San Mateo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty comin' at ya.

Well, to be straight with you, this 16-day window for San Mateo is a tough one. I’m looking at a lot of days where the wind is just all wrong and the swell is messy. We’ve got a real flat patch on our hands, from today, August 25th, all the way through the end of the month. The best I can see is a serious wait for a small window on Thursday, September 3rd.

Right out of the gate, the forecast for San Mateo, a point break that’s inconsistent at the best of times, is looking pretty grim. We’ve got a cross-shore chop for Tuesday the 25th, with a weak 2ft SW swell and a long 15-second period. The wave energy is moderate at best (204), and with that wind, it’s going to be a messy crumbler. The water temp is about average for this time of year, if that’s any consolation.

The rest of the week stays poor. We see small 1ft to 2ft SW swells with that same long period, but the wind is onshore or cross-shore, chopping everything up. By Friday the 28th, we finally see a pulse of energy, with the combined energy hitting 700 (moderate), but the morning is marginal and the afternoon gets blown out by a cross-onshore breeze. This pattern of almost-there waves getting wrecked by the wind continues straight through the 31st.

Heading into September 1st and 2nd, the story doesn’t change much. There's some energy in the water, but the wind is still a problem. We really have to wait for Thursday morning, September 3rd. That's our one true standout. It's still over a week away, so be a little cautious, but the charts are promising. For a few hours in the morning, we’ll see glassy conditions with a 4ft SW groundswell and a very long period of 19 seconds. That’s the sort of long-period energy that really gets this point working, offering up clean, well-shaped lines. The combined swell energy is a solid 810 (moderate). This will be a session you’ll be kicking yourself for missing if you sleep in.

After that morning glory, it goes right back to being blown out by the afternoon, and the following days are more of the same: building but messy swells with cross and cross-onshore winds. Friday September 4th has a bigger 5ft to 5ft SW swell, but it comes with choppy, onshore winds. That’s going to be a bumpy ride, and waves that size with rough wind are for experts only.

So, to sum it up: the first week-plus is a write-off. The absolute highlight is that Thursday morning, September 3rd. Get on it early, or you’ll miss the one clean window we’ve got in this entire forecast.

Rusty.

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