Mavericks Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.50° N 122.50° W

Mavericks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 am 25 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Mavericks sea temperature is
17.2°C
2.6° 

Mavericks surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Mavericks surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 18s period, SW swell with 607 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Mavericks this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Mavericks in the next 16 days are 1.0m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 14s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 8AM (Sat 29th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 18s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Mavericks over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Mavericks we’re talking about, a world-class, heavy-duty reef out in Northern California. It’s an exposed, consistent spot that needs a serious, long-period swell from the west-northwest to really fire. Right now, we’re looking at a pretty quiet 16-day window, with no real standout sessions. The water is sitting at 63°, which is a wild 5° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a big anomaly, feels like summer hung on a bit too long.

We start off on Tuesday the 25th of August, and it’s a bit of a non-starter. We’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the southwest with a long 16-second period, but it’s being chopped up by a moderate cross-onshore breeze out of the northwest. Wave energy is moderate (260), but the conditions are poor, and the score is a flat zero. That theme sticks around for the next several days. The wind is constantly cross-onshore or onshore, messing up what little swell there is.

Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th are more of the same: small southwest swells, poor wind, and choppy surf. On Thursday, the swell direction swings to the west-northwest, but the period drops to a short, weak 6-7 seconds, and the wind is still a problem. The energy is still moderate (200-296), but the quality is just not there. Friday the 28th sees a bit more energy, climbing to 477, but again, it’s a messy, cross-onshore situation.

We finally get a tiny glimmer on Saturday the 29th of August. The morning shows a 3ft southwest swell, with an 18-second period, and the wind switches to a light offshore from the west-northwest. The energy bumps up to a solid 645. The report calls it marginal, but that offshore wind is a major positive. This is the only real window where the paddle out might be clean, but the swell height is still very small for a beast like Mavericks. The afternoon gets ruined by the wind picking up again.

The rest of the first week and into the second is a total write-off. Sunday the 30th has more energy (772) but the wind is cross-onshore again. Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September slip back into the doldrums with weak swells and poor conditions. The pattern of light, cross-onshore winds and small, choppy surf continues through the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.

Things get a little more interesting on the 4th and 5th of September. The wind shifts to cross-shore from the south, which is a slight improvement, but the swell is still small (2-3ft) and the energy is moderate (426-579). The crowds are listed as "sometimes," so likely there will be a few locals out. But the surf is still poor, with a cross-chop, and the score is 1 or 0. Not worth the drive.

The only real standout, if you can call it that, is the morning of Tuesday the 8th of September. We finally see a bit of size: a 5ft swell from the west-northwest with a 9-second period, and the wind is a gentle cross-shore from the south-southwest. The energy is a strong 517. It’s still marginal, but it’s the biggest swell in the forecast. It’s going to be a bit lumpy, but for a big-wave spot, this is technically the best window. The score is a 2 out of 10, which tells you it’s still not great. The 6ft swell in the afternoon is too big for the wind to handle, and the onshore flow kills it.

Bottom line: it’s a lean 16 days for Mavericks. The only one that’s worth a look is Saturday the 29th of August for the rare offshore wind, or Tuesday the 8th of September for the biggest swell. Don’t expect any barrels. This is a period where the forecast can change, so keep an eye on it, but as it stands, it’s mostly a flat, choppy mess.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Tue morning). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
SW
16
0.4
SW
16
0.4
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.4
SW
16
1.6
NW
7
0.4
SW
15
1.3
WNW
7
1.7
WNW
8
0.6
SSW
17
0.6
SW
19
0.7
SW
18
0.9
SSW
18
0.8
SW
16
0.9
SSW
16
0.9
SW
16
0.7
SW
15
1.6
WNW
7
0.7
SW
14
0.6
SSW
14
0.6
SSW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
171
94
90
203
88
227
80
154
306
195
299
319
534
326
447
358
220
263
211
134
118
Wind (km/h)
20
NW
25
NW
10
NW
15
WNW
20
NW
25
NNW
15
NW
30
NW
15
NW
15
NW
20
NW
20
NW
15
WNW
25
NW
15
WNW
15
WNW
25
WNW
20
WNW
15
WNW
20
WNW
15
NW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
10:46AM1.36m
9:20PM1.75m
11:10AM1.41m
10:02PM1.76m
11:33AM1.46m
10:43PM1.73m
11:56AM1.52m
11:25PM1.68m
12:20PM1.58m
00:09AM1.59m
12:47PM1.65m
00:59AM1.47m
1:17PM1.70m
1:56AM1.34m
Low Tide
3:42PM0.87m
4:24AM-0.01m
4:19PM0.79m
4:54AM-0.01m
4:54PM0.69m
5:23AM0.03m
5:31PM0.59m
5:52AM0.11m
6:10PM0.47m
6:22AM0.23m
6:53PM0.37m
6:55AM0.37m
7:41PM0.27m
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:33
6:35
6:35
6:35
6:37
6:37
6:39
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:49
7:47
7:45
7:45
7:43
7:42
7:39
 mm
Temp °C
16
17
14
18
18
16
18
17
15
16
17
13
15
15
14
14
15
14
15
15
14
Feels °C
14
14
13
16
15
13
16
14
13
14
15
10
13
12
11
12
12
10
12
12
12
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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