Matanzas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Matanzas.

The pattern kicks off this Friday the 10th with a solid, clean start, but it gets a bit messy over the weekend before something proper shows up again early next week. Overall, there are some good windows, but you’ll need to pick your moments.

Friday morning the 10th is the standout early call. Matanzas is looking clean with a glassy 4 ft SW swell, a long 13-second period, and very light NNE breeze. The water is sitting at 53°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so a decent wetsuit is a good idea. The combined energy is moderate at 904, and it’s set to produce some really good waves. This is the one to aim for if you can get out there. By Friday afternoon the wind swings SW and goes cross-on, dropping quality right off.

Saturday and Sunday are pretty average. The swell drops a little, and cross-shore winds keep things choppy and messy. Not worth stressing about.

Now, Monday the 13th morning sees the next real pulse. A new W swell bumps up to about 6 ft with an 18-second period – that’s a very long groundswell, and it carries strong energy at 2220. The wind is light cross-shore, so clean enough, but with that long period, it might stand up a bit straight on a beach setup, though Matanzas is a reef, so it should handle it. This is promising.

Monday afternoon gets bigger at 8 ft, but the cross-on wind and chop make it a messy one. Tuesday the 14th sees the swell peak around 10 ft, which is expert territory, but the wind remains cross-shore and sloppy, so the quality isn’t matching the size.

Wednesday the 15th morning is another good call. The swell settles back to about 6 ft from the WSW, period drops to 11 seconds, and we get a nice cross-off breeze – clean conditions and very good surf. Wednesday afternoon goes glassy with a milder 4 ft. Both are worthwhile.

Thursday the 16th gets blown out by fresh NNE winds, and the rest of the week into the weekend is a write-off. There’s a big, powerful W swell on Friday the 17th (10 ft, 5030 energy) and Saturday the 18th (10 ft, 3953 energy), but strong, near-gale winds and heavy rain ruin the chance for a paddle. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The outlook improves again by Sunday the 19th afternoon. Light ENE cross-off wind, 4 ft SW swell with 12-second period, and clean conditions – that’s a nice session. Monday the 20th is surfable but nothing special, and Tuesday the 21st morning offers glassy 4 ft with good shape. The tail end of the forecast, around Wednesday the 22nd to Thursday the 23rd, has small but clean glassy or light offshore conditions, good for a longboard or a fun small-wave board.

So, to sum it up: Friday morning the 10th is the best early call, and Monday morning the 13th is the next serious standout. After that, pick the clean windows on the 15th and the 19th afternoon. Winter is hanging on here.

- Rusty

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