San Mateo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.

Alright, straight up – this is a tough run. We’re looking at a long, drawn-out stretch of mostly poor conditions with a couple of sweet little windows that could be worth your time if you’re patient. The swell is hanging around, but the wind is just a mess for most of it. The standout is clearly the first week of August.

We start off on Friday, July 31st. San Mateo is seeing 3ft of swell from the SW with a 13-second period, giving us moderate wave energy (364). But it’s a write-off – cross-shore wind and a cross-chop. The afternoon is even worse with cross-onshore wind. Just a sad, choppy mess. The weekend doesn’t get much better. Saturday August 1st has 2ft from the SW, but it’s still cross-shore and cross-onshore, and the energy is moderate (215-244). Sunday August 2nd is the same story with 2ft swell. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Now, the first real glimmer of hope comes on Thursday, August 6th. The morning session is where it’s at. We’ve got 3ft of swell from the SW, but the period jumps to 13 seconds (moderate energy at 375), and the wind is *glassy*. That’s a major positive. Glassy conditions at San Mateo point? That’s a rare treat. The break is a point, so it’ll handle that long-period swell nicely. The only bummer is it’s inconsistent, so you’ll be sitting and waiting for the sets. Still, this is the best on offer in the whole outlook. The afternoon on the 6th gets ruined by a cross-onshore wind, so hit it early.

The following week has a few more marginal moments. Friday, August 7th morning has a pulse of 3ft from the SW with a 16-second period – that’s a long-period groundswell, and the energy is strong (609). The wind is cross-shore though, so it’s a bit of a tease. The set waves will be long and clean, but paddling out will be a chore. Sunday, August 9th is a wash. Then on Monday, August 10th, we get a nice morning: 3ft from the SW, 14-second period, moderate energy (402), and clean cross-offshore wind. That’s very surfable, but it’s still a marginal call.

Further out, there’s a promising morning on Thursday, August 13th. 2ft from the SW, 16-second period, moderate energy (313), and clean cross-offshore wind with a light breeze – that’s another one to pencil in for a quick session. After that, the energy stays moderate but the wind turns back to cross-shore, so it’s borderline.

Overall, the best of the bunch is Thursday, August 6th morning for the glassy conditions, and Monday, August 10th morning for the clean cross-offshore wind. The rest is a lot of waiting for the wind to play ball. This spot is inconsistent, so a blank run is pretty normal here. Don’t lose hope, though – the forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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