Matanzas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a few windows that’ll get the blood pumping.

The first call is for Saturday, August 15th. It’s not the cleanest start. We’ve got a 6ft swell rolling in from the WNW with a period of 11 seconds at Matanzas. That’s a reef break, exposed to the swell, and it’s very consistent. The combined energy is sitting at 1031, so there’s some moderate grunt in the water. The wind is light and cross from the NNW at 6 mph, which is okay, but there’s light rain and the conditions are only marginal, with a score that tells me it’s a bit tricky. Water temp is 56°, which is about average for the time of year. Honestly, Saturday is more of a session for locals who know the reef lines.

Sunday the 16th drops off quick. The swell drops to 3ft from the WSW with a longer 13-second period, but the wind turns from the S and then gets strong out of the SSW by the afternoon (15 mph), making it messy. Combine that with light rain Saturday turning to clear but choppy conditions—it’s a pass.

Now, here’s a quiet standout. Monday, August 17th. The swell is still only 3ft from the WSW at 13 seconds, but the morning goes glassy. Literally, E at 3 mph glass. Combined energy is 446. The break is a reef, consistent, and with offshore wind direction being E (the break’s optimum is SW), you’ll get some clean, lined-up runners if the tide’s right. It’s marginal in the file, but glassy conditions on a reef are golden for a longboard or a fish. Crowds can show up sometimes, so get in early.

Tuesday the 18th sees the swell nudge up to 4.5ft from the SW at 12 seconds with energy at 975. Morning is cross, but the afternoon turns into a cross-on mess with 15 mph SSW wind. It’s marginal at best, and the afternoon is a write-off.

Wednesday, August 19th is the first real standout and it’s only a week out. The swell jumps to 6.5ft from the WSW, period at 14–15 seconds, and the combined energy hits up to 1955 in the morning and 1648 in the afternoon. That’s moderate to strong energy. Wind is light cross from the N at 6 mph all day. That’s clean. The break is a reef, consistent, and exposed to the swell, so these 6.5ft WNW groundswells with a period over 15 seconds are going to produce some thick, hollow lines. This is for intermediate and above—6.5ft is pushing it for beginners. The long period at 15 seconds means the sets will have serious push and the reef will shape it up nicely. The forecast is marginal in places, but the combination of size, clean wind, and the break’s character makes this the best call of the week.

Thursday the 20th gets wind-affected again with moderate to fresh S/SSW winds, and the swell holds around 5–5.5ft but the quality is poor by the afternoon.

Friday, August 21st has a 7–7.5ft swell from the WSW with strong energy (up to 1887), but the wind stays cross from the S at 15–18 mph. It’s lumpy and marginal—more for the determined locals.

Then there’s a quiet spell. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd of August see the swell drop to under 5ft and under 3.5ft, but Sunday morning goes glassy again with a little 3.5ft SW swell at 9 seconds—energy only 256. It’s small, clean, and easy.

From Monday the 24th through Tuesday the 25th of August, the swell bottoms out. We’re talking 1.3ft to

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