San Mateo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me level with you. San Mateo is having a tough time in this 16-day stretch. It’s an advanced point break that’s inconsistent and really wants a good NW swell to show its best. What we’re seeing is a whole lot of SW swell, and the wind is usually cross or cross-onshore, which just doesn’t do it justice. The first record kicks off on Monday, 7 September, but you’re not going to be rushing out for a while.

The big picture is a persistent SW swell running from about 1ft to 4ft, but the wind is almost always cross-onshore, leaving the surface choppy and messy. The combined energy is moderate, sometimes hitting the 700s and 800s, so there’s some power, but it’s not clean. The one little highlight is the morning of Thursday, 10 September. You’ve got a 4ft SW swell with a solid 16-second period, and a gentle cross-shore breeze – that’s the best you’ll see here. The energy is moderate (790), and the long period will give those waves some grind, but on a point break it might make them run a bit straight, so you’ll need to be sharp. This is an advanced spot that’s inconsistent, so it’s for the locals who know the takeoffs. Crowds pop up sometimes, so you might have some company.

After that, it tails off. The mornings on 11, 14, and 15 September give you light cross-shore wind with tiny, marginal surf – think 2ft to 3ft with periods around 14-18 seconds. The energy drops hard on 12 and 13 September with tiny swell and cross-onshore winds, so skip those. There’s a long gap where afternoons are consistently poor and mornings just tease with low-score, marginal conditions.

In the second week, from 16 September, it’s a real slog. Swell stays small, under 3ft, with period dropping to 12-13 seconds. Energy is weak to moderate (under 400). The morning of 19 September has a faint pulse of 2ft with a 17-second period and light cross-shore wind, which might give a few long, slow lines for the patient surfer. The water temp on that first Monday was a very unusual 81°, which is way warmer than normal for the time of year, so you might be surfing in trunks.

Best bet: that Thursday morning (10 September). It’s not epic, but it’s your cleanest shot. The rest? Keep your expectations low.

Rusty

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