Swimming at Stinson Beach today
Stinson Beach, California
Updated 4:03 AM PDT
What decides a swimming score
Water quality
Every monitored point along this beach currently grades A+.
Graded clean today
- SouthA+
- NorthA+
- CentralA+
All 3 monitoring points
| Monitoring point | Distance | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Central | 0.5 km | A+ |
| North | 0.4 km | A+ |
| South | 0.8 km | A+ |
Dry-weather bacterial grades from the Heal the Bay Beach Report Card, updated 2026-08-21. Grades reflect the most recent agency sampling and can change after rain.
Before you swim
Surf is running 5.2 ft today, which makes shorebreak and currents stronger than usual.
At 60°F the water is cold enough that unprotected swimmers risk cold-water shock.
Swim near a staffed lifeguard tower, and check the National Weather Service surf-zone forecast for the official rip-current outlook — we report conditions, we don't forecast rip currents.
Stinson Beach is also scored for
About Stinson Beach
Stinson Beach sits on the California coast, where the water runs from about 54°F in January to 61°F in September.
The water here never averages above 70°F — even in September, the warmest month, it sits around 61°F. Most people wear a wetsuit.
Today it is 60°F. That is 1° above the August average of 59°F here.
Tide predictions come from NOAA station Bolinas Lagoon about 3.4 km away inside a bay.
Frequently asked questions
Is Stinson Beach good for swimming today?
Poor for swimming — we score it 45 out of 100 today. The limiting factor is surf calmness at 5.2 ft.
What makes a good swimming day?
We weight water temperature (40%), surf calmness (25%), uv exposure (15%) and combine them into one score. Conditions we cannot read are left out rather than guessed.
When is the best time of year to swim at Stinson Beach?
The water here never averages above 70°F — even in September, the warmest month, it sits around 61°F. Most people wear a wetsuit.