Mavericks Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.50° N 122.50° W

Mavericks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 am 16 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Mavericks sea temperature is
15.8° C
2.3° 

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


Mavericks surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 12s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, WNW swell with 587 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 12s period with SSW 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 (Jul 21) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Mavericks in the next 16 days are 2.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 12s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 11AM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Tue 21st Jul)2.5ft (0.8m) 12s
Best Surf11PM (Tue 21st Jul)2.5ft (0.8m) 12s
Most Powerful11PM (Thu 16th Jul)7ft (2.1m) 8s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s talk about what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks. This is a tough one, I gotta be honest with you. The numbers are telling me we’re looking at a real flat spell with hardly any decent surf to speak of for the whole 16-day run. There’s a lot of small swell and almost always a cross-onshore wind messing things up. Let’s break it down.

We start off on Thursday the 16th and it’s not looking good. We’ve got a 5ft to 6ft swell from the WNW, but it’s a short period, around 8 seconds, and that cross-onshore wind from the WNW at 12 mph is just making it choppy and messy. The water temp is a balmy 60°F, which is a whopping 4°F warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s a real standout, feels like a bathtub, but the surf itself is rubbish. The combined swell energy is moderate (503), but it’s all wind chop.

Friday the 17th is more of the same. About 6ft of WNW swell, still short period, and the wind is onshore at 9 mph in the morning, switching to a cross-onshore 12 mph in the afternoon. The wave energy picks up a bit (970), but the quality is still poor.

Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th see a big drop in size. We’re looking at 2ft to 3ft of swell from the SW. The period jumps up to 17-18 seconds, which is a long period groundswell, but the problem is the wind. It’s cross-onshore from the WNW on Saturday (12 mph), and onshore on Sunday (6-9 mph). The energy is still moderate (475-647), but with those tiny waves, it’s just not worth it. The forecasters are calling it “marginal” at best.

From Monday the 20th right through to the end of the month, it’s a real desert. The swell drops to almost nothing, between 2ft and 3ft, from the SW or SSW, with periods between 14 and 16 seconds. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, light to moderate. The combined energy is weak to moderate (218 to 906). The whole thing is just a washout for paddling a surfboard. There are a few sessions where the wind goes light and onshore, but the swell is just too small to do anything with.

The only little flicker of hope comes right at the end, on Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th of July. We see a bump in swell energy – 1345 on Saturday morning, which is strong wave energy – and the swell is from the SW with a very long period of 21-24 seconds. But the size is still only 2ft to 3ft. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore. That long period groundswell on such a small wave and with wind on it? It’s a tease. It’s going to be incredibly lined up but tiny and probably blown out. For an expert spot like Mavericks, this is a complete non-event. It’s a reef break that’s exposed to the WNW swell, and the optimum swell direction is WNW, but the forecast is all SW.

Honestly, for the next 16 days, there’s just nothing to get excited about here. The setup is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, with that consistent cross-onshore wind and small, choppy waves. The whole 16-day window is a blank run. For this area, a long stretch of small, poor quality surf like this is pretty normal. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d be finding something else to do.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
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
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
2
1
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.5
WNW
8
1.7
WNW
8
1.7
WNW
8
1.7
WNW
8
1.6
WNW
8
0.6
W
16
0.6
SW
17
0.6
SW
18
0.6
W
16
0.6
SW
17
0.9
SW
17
0.9
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
14
1
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
13
0.6
SW
15
0.9
SSW
14
0.6
SSW
15
0.7
SW
15
0.6
SW
14
0.7
SW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
270
355
392
394
310
185
190
201
172
222
429
344
265
463
253
183
321
146
242
153
208
Wind (km/h)
20
WNW
20
NW
15
NW
15
WNW
20
WNW
15
NW
15
W
20
WNW
15
NW
10
WNW
15
WNW
5
WNW
10
WNW
15
WNW
10
NW
10
W
15
W
5
SW
10
W
10
W
5
SSW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
glassy
on
on
glassy
High Tide
1:44PM1.55m
00:38AM1.83m
2:23PM1.59m
1:33AM1.63m
3:02PM1.63m
2:32AM1.41m
3:42PM1.66m
3:40AM1.21m
4:22PM1.67m
5:05AM1.06m
5:04PM1.67m
6:50AM1.01m
5:49PM1.67m
Low Tide
6:55PM0.71m
7:32AM-0.23m
7:54PM0.65m
8:14AM-0.04m
8:58PM0.58m
8:56AM0.18m
10:05PM0.49m
9:40AM0.41m
11:14PM0.40m
10:29AM0.62m
00:22AM0.29m
11:25AM0.80m
1:25AM0.19m
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:01
6:01
6:01
6:03
6:03
6:05
6:05
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:30
8:29
8:29
8:28
8:28
8:27
8:25
 mm
Temp °C
14
14
12
13
14
12
13
14
12
14
14
12
13
16
13
18
17
17
19
18
16
Feels °C
11
10
9
10
11
9
11
11
9
12
12
10
12
15
12
17
15
16
18
17
16
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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