
Surf Forecasts:
Mavericks surf forecast from 13 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 14 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, WNW swell with 845 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Mavericks this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Mavericks in the next 16 days are 2.3m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) at 11PM. 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+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Mavericks over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a long hard look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – this forecast window is a tough one for paddle surfing around here. We're looking at a real dry spell with very little that's worth getting excited about. The waves are small, the wind is mostly junk, and the only consistent spot on the radar is a big-league wave that needs a whole lot more oomph than it's getting.
We've got a solid gap of nothing worthwhile right through the middle of the period. The only faint glimmers of something surfable are tucked away on the edges, and even then, you'd be stretching it.
Let's start with the one name in the game: Mavericks. This place is a world-class reef break, exposed and hungry for a big WNW to NW groundswell. But for the first week, it's a sad story. The water is sitting at 63°F – that's about 4°F warmer than usual for this time of year, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home, but that's about the only positive. We kick off Sunday, September 13th with a tiny 2ft SW swell, but it's getting hammered by a fresh 16 mph cross-onshore. It's choppy, lumpy, and just plain poor. The combined swell energy is weak (195), and the rating reflects that.
Monday the 14th sees a bump to 5ft from the WNW, and the energy climbs to moderate (450), but again, the wind is cross-onshore, though a bit lighter. It's still poor. Tuesday morning the 15th is a similar story – 5ft but messy. The closest we get to a pulse all week is Wednesday the 16th afternoon, with a 4ft WNW swell and the wind finally goes *on* from the WNW, which is offshore for this spot. The period is a short 8 seconds though, so it's a weak, short-period windswell. The energy is moderate (372), but the conditions are still "poor." Not exactly a green light.
The second week is even more of a letdown. From Thursday the 17th right through to the end of the month, the swell drops back to a tiny 1ft to 2ft, mostly from the SW with some very long period (16-19 seconds) energy. That's a classic groundswell signal, but at that size, it's basically a non-event. The energy numbers bounce around from weak (204) to moderate (481), but the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore with moderate to fresh breezes, making it a lumpy, blown-out mess. There's one morning, Tuesday the 22nd, where we get a 4ft WNW swell with a light cross-shore breeze, which is "marginal." That's the best of a very bad bunch.
Honestly, for the next 16 days, there is no standout session. The swell never gets above 6ft, and when it does have a little bit of size, the wind is wrong. The longer-period swells in the second week are too small to do anything at a heavy, exposed reef like Mavericks, and with the period over 15 seconds, it would break too straight for the beach anyway. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than a paddle session. You'd be waiting a long time between sets for nothing. For now, keep the board in the car and wait for a better forecast.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Sun afternoon, light winds from the WNW by Mon morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 14°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 13 | WNW 6 | NW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
113 | 93 | 368 | 328 | 429 | 502 | 268 | 185 | 207 | 261 | 202 | 122 | 122 | 119 | 71 | 184 | 184 | 133 | 199 | 197 | 197 | |
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 | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 12:36PM1.72m | 1:18AM1.42m | 1:05PM1.70m | 2:16AM1.29m | 1:38PM1.66m | 3:24AM1.18m | 2:15PM1.60m | 4:50AM1.12m | 3:02PM1.54m | 6:29AM1.14m | 4:00PM1.48m | 7:42AM1.19m | 5:08PM1.47m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:00PM0.17m | 6:55AM0.56m | 7:46PM0.16m | 7:33AM0.74m | 8:36PM0.17m | 8:16AM0.90m | 9:32PM0.21m | 9:12AM1.02m | 10:37PM0.24m | 10:34AM1.09m | 11:48PM0.24m | 12:01PM1.09m | 00:53AM0.22m | ||||||||
6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | |
— | 7:21 | — | — | 7:19 | — | — | 7:17 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:12 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | SW 19 | WNW 6 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 |
113 | 87 | 256 | 328 | 288 | 502 | 268 | 185 | 207 | 261 | 202 | 122 | 73 | 55 | 43 | 63 | 184 | 60 | 199 | 197 | 197 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 10 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SW 14 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 12 |
25 | 58 | 61 | 44 | 77 | 77 | 93 | 64 | 63 | 87 | 142 | 49 | 122 | 119 | 54 | 184 | 52 | 133 | 44 | 44 | 31 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | W 13 | SSW 20 | W 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | SW 21 | WNW 10 | SW 21 | SW 14 | S 11 | SW 13 | S 10 | S 10 | WNW 10 |
12 | 11 | 57 | 78 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 14 | 38 | 25 | 28 | 24 | 72 | 22 | 71 | 54 | 20 | 45 | 7 | 7 | 10 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | NW 8 | — | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 10 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 |
45 | 93 | 368 | — | 429 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 74 | — | 64 | 66 | 75 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 73 | 76 | 26 | 31 | 73 | 35 | 35 | 71 | 5 | 71 | 74 | 46 | 35 | 71 | 39 | 35 | 74 | 35 | 35 | 76 | 46 |
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.










