Matanzas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the pipe at Matanzas.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first real surfable option doesn't pop up until Tuesday morning, September 15th. Before that, Sunday and Monday are pretty grim with messy, onshore wind and weak, small swell. The water temp is sitting at a normal 56° for the time of year, nothing wild.

Tuesday morning the 15th is the first glimmer of hope. The wind swings light and cross-offshore, cleaning things up. We get a modest 4ft swell from the WSW with a moderate 13-second period, but the combined wave energy is still pretty weak at 563. It’s clean, but don’t expect anything too exciting. The afternoon gets chopped out again.

Wednesday the 16th sees the swell drop right off. We’ve got a tiny 2ft glassy wave in the morning, but with combined energy of just 177, it’s really marginal. Fun for a log if you’re desperate.

Thursday the 17th morning is the first real standout. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, and the swell picks up a bit to 4ft from the SW. The catch? The period is only 7 seconds – short-period windswell, so it'll be a bit fat and sectiony. But glassy conditions make anything fun.

Then we hit a long, dull stretch. From Thursday afternoon all the way through to Wednesday the 23rd, it’s a mix of cross-onshore winds, chop, and tiny swell. There’s a brief look on Saturday the 19th morning with a clean 4ft from the WSW and offshore ENE breeze at 6 mph – decent for a session, but nothing to write home about.

Things finally start to get interesting as we head into the second week. Thursday the 24th morning brings a clean 3ft from the west with a cross-offshore NNE breeze at 9 mph. It's a solid, clean option for a Thursday surf.

Now, for the true standout – and this one is for experienced surfers only – look at Friday the 25th morning. We’ve got a proper 6ft west swell with a long 13-second period and combined energy pumping at 1285 (strong). The wind is light and cross-offshore from the NE at 6 mph, keeping it clean. This is where Matanzas reef really starts to shine. It’s big, powerful, and lined up. Not for beginners.

If you can hold out, Saturday the 26th morning is even better. A 7ft west swell, 13-second period, combined energy of 1593 (very strong), and glassy conditions with a light SE breeze at 3 mph. This is the pick of the entire forecast. Clean, heavy, and consistent. This is expert territory, no question.

After that, Sunday the 27th morning still has a clean 5ft from the WSW, but the size drops and the winds turn cross-off again. Monday the 28th is a write-off with onshore winds and choppy conditions.

So, to sum it up: the first week is mostly a write-off with a few clean but small windows. The true standouts are Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th mornings. Get ready for some heavy, clean west swell at the reef if you've got the skills.

Rusty.

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