’s more of a “get wet for the exercise” day than a good wave day. The long period groundswell on the 19th offers the best shaped potential, but with that onshore wind kicking in during the afternoon.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the sky.

Rusty.

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