San Mateo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, checking in. Let's have a look at what's on offer for our stretch of coast over the coming weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s get into it.

The main story for the next couple of weeks is a series of SW groundswells pushing through, but the wind is going to be our biggest headache. Most days, that cross to cross-onshore breeze is going to put a lumpy, choppy lid on things. The water is sitting at a very unusual 81° at San Mateo, which is more than three degrees warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

There’s no standout surf for the first week, to be honest. Friday morning the 28th sees a small 3ft groundswell from the SW with a long 18-second period, but the cross-shore wind will have it looking a bit marginal, with the energy reading at a moderate (684). The tides or something else will be off too, giving it a low score. The afternoon gets worse as the wind swings onshore and picks up. Saturday and Sunday have a bit more size, around 5ft, but once again, the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, making for poor, choppy conditions. We’re in a stretch of pretty average surf here.

There’s a gap of a few days with no real quality on offer until we look further ahead. Thursday morning, September 3rd, offers a small 4ft swell with a fantastic 18-second period, which is a long-period groundswell, and light cross-shore winds. It's still only marginal, but that long period could create some nice, walled-up lines at the point, especially if you can work around the tide. The energy is moderate (772). That’s probably the most promising session in the first week.

The real highlight, however, looks to be the morning of Friday, September 4th. We’ve got a solid 5ft SW groundswell with a still-impressive 16-second period, and the wind finally plays nice with a gentle cross-shore breeze. The combined energy is strong at (1246). With San Mateo being an exposed point that loves this NW direction of swell, this could serve up some proper, clean groundswell runners. The afternoon holds a bit more size at 6ft, but the wind gets stronger and more side-shore, making it a bit lumpier. The Friday morning is the standout of the entire 16-day window. After that, the following week sees a slow drop in size, and the wind pattern returns to more cross-onshore junk.

It’s worth noting that San Mateo is an inconsistent break, so when a window like Friday the 4th lines up with a good swell and clean wind, you really want to be on it.

Stay patient, wait for that Friday the 4th morning, and you’ll be rewarded. Rusty.

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