San Mateo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you—this isn't a classic run of form for the place. The swell is hanging around, but the wind is just not playing ball most of the time. We’ve got a whole lot of “marginal” and “poor” flags in the data, so we’re mostly looking at a waiting game for those clean windows.

The opening session on Sunday, July 5th, is a bit of a reality check. We’re seeing a 2 ft SW swell with a very long period of 21 seconds, but it’s hitting with a cross-onshore breeze. The combined energy is moderate (841), but that wind is going to chop it up. The water is a balmy 80°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a nice bonus. But honestly, the waves aren't clean enough to get excited about.

Monday the 6th through the rest of that first week looks pretty frustrating. The swell sticks around—3 ft to 5 ft from the SW, with periods mostly in the 16 to 18-second range, which is proper groundswell. The energy bumps up to a strong 1279 on Monday afternoon. But here’s the kicker: the wind is consistently cross or cross-onshore. It’s gonna be bumpy and choppy, and the reports are flagging it as a write-off. You might get a slightly better look on Tuesday morning with a lighter cross-shore, but it’s still marginal.

We hit a real low point on Friday, July 10th. The morning drops to a tiny 2 ft with a weak period of 5 seconds and the combined energy is a measly 28. That’s a dead zone.

The real standout, the one you want to circle on the calendar, is Monday morning, July 13th. For the first time, we get a glassy window. The wind is from the WSW at just 3 mph, and the report says “glassy.” The swell is a clean 3 ft from the SW with a period of 13 seconds. The energy is moderate (311). This is your best shot for some clean, workable waves. It’s an inconsistent break, so don’t expect a packed lineup, but if you’re there when it’s glassy, you’ll be happy.

The other one to keep an eye on is Tuesday morning, July 14th. It’s not glassy, but we get a light cross-offshore breeze from the south at 6 mph, which means the face will be clean. The swell is 3 ft, SW, with a 14-second period. That’s a solid combo for a point break.

After that, it’s another stretch of onshore wind and chop. The next silver lining pops up on Thursday morning, July 16th. We get another glassy session with a WNW wind at 3 mph. The swell is a bit bigger at 4 ft from the SW, 14-second period, and the energy is moderate (468). That’s a good session for a confident surfer, but it’s over a week away, so don’t lock in your plans just yet.

The second week is a blur of cross and cross-onshore winds, with the swell bouncing between 2 ft and 3 ft. The periods drop off a bit, too. There’s nothing else that screams “go time.” It’s a tough outlook overall, but those two glassy mornings on the 13th and 16th are the real bright spots.

Rusty, signing off.

Read more