Stockton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: Stockton is in for a rough patch. Looking at the whole 16 days, it’s a long, grim stretch. There’s basically nothing worth paddling out for in the first week, and the second week doesn’t offer much relief either. There’s a gap of about 10 days with no real recommendations, so don’t hold your breath.

Let’s start at the beginning. Sunday the 19th sees a tiny 2ft southerly swell, with a short period of 7 seconds. The energy is weak (30), and it’s a cross-offshore breeze, but the waves are just poor. You’re looking at ankle-biters at best.

Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st are even worse. Swell drops to 1.0ft, and by Tuesday afternoon, the wind swings onshore and ramps up to 22 mph, pushing a messy 5ft swell in. The energy climbs to 122, but it’s a choppy, wind-blown mess. Definitely not for beginners – that’s too much size (over 5ft) for a learner, and the onshore wind will make it ugly.

Wednesday the 22nd offers a glimmer of hope, but it’s still a dud. A 4ft southerly swell, period coming up to 8 seconds, with a moderate 183 energy. The wind is cross-offshore from the WNW, so it’s clean, but the waves are still rated as poor. The same goes for the rest of the week: tiny swells, mostly under 2ft, with periods under 8 seconds.

We finally get a day that’s a *little* better. On Wednesday the 29th, there’s a morning session with glassy conditions – a 3ft southerly swell, period at 6 seconds, and the water is a touch warmer than normal at 76°. The wind is glassy, coming from the NNW at just 3 mph. The wave comment is "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions," and it scores a 1 out of 10. It’s the best on offer, but that’s not saying much. The energy is only 62, so it’s weak. This is a beginner-friendly break, so the small size (3ft) is fine, but the short period (6 seconds) will make it a bit crumbly and inconsistent.

The One Standout: If you’re desperate, Wednesday the 29th. That’s your best bet. Head out in the morning for the glassy, clean conditions. It’s Stockton, so it’s a beach/jetty spot, and it can get crowded (sometimes). The swell is from the south, but with a period of only 6 seconds, it’s not a groundswell, so it won’t have that deep, powerful push. It’s just a small, clean wave for a beginner to mess around on.

After that, the outlook drops right back to junk. Thursday the 30th brings onshore winds, and the rest of the month and into August is a washout. For the kite surfers, the windy, onshore days later in July and early August – like the 5ft swell with strong onshore winds on the 21st and 28th – will look more interesting than paddle surfing.

Rusty.

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