Matanzas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking at Matanzas for the next couple of weeks.

The first week is a bit of a mixed bag with some fun, clean windows, but the real standout is shaping up for Monday, August 3rd and Tuesday, August 4th. That’s when the ocean really wakes up. The water is currently sitting at 55°F – about average for the time of year, so nothing unusual there.

We start with Saturday morning, July 25th. It’s cloudy, with a glassy 4ft swell from the West, a period of 10 seconds, and combined swell energy of 537. That’s moderate energy, and the conditions are clean. It’s a nice, mellow start.

Sunday, July 26th, looks better. Morning sees a 2ft swell from the WSW with a very long period of 18 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the North, keeping it clean. Combined energy is 686. The afternoon holds similar, with a 3ft swell and 16-second period, also clean. A good day for a point or reef.

Monday, July 27th, gets a bit gnarly. The morning jumps to 6ft from the West (10 seconds) with a moderate cross-shore wind, making it choppy. The afternoon sees a solid 10ft swell from the West (14 seconds) with a combined energy of 3017 – strong energy. That’s expert territory, but the cross-shore breeze will mess it up. Not ideal for a paddle.

Tuesday, July 28th, stays big but messy. 8ft and 7ft swells from the West, period around 11 seconds, but with the same moderate cross-shore chop. Combined energy is 1474 and 1019. Not worth the hassle.

Wednesday, July 29th, brings a nice reprieve. Morning has a 4ft swell from the West (12 seconds) with a light cross-offshore breeze from the SSE, making it clean. Combined energy is 504. The afternoon is similar with a 4ft swell. A solid, clean session.

Thursday, July 30th, is glassy. Morning has a 3ft swell from the WSW (12 seconds) with zero wind, combined energy 221. The afternoon is even smaller at 2ft and glassy. Tiny but clean.

Friday, July 31st, the wind picks up. A 4ft swell from the West (13 seconds) but with a 35 km/h cross-offshore wind. Combined energy 690. It’s clean but the wind will be a battle. The afternoon is similar with 5ft and 20 km/h wind.

Saturday, August 1st, stays windy. 5ft and 6ft swells from the West (11 seconds) with moderate cross-offshore winds. Combined energy is 704-778. Clean but not great.

Now for the standout. Sunday, August 2nd, offers a big 12ft swell from the WNW (11 seconds) with a combined energy of 2980, and Monday, August 3rd, is the pick. Monday morning sees a massive 13ft swell from the West (14 seconds) with zero wind – glassy perfection. Combined energy is a huge 5686. This is exceptional, but it’s only for experts. The afternoon is still 13ft but with a slight cross-on breeze. Tuesday, August 4th, is still excellent for experienced surfers, with a 12ft swell from the WSW (13 seconds) and a light cross-offshore breeze, combined energy 3890.

After that, from Wednesday, August 5th, through to Sunday, August 9th, the swell hangs around but the wind turns cross-shore or onshore, making it choppy. The size goes from 7ft down to 5ft, then back up to 10ft, but the wind is messy. The combined energy is still strong, but the quality is poor. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during this period.

So, the clear winner is Monday, August 3rd, morning. If you’re an expert, that’s your window. Tuesday, August 4th, morning is next best. For the rest of us, the clean windows on Saturday 25th, Sunday 26th, and Wednesday 29th are your best bets.

Rusty out.

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