San Mateo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

First off, the outlook is a bit of a slow burn. There are no solid surf options on the board for the first few days, so you've got a bit of a wait. The water here is sitting at a very unusual 81°F, which is about 8°F warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s a real standout, feels more like a tropical bath than a typical point break.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Saturday morning, July 4th. It's small, with a 1ft swell from the SW, but more importantly, the wind goes glassy. The combined energy is weak (112), and the waves are 'surfable but very ordinary'. It’s a start, but you won't be writing home about it.

Now, Sunday morning, July 5th is where it gets interesting. The wind is glassy again, and the swell bumps up to 2ft from the SW, but the period stretches out to 21 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, and the combined energy jumps to a strong 820. This is the standout session. For a point break like San Mateo, that long period will wrap in nicely and offer some proper shape, though with such long lines, expect longer lulls between sets. The morning is the only window though, as the afternoon gets choppy with a cross-onshore breeze.

Following that, we get a few days of marginal conditions. Monday morning, July 6th offers 3ft of SW swell (19-second period, combined energy 1045), but it's let down by a cross-shore wind that will put a little texture on the face. It's not terrible, but it's not clean. The same story rolls through Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, with heights around 3ft to 5ft, but always fighting a cross or cross-onshore wind.

Later in the week and into the second week, the swell backs off and the wind doesn't do us any favours. There are fleeting moments – like Friday morning, July 10th, with a 4ft SW swell (combined energy 762) and a light cross-shore, but it stays in the ‘marginal’ camp. Saturday morning, July 11th and Tuesday morning, July 14th are similar stories with 4ft and 3ft respectively, but all just a bit messy.

Honestly, for the entire 16-day run, the only morning worth pointing the car towards is Sunday, July 5th. That glassy clean start, combined with the proper long-period groundswell, is the one. It’s not a massive day, but for quality, it’s the best on offer.

Right, that's the gist of it. Keep your eyes peeled, but don't hold your breath after that Sunday morning window.

Rusty.

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