San Mateo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's on the menu around here. To be straight with you, the next couple of weeks aren't shaping up to be anything special for the San Mateo area. We've got a classic point break set-up that loves a good NW groundswell, but unfortunately, we aren't going to see that magic direction. All the swell energy we're getting is coming from the wrong angle, and it's making for a frustrating outlook.

Right out of the gate, we're looking at Wednesday, September 9th onwards, and it's not a great start. The water is sitting well above the norm, with a big water temperature anomaly of 5° above average, so a warm 81°F – that's very unusual for this time of year. But the surf is poor, it's choppy with a fresh cross-shore wind at 19 mph. The swell is only 3 ft at 15 seconds, but the wind is ruining it.

We head into Thursday the 10th with a little more hope. The swell holds at 4 ft from the SW and the period stretches to a long 16 seconds, giving it that nice groundswell feel. The wave energy is moderate, sitting at 780. The morning is the only chance, with a light cross-shore breeze that could keep things somewhat okay, but the "marginal" forecast tells me it's not going to be worth rushing for. The afternoon turns choppy again.

Honestly, for the following week and a half, it's a tough watch. From Friday the 11th all the way through to September 24th, the surf is consistently poor to marginal at best. The swell stays tiny, between 1 ft and 3 ft. The winds are nearly always moderate cross-shore or cross-onshore, just keeping everything messy. We get a glimpse of some cleaner conditions on Thursday the 17th morning with a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is barely 3 ft and the energy is weak (362). It's just not going to offer much.

The best you'll get is Thursday morning the 10th, and even that's only a 2/10, because the light wind keeps the surface smooth, but the swell is poor quality for the break. There isn't a single standout in this 16-day window. There’s a big gap where you’re basically looking at 10 days without a real recommendation after the 14th.

If you were hoping for something bigger, the swell never tops 4 ft, so beginners wouldn't have an issue with size, but the conditions are so poor it wouldn't matter. With the persistent crosswinds and the small, angled swell, this setup honestly looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer through most of this period.

So, it's a flat spell for San Mateo. Forecasts can change, but right now, it's a waiting game.

Rusty.

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