Matanzas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Looks like we’ve got a bit of a slow burner on our hands at Matanzas, but once it gets going, there’s some proper gold to be had.

The overall pattern is a bit of a mixed bag. Early on, the swell is small and clean but nothing to write home about. Then it starts to build, but the wind gets messy through the middle of the period. The real standout is going to be Sunday the 13th – that morning session is the pick of the whole run.

Alright, let’s get into it.

We kick off Friday the 11th with a clean 1.0m groundswell from the WSW at 12 seconds (moderate energy at 307). The wind is a light cross-off from the SSE, so it’s clean but pretty small. Matanzas is a very consistent reef break, exposed to the SW, so it needs a bit more push. That said, it’s a nice gentle start.

Saturday the 12th sees the swell jump to 1.7m from the SW, but the period drops to 8 seconds – shorter period windswell. The morning is clean with a light cross-off, so it’s surfable. Not the best shape, but worth a paddle.

Now for the real standout: Sunday the 13th morning. We’ve got 1.4m from the SW, period 8 seconds, but the winds are light from the SE, cross-off, and it’s clean. The combined energy is strong at 612 – you can feel the push. This is the best on offer. Expect fun, punchy lefts off the reef. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so you might want to get in early.

The afternoon on Sunday turns a bit tricky – the swell drops back to 0.9m from the WSW, period jumps to 17 seconds (very long period groundswell), but the wind goes cross-on. That long period tends to make beach breaks close out, but Matanzas as a reef can handle it. Just a bit bumpy.

From Monday the 14th through to Friday the 18th it’s a bit of a struggle. The swell hangs around 1.0m to 1.4m, but the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, creating chop. The energy readings are moderate (around 300-500 range), but the quality just isn’t there. A few mornings offer a tiny window of cleaner conditions, but nothing worth calling a standout.

We get a reprieve on Wednesday the 16th morning – 0.8m from the WSW at 12 seconds with glassy conditions. That’s a lovely session if you’re after small, clean waves for a longboard. The water temp is around average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th bring more of the same – small, messy afternoons. But look at Sunday the 20th morning: 1.2m from the SW, 10 second period, and glassy winds again. That’s another clean, small morning. Not a standout, but a solid session.

Then we get a real late-show surprise. Saturday the 26th morning: 1.7m from the WSW, 8 second period, with a light cross-off from the SSE, clean conditions. The combined energy is solid at 888 – that’s strong. This is the second true standout of the run. It’s a bit far out, so treat it as promising but not locked in. If the wind holds, that’s going to be a ripping morning at Matanzas.

Between Sunday the 13th and Saturday the 26th, there are patches of 3-4 days where the afternoons are write-offs, but the mornings keep giving little windows. The longest gap without any real recommendation is from Monday the 14th through Wednesday the 16th – only the Wednesday morning is worth looking at.

Overall, Matanzas is fairly consistent, so despite the choppy afternoons, it never really goes flat. Stoke is high for those two morning windows: Sunday the 13th and Saturday the 26th.

Keep an eye on that later date. Rusty out.

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