San Mateo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

Lookin’ at the 16-day window for San Mateo, and I gotta be straight with you—it’s a tough stretch. This is a point break that’s inconsistent, and for most of the next two weeks, the wind and swell just aren’t lining up. There’s a real dry spell from now until late July, with only a few mornings that are barely worth a look. The standout window is way out there, but it’s got potential if you’re patient.

We start on Wednesday the 15th with a bit of a pulse from the SW, 3ft and a long 16-second period, but that cross-breeze from the SSW at 12 mph is chopping it up. Combined energy is moderate at 452, but the surf is poor. Thursday the 16th is similar, with a bit more swell Thursday afternoon hitting 3ft, but the cross-onshore wind makes it messy. Friday the 17th morning is the first real flicker—still marginal, with 3ft SW swell at 13 seconds and a gentle cross-breeze, scoring just a 1 out of 10 for surf quality. Saturday the 18th morning is the same story: 3ft, 12-second period, gentle cross-shore, but still marginal. After that, it drops off into tiny, weak stuff through the middle of next week.

Then we hit a gap. From Sunday the 19th through to Thursday the 23rd, it’s all poor surf with tiny waves under 3ft and cross or cross-onshore winds. There’s a brief moment on Wednesday the 22nd afternoon where the wind swings to a cross 19 mph, but the swell is only 1ft—not worth paddling for.

Now, the real standout. On Friday the 24th morning, the stars nearly align. It’s glassy—dead calm wind from the SW at just 3 mph—with a 2ft SW groundswell rolling in at a very long 21-second period. The energy is strong at 502, and the conditions are described as “very good.” The only catch? The swell direction is SW, but this break loves NW swell—so it’s a bit straight, and with that long period, it might get a little walled-up at this point. Still, for a break that’s inconsistent and rarely breaks, this is a serious moment. Crowds are sometimes an issue, so you might have company.

After that, Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th are back to marginal, with cross-shore winds and 3ft to 3ft swell. Then, on Monday the 27th, we get another shot. Monday morning is glassy again—calm wind, 4ft of SW swell at 18 seconds, and the combined energy is pumping at 1197. That’s strong. The surf is “excellent for experienced surfers,” and at 4ft, it’s a solid, manageable size for a point. That’s your best session of the window, no question. Tuesday the 28th morning holds a bit of size at 4ft, with a clean cross-off breeze, but it’s marginal. Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th still have 4ft to 5ft of SW swell, but winds are onshore or cross, making it messy.

So, the best on offer is Monday the 27th morning—that glassy, 4ft SW groundswell with strong energy is a true standout. The Friday the 24th morning is the next best, but it’s smaller. For the rest, it’s a waiting game. If you’re not committed to a point break, this setup might look more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer on those windier days.

Rusty.

Read more