San Mateo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's coming up for the next couple of weeks at San Mateo. Honestly, it’s a bit of a tough stretch for surfers here. We’re looking at a long gap before there's anything really worth paddling out for, with a lot of small, choppy days to get through first. The swell is coming from a direction that isn't ideal for this spot, with the optimum being from the NW but the forecast is mostly SW.

The first chance of a wave comes on Saturday morning, the 5th of September. It's got a 5ft swell from the SW with a period of 15 seconds, which is a solid long-period groundswell. But the wind is a cross-shore from the SW at 12 mph, which is creating a cross-chop. Conditions are marginal, the wave energy is moderate at 990, and it's not really clean. The afternoon looks even worse with onshore wind. Don't get too excited.

Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th are much the same story. Small swells around 3ft to 4ft, with periods of 13 to 14 seconds. Winds are light on Monday morning, but still cross, giving the surf a slight chop. It’s more for a paddle than a decent wave.

Then we hit a real flat spell from Tuesday the 8th through to Wednesday the 16th of September. For over a week, the swell drops below 3ft, with energy levels getting as low as 201 (weak). The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, keeping everything messy and unappealing. There's a couple of 'glass' and 'light cross-shore' moments, like on Friday morning the 11th with a glassy 3ft swell, but the period is only 14 seconds and the energy is low at 431. It’s a poor run for quality surf. The best you can say is that it’s a long-period groundswell, but it’s just not enough.

Finally, on Thursday morning the 17th of September, things start to look a bit more interesting. We get a 3ft swell from the SW with a 13-second period, but the wind goes cross-offshore from the SSW at 6 mph, making for clean conditions. The energy is still low at 298, but the clean conditions are a real positive. This is about the best the next two weeks will offer. That clean, lined-up little wave will be your best bet.

After that, it drops off again into another weekend of small, messy surf. The windows are so tight here that you'll need to be on it first thing when the wind is lightest. The water temp is a staggering 80°F, which is 9°F warmer than normal. That’s very unusual for this time of year, almost tropical.

So, if you’re looking for a standout, it's got to be Thursday morning, the 17th. The swell is small, but that cross-offshore wind is a gift. It won't be big, but it'll be your best chance at a clean, surfable wave in a pretty blank run.

Rusty.

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