Matanzas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s shaping up for Matanzas.

First up, the water’s a bit on the cooler side for this time of year, coming in at 53°F, which is about 3°F colder than usual. It’s not freezing, but you’ll want a decent wetsuit.

The next few days are a bit of a write-off. Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th have some small swell around 3ft to 4ft, but the wind is messy and cross-shore, so the waves are just a jumbled mess. The combined energy is weak to moderate (833 and 428), so honestly, not worth paddling out for.

Things start to get interesting on Monday the 13th. The swell bumps up to 6ft in the morning from the west, with a good long period of 18 seconds, pushing a lot of energy (2552). The wind is light and cross-shore, so it’s clean but a little tricky. By the afternoon, it’s up to 8ft, but the wind swings cross-onshore, making it choppy. Still, that’s a solid groundswell building.

Now, Tuesday the 14th is the standout. The morning is absolutely glassy – zero wind, with a solid 10ft swell from the west-southwest. The energy is pumping (3150). This is proper, powerful groundswell (13-second period) and it’s going to be clean as a whistle. This is for experienced surfers only; it’s too big for beginners. The afternoon stays clean with a slight cross-shore breeze, but the swell holds strong.

Wednesday the 15th sees the swell drop to 5ft, but the wind turns offshore from the north-northeast, keeping it clean. The energy is moderate (717). Not the best of the week, but still a fun, manageable size.

Thursday the 16th is a no-go. The wind is howling at 19-25 mph, and the swell is small and weak. The ocean is a mess.

Friday the 17th brings a new pulse of west swell, 7ft to 8ft, with strong energy (1779-1863). Problem is, the wind is a screaming 25-34 mph from the north-northeast. The waves are clean but blown out and wild. This is more of a kite-surfing day than a paddle-surfing day.

Saturday the 18th has another 10ft pulse from the northwest, but the wind is cross-shore and messy. The energy is strong (2313), but the quality isn’t there for a clean paddle session.

The next real window of quality comes on Sunday the 19th. The morning swell is 6ft from the west-northwest with a nice 12-second period, and moderate cross-offshore winds. It’s clean. Then the afternoon is the highlight: a solid 6ft, long period (12 seconds) swell, with a true offshore wind from the east-northeast at 16 mph. The energy is strong (1320) and the waves will be clean and well-shaped. This is a great session for experienced surfers.

After that, the forecast tails off into smaller, weaker, and wind-affected surf through the rest of the week. The 20th and 21st have gale-force winds and small waves, so give it a miss. The 22nd and 23rd have tiny, weak swell under 4ft, and the 24th through the 26th is just small, short-period, and mostly cross-shore junk. Nothing worth getting excited about.

So, to sum it up: Tuesday the 14th morning is the best of the bunch – big, glassy, and powerful. Sunday the 19th afternoon is a close second with clean offshore winds on a solid west-northwest swell. The rest is mostly a waiting game.

Rusty out.

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