Surf Forecasts:
San Mateo surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 480 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for San Mateo this week:
The surf forecast for San Mateo over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at San Mateo in the next 16 days are 1.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 8s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (-05) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for San Mateo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
Well, it’s a story of two halves for the next couple of weeks. The first week is a real struggle – we’ve got the swell, but the wind is just a mess. It’s not looking good for a paddle. The second week, however, is where things start to get interesting, with a serious pulse of energy showing up.
The only spot on the radar is San Mateo, a point break that’s inconsistent and only really for the advanced crew. It’s exposed to the NW, but the optimum swell direction is from the NW, so the setup is right when it all lines up.
We’re looking at a long, barren stretch to start. From Tuesday, the 18th, right through to the morning of Thursday, the 28th, the surf is just poor. The wind is mostly cross or cross-on, chopping everything up. The swell is tiny, around 1.0 ft to 3 ft, with weak energy. The water temperature is about average for this time of year. Honestly, it’s a write-off. There’s a couple of days where the conditions are "marginal," but with these onshore winds, you’re wasting your time.
Then, on the morning of Friday, August 28th, things start to change. There’s a big jump in energy. The swell is a clean 3 ft from the SW with a very long period of 18 seconds. The wind is light and cross-shore – that’s a major positive. This is a proper groundswell, and it’s going to wrap in nicely on that point. The long period means the sets will be fat and powerful, with long waits between them, making paddling out easier.
The real standout, though, is the morning of Saturday, August 29th. We get a solid 5 ft swell from the SW with a period of 16 seconds. That’s a serious pulse of energy. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, which is great. This is the best on offer in the whole window. It’s getting up there in size, so it’s for the experienced surfers only. The sets will be meaty and the line-up at San Mateo should be handling it perfectly.
The next morning, Sunday, August 30th, is still holding in at 5 ft, but the wind picks up a bit more, making it less clean. The morning of the 29th is the clear winner.
After that, the swell slowly drops through the start of September, but the morning of Monday, September 1st, still offers a decent 4 ft swell with a 13-second period and light wind. It’s a fun, smaller option. The morning of Wednesday, September 2nd, is another small window with a clean 3 ft and 16-second period, but the energy is dropping.
To sum it up: the first ten days are a total washout. The only real session to plan for is the morning of Saturday, August 29th at San Mateo. That’s the one. The morning of the 28th is a solid warm-up, but the 29th is the best of the lot. Keep an eye on it, because the long-range forecast is promising, but it’s not set in stone.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Tue morning, min 23°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sat morning, min 23°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
468 | 301 | 346 | 218 | 282 | 321 | 176 | 169 | 77 | 127 | 74 | 127 | 116 | 109 | 129 | 208 | 203 | 192 | 219 | 165 | 161 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 7:21AM2.44m | 7:48PM2.20m | 8:02AM2.25m | 8:36PM2.03m | 8:47AM2.07m | 9:32PM1.88m | 9:42AM1.92m | 10:43PM1.78m | 10:52AM1.84m | 00:04AM1.78m | 12:09PM1.84m | 1:13AM1.87m | 1:14PM1.92m | 2:05AM2.01m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:39PM0.43m | 1:50AM0.61m | 2:23PM0.57m | 2:35AM0.79m | 3:13PM0.70m | 3:30AM0.94m | 4:16PM0.80m | 4:41AM1.03m | 5:31PM0.82m | 6:02AM1.04m | 6:42PM0.77m | 7:12AM0.97m | 7:39PM0.66m | ||||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | |
— | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 24 |
Feels °C | 29 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 29 | 26 | 24 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 7 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 8 | SSW 7 | SW 7 | SSW 10 | SW 9 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
88 | 301 | 346 | 218 | 282 | 321 | 129 | 90 | 53 | 125 | 84 | 127 | 116 | 109 | 82 | 208 | 203 | 192 | 219 | 165 | 161 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | NW 13 | NW 13 | NW 11 | SSW 10 | NW 9 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 16 | SW 14 | WSW 21 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 |
468 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 176 | 169 | 65 | 127 | 74 | 42 | 61 | 97 | 129 | 52 | 50 | 49 | 35 | 31 | 30 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 13 | — | W 16 | N 8 | SW 18 | NW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 22 | SW 11 | NW 13 | NW 13 | NW 13 | SSW 8 | NW 12 | SW 15 | NW 12 | NW 15 | SW 13 | NW 14 |
7 | — | 5 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 39 | 8 | 77 | 18 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 8 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SSW 8 | SW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 10 | SSW 10 | SW 9 | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | SW 4 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SW 4 | SSW 5 |
— | 110 | 122 | 288 | 230 | 182 | — | — | — | — | — | 94 | 80 | 75 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 21 | 16 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 883 | 310 | 102 | 938 | 310 | 7 | 938 | 46 | 11 | 815 | 7 | 7 | 1014 | 111 | 7 | 857 | 7 | 141 | 912 | 766 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Manabi | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the San Mateo Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for San Mateo provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at San Mateo can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our San Mateo 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 (San Mateo) 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 San Mateo 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Manabi? If you are looking for accommodation near San Mateo, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Manabi, consider staying in Manta which is 11 km (7 miles) away. Other places in and around Manabi where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Montecristi which is 21 km (13 miles) away, Portoviejo, Jipijapa and Sucre.











