Surf Forecasts:
Mavericks surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, WNW swell with 344 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 17s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Mavericks this week:
The surf forecast for Mavericks over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Mavericks in the next 16 days are 1.7m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Mavericks over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's take a good, hard look at what's cookin' for Mavericks over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you, it's a rough stretch for most of it. The water is sitting at 62.1°F, which is a good 3.6°F warmer than usual for this time of year, so it's a lot warmer than you'd expect, but the surf is the real story here.
We're looking at a long, bleak period from Thursday, August 20th, through to the end of the month. The first week is basically a write-off. Swell energy is weak to moderate at best, with readings like 268 (weak) and 285 (weak) on that Thursday, and it doesn't get much better. The combination of small, short-period swell and cross-onshore winds means we'll be dealing with choppy, bumpy conditions. Even the mornings that look promising with light winds are mostly met with marginal surf or poor-quality waves. The swell direction is mostly SSW or SW, which isn't the ideal WNW for this exposed reef, and the size rarely gets above 2.0 ft. It's a tough slog.
That dry spell holds through the first week of September, too. We're seeing a lot of WNW swell finally showing up, but the problem is the period. It's mostly 8 seconds or less, so it's weak, short-period wind swell, not the groundswell we need. The combined energy starts to climb, hitting 664 on the morning of August 27th (moderate), but it's still paired with onshore winds and that poor-quality short-period energy. The real takeaway is that there's not a single standout session in the entire first 16 days.
Now, if you're an expert paddler with nerves of steel, there's a glimmer of hope way out in the forecast. The morning of Friday, September 4th, shows a much bigger pulse of swell. We're looking at a 6.9 ft WNW swell, with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 1327 (strong). The wind is light and cross-onshore at 6 mph from the SW, which is close to clean. It's still a short-period swell, and at 6.9 ft, it's getting into the "experts only" zone at this spot. The afternoon looks even better in terms of wind, going light and onshore from the W, with the same 6.9 ft WNW swell at 1348 (strong). This is the only time in the whole 16-day window where the direction matches the optimum WNW and the size is real. But don't kid yourself, the quality is still only rated as marginal. It's a promising, but very uncertain, hope for the second week. For now, the rest of the lineup is a ghost town.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | W 11 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
131 | 138 | 138 | 83 | 68 | 68 | 49 | 49 | 136 | 131 | 119 | 131 | 113 | 108 | 143 | 171 | 94 | 90 | 169 | 203 | 344 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 4:53PM1.59m | 8:15AM1.14m | 5:52PM1.59m | 9:10AM1.21m | 6:52PM1.61m | 9:49AM1.27m | 7:47PM1.66m | 10:20AM1.32m | 8:36PM1.71m | 10:46AM1.36m | 9:20PM1.75m | 11:10AM1.41m | 10:02PM1.76m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:54AM0.99m | 00:41AM0.24m | 12:13PM1.05m | 1:42AM0.18m | 1:23PM1.05m | 2:33AM0.11m | 2:18PM1.01m | 3:16AM0.05m | 3:03PM0.95m | 3:52AM0.01m | 3:42PM0.87m | 4:24AM-0.01m | 4:19PM0.79m | 4:54AM-0.01m | |||||||
6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
— | 7:55 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | WNW 5 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | SSW 16 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 |
38 | 98 | 85 | 83 | 56 | 12 | 33 | 32 | 136 | 131 | 119 | 131 | 103 | 71 | 47 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 169 | 103 | 344 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | W 10 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 6 | SW 16 | SSW 14 |
99 | 138 | 138 | 74 | 68 | 52 | 44 | 43 | 60 | 130 | 112 | 92 | 82 | 82 | 143 | 171 | 94 | 90 | 23 | 203 | 330 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WSW 13 | SSW 13 | WSW 12 |
131 | 15 | 15 | 52 | 49 | 68 | 49 | 46 | 14 | 38 | 29 | 113 | 113 | 108 | 71 | 68 | 68 | 55 | 59 | 55 | 49 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | — | NW 5 | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 | — |
— | 34 | 34 | 25 | 13 | — | 27 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 157 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 35 | 74 | 47 | 74 | 76 | 46 | 73 | 76 | 35 | 35 | 71 | 35 | 35 | 74 | 0 | 35 | 71 | 21 | 35 | 74 | 35 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Mateo | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Mavericks Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Mavericks provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Mavericks can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Mavericks surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Mavericks) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Mavericks may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Mavericks is 13 km (8 miles) from Pacifica. If you plan a vacation in San Mateo, look for hotels and other accommodation in Pacifica. Pacifica has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











