Conditions at Stockton in December
December: Wintry Mix and Offshore Gifts
December closes out the year with classic winter surf potential. Average height is 2.3ft (0.7m) and the period is 6.3s, with the direction split dominated by WNW (10.4%), NW (9.1%), S (9.0%) and SSW (7.8%). For Stockton, the S and SSW components are the most valuable, especially when paired with the dominant offshore wind directions: WNW (14.9%), NW (13.9%) and NNW (11.4%) combine for about 40% of all wind observations. The air is cold, averaging 5.5°C, and the water temp has dropped to 7.5°C, but the ocean is more active than in summer. Offshore winds groom the surface and the short-period SW/WNW windswell can still produce punchy, rideable waves in the 1.6-5ft (0.5-1.5m) range. For dedicated surfers, December is a month to watch the forecasts closely - the best swells often arrive with the first big low pressure systems of the meteorological winter.
Average Spot conditions at Stockton in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Stockton during December. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Stockton for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Stockton for December. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Stockton.