Matanzas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The long-range picture for our stretch of coast has a bit of a slow burn to it, but there are a couple of proper windows that’ll get the heart rate up if you’re patient. The first few days are a write-off for anything decent, so don’t bother paddling out until we get past that.

Starting with Wednesday the 9th – forget the afternoon, it’s messy. The morning’s got a tiny bit of push, around 2ft of WSW swell but it’s clean and glassy with the SE wind barely breathing. It’s small, but if you’re desperate for a splash, that’s your only real option. The energy is moderate at 392, so there’s a bit of life, but honestly, it’s a grovel session. Thursday and Friday are no good either – winds go cross and then cross-on, chop everywhere, and the swell drops into the 3ft range with poor quality. You’re better off doing something else.

Saturday the 12th brings a slight bump to 6ft but the period drops to 8 seconds, that’s junky, short-period stuff. There’s a bit of energy (443) but it’s going to be lumpy and frustrating, especially with the afternoon cross-onshore mess.

Now, Sunday the 13th – this is where it starts to turn. Early morning, the ESE offshore wind comes in light, and we’ve got 4ft of SW swell with a clean face. The energy jumps to a solid 607, and that’s a proper moderate pulse. This is the first real standout. The wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions,” and I’m inclined to agree. It’s a bit of a bigger, cleaner swell, and that offshore breeze will hold it together. Keep the crowd situation in mind – it’s a spot that’s “sometimes” busy, so you might get a bit of company, but it’s worth it.

Monday the 14th is the pick of the bunch, honestly. Morning sees 5ft of WSW swell, period out at 14 seconds – that’s proper groundswell – and a cross-offshore SSE wind keeping it clean. The energy is cranking at 945, which is strong, and the comment is “very good surf conditions” again. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The longer period means it’ll have real push and shape, especially on a reef setup like this. It’s a standout, no doubt.

Tuesday the 15th morning is still fun – glassy with the SE wind, 4ft of swell, decent 13-second period, but it’s a step down in energy (560). Still a good bet if you missed the Monday window.

Then we hit a lull. Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th are marginal at best, small and mostly cross or onshore. The afternoons are poor. Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th get worse, with rising winds and messy conditions. The weekend of the 19th-20th sees a swell pulse up to 5-6ft, but it’s with strong cross-shore winds and periods of 10-11 seconds, so it’s a total mess. That Saturday afternoon has 30 km/h cross-shore winds, and it’s not going to be fun.

The following week from the 22nd onwards is looking at a lot of average, cross/onshore stuff. But here’s the thing – the 23rd afternoon throws a curveball. The swell jumps to 10ft from the west, period at 10 seconds, and the energy goes through the roof at 2023 – that’s very strong. But it’s also a 10ft wave. That’s expert-only territory. The wind is light onshore at that point, so it might be a bit raw, but if you’ve got the skills and the nerve, that could be something. It’s a long way out though, so treat it as promising but not set in stone.

One thing to remember – water temps are running pretty average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

So, bottom line: Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th are your standout mornings. Clean, solid, proper energy. After that, there’s a dry spell, then that big 23rd afternoon if you’re brave enough. Don’t waste your time on the junk days.

Rusty.

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