San Mateo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for the San Mateo area over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we're looking at a bit of a slow start. The first few days are a write-off, with only small, weak swell and onshore or cross-onshore winds messing things up. Wednesday morning, the 5th, has some tiny 2ft swell from the SW with a period of 13 seconds, but the wind is straight out of the south, making it a cross-off. It's clean, but the energy is weak (182), and it's just not going to have any punch. Things stay poor through Thursday and into Friday morning.

But hold on to your boards, because Friday morning, the 7th of August, is where we finally get a window. The wind goes glassy – absolute dead calm – and that's the key. We've got a 2-3ft swell from the SW, but the period has jumped to a very long 16 seconds. That's proper groundswell energy right there, with a combined energy of 516. That long period at San Mateo, a point break, is what we wanna hear. It'll be lined up and clean, with those long gaps between sets that make it easier to get out the back. This is the standout. The morning is the only call; the arvo gets ruined by a 12 mph cross-on.

We get another chance the following week. The morning of Thursday, the 13th of August, looks like a repeat performance. The wind is glassy again, with a 2-3ft swell from the SW. The period is even longer this time at 19 seconds, and the energy is moderate (506). For a point break like San Mateo, that's an absolute dream – long, clean lines. Get on it early.

The Friday morning, the 14th of August, is a bit of a wildcard. The swell is consistently 3ft from the SW, period is a very long 18 seconds, and the energy is strong (1052). The only issue is a light 3 mph cross-on breeze. It's not perfect, but for a point break, that light touch of wind can actually help hold the face up. It's a solid option, but the glassy days are the true winners.

After that, it's a long stretch of poor conditions again. Cross-onshore winds, chop, and a lot of "marginal" or "poor" calls fill the rest of the 16-day window. The last morning on the 20th of August has a bit more size (4ft) and a 16-second period, but the cross-shore wind will put a chop on it. It's not the cleanest, but it's something to watch.

So, the bottom line: don't bother paddling out until Friday morning, the 7th. That's your best bet, with Thursday the 13th a close second. The rest of the window is mostly a bust.

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