San Mateo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s heading our way.

Right off the bat, things are looking a bit sad. The first few days serve up some tiny swell and messy wind, so don’t bother paddling out just yet. The real story starts to build from the middle of next week, and there’s a golden window if you’re patient.

The standout session is hands down Thursday morning, August 13th, at San Mateo. It’s a classic point break setup, exposed to the NW swell, and the optimum direction is NW. We’ve got a 2ft SW groundswell with a very long period of 16 seconds, and the combined energy is a solid 395 (moderate). The wind is glassy – that’s a total beauty. It’s going to be clean as a whistle. The water is a warm 80°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be comfortable in a spring suit. Keep in mind San Mateo is inconsistent, so it might not be pumping, but when it’s glassy with that long period, the point will set up some proper lines. Crowds are possible here, so get there early.

The other session worth circling is Tuesday morning, August 18th. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the SW, with a 16-second period and combined energy hitting 1108 (strong). That’s a solid step up in size. The wind is light cross-shore, so it’ll be a bit lumpy but still very surfable. At 5ft, it’s on the edge for beginners, but for the average surfer it’s a fun size. The point will handle that long period nicely.

Before that, the week starts small. Through Sunday and Monday, we’ve got tiny 2ft to 3ft swell with cross-shore winds and poor conditions. Tuesday morning, August 11th, is a small bright spot – 2ft, clean cross-off wind, and a score of 1. It’s surfable but very ordinary. Wednesday morning, August 12th, is a total dud with 1ft and only 51 combined energy (weak).

After the Thursday glass-off, the weekend gets blown out. Friday and Saturday, August 14th and 15th, see the swell jumping to 4ft, but the wind is a moderate to fresh cross-shore and cross-on, making it choppy and messy. The point will be a washing machine.

Then comes that Tuesday morning, August 18th, with the 5ft pulse. That’s your best bet if you miss the Thursday glass-off. The rest of that week and into the following week (August 19th to 24th) fades back to small, weak, and wind-affected junk. Nothing worth getting excited about.

So, to wrap it up: Thursday morning, August 13th, is the gem – glassy, clean, long-period groundswell at San Mateo. Tuesday morning, August 18th, is the bigger, more powerful option if you want more size, but it won’t be as clean. The long-range stuff (August 22nd and beyond) is a bit of a gamble with small swell and iffy winds, but the long period on the 22nd morning (21 seconds) is interesting – just don’t hold your breath.

Rusty out.

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