Matanzas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. Just the one spot firing in this 16-day window, and it’s a good one, but you’ve got to pick your moments.

We’re looking at Matanzas, a solid intermediate reef break. It's very consistent and exposed to the SW, which is exactly where our main swell is coming from. The water temp is sitting at 55°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The big story is the opening swell. Thursday the 27th kicks off with a proper pulse of groundswell – 12 ft from the WSW, with a long period of 14 seconds. The combined energy is pumping at 5120 (strong to very strong). The wind is light offshore (WSW at 3 mph) in the morning, and it’s glassy. That’s the standout. It’s big, it’s clean, and it’s going to be heavy. Just a heads-up: at this size, over 8 ft, it’s strictly for the experienced crew. The reef setup should handle that long period well, keeping things from breaking too straight. Expect it to be a bit wonky on the banks at that size, but the quality should be there.

Friday the 28th drops a touch to 8 ft, still solid. The wind swings to a light NNE cross-off in the morning, keeping things clean. The swell period is 13 seconds, still with plenty of power (2567 combined energy). Another good session for the skilled surfer.

Saturday the 29th is a real treat. The swell backs down to a more user-friendly 7 ft, and we get dead calm, glassy conditions in the morning. Zero wind from the WNW. The period is still a meaty 12 seconds. This is the pick of the week for the intermediate surfer who wants a clean, powerful wave without the heavy-duty size. Combined energy is 1072, so moderate but punchy.

Sunday the 30th sees the swell dropping to 6 ft, but the wind turns onshore from the SW (3-12 mph), so it gets increasingly choppy as the day goes on. Not worth paddling out unless you’re desperate.

Monday the 31st through Tuesday the 1st of September, we’re into smaller, weaker surf (4-5 ft) with a cross-shore breeze that makes it messy. Not really on the cards.

Then we hit a real lull. Wednesday the 2nd of September has tiny 2 ft swell, but the period is a massive 18 seconds – very long period groundswell. The combined energy is 384 (weak). It’s glassy in the morning, so expect some slow, fat lines that might work on the inside, but it’s a gear-changer, not a surfer’s wave. For the next few days, the surf stays small.

A new pulse arrives on Thursday the 3rd of September with 5 ft from the WSW, 14-second period, but the wind is already onshore (SSW). The quality is marginal.

We start to see some size return again around Friday the 4th of September (7-8 ft) and building into the next week. The morning of Wednesday the 9th of September looks promising with a clean 8 ft (SW, 10 seconds) and glassy conditions – that’s a good session for experts. The combined energy is 1243, moderate to strong. It’s a little far out, but worth keeping an eye on.

Overall, the absolute standout is Thursday morning the 27th of August and Saturday morning the 29th of August at Matanzas. Clean, strong, long-period groundswell. If you can handle the bigger days, Thursday is the jewel. For a slightly more relaxed but quality session, Saturday morning is your window. The wind windows are tight, so be on it.

Rusty.

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