Surf Forecasts:
San Mateo surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 14 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,001 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for San Mateo this week:
The surf forecast for San Mateo over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at San Mateo in the next 16 days are 1.4m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (-05) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 14th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for San Mateo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu for San Mateo over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I’ve gotta be straight with you – this isn’t looking like a classic run for San Mateo. We’ve got a south-west groundswell working, but it’s a real mixed bag of conditions. The water temperature is sitting at 81°F, which is a massive 9°F warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s pretty unusual, so you’ll be in for a warm one if you’re paddling out.
The first real window of opportunity that catches my eye is the morning of Tuesday, August 18th. The wind goes glassy, absolute silence offshore, and even though the swell is only 3ft from the SW, it’s got a long 16-second period behind it. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is right up there at 475 (moderate). For a point break like this, that long-period swell can really wrap in and offer some clean, lined-up waves. The morning is the only time to hit it though, because the arvo turns into a messy cross-onshore chop.
The other standout to keep an eye on is Friday, August 28th. Again, it’s a morning session. Glassy conditions, 3ft of SW swell, but with a solid 17-second period. The combined energy is 448 (moderate). This is a classic early-bird scenario. The waves will be small but clean, and it’s not going to be too heavy for the punters out there.
The rest of the period is a bit of a write-off, honestly. From Friday, August 14th right through to Saturday, August 29th, the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, kicking up a chop and making things messy. You’ll see stretches of days where the surf is just poor or marginal. The swell is small, often under 3ft, and the wind isn’t playing nice. This is a spot that needs a clean window, and it’s not getting many. The second week from the 21st onwards is particularly flat and weak, with combined energy dropping down to the 100-200 range (weak).
So, to sum it up: the best bet is the Tuesday, August 18th and Friday, August 28th mornings. Set your alarm, get out there early, and you’ll find some clean, glassy lines. The rest of the time, you’re better off checking the forecast again or finding something else to do.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sat morning, min 24°C on Fri afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Tue morning, min 23°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1074 | 1039 | 897 | 915 | 757 | 598 | 520 | 410 | 410 | 404 | 447 | 438 | 468 | 301 | 293 | 184 | 208 | 277 | 242 | 229 | 76 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 4:55PM2.63m | 5:23AM2.80m | 5:39PM2.60m | 6:03AM2.74m | 6:22PM2.50m | 6:42AM2.61m | 7:05PM2.37m | 7:21AM2.44m | 7:48PM2.20m | 8:02AM2.25m | 8:36PM2.03m | 8:47AM2.07m | 9:32PM1.88m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:52AM0.19m | 11:05PM0.03m | 11:35AM0.17m | 11:47PM0.12m | 12:17PM0.21m | 00:28AM0.26m | 12:58PM0.30m | 1:08AM0.43m | 1:39PM0.43m | 1:50AM0.61m | 2:23PM0.57m | 2:35AM0.79m | 3:13PM0.70m | 3:30AM0.94m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — |
 | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 26 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 |
Feels °C | 26 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 30 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 7 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SSW 9 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 |
| kJ | 1074 | 1039 | 897 | 915 | 757 | 598 | 520 | 106 | 410 | 404 | 447 | 438 | 135 | 301 | 293 | 184 | 192 | 122 | 242 | 229 | 104 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NW 13 | NW 13 | — | NW 12 | NW 12 | SW 14 | NW 12 | NW 11 | SSW 7 | S 11 | SW 16 | NW 13 | NW 13 | NW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 7 |
| kJ | — | — | 7 | 7 | — | 6 | 6 | 410 | 6 | 5 | 91 | 2 | 468 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 208 | 277 | 39 | 8 | 47 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 12 | — | — | S 12 | NW 13 | NW 13 | N 8 | N 7 | SW 20 | SW 10 | NW 13 | NW 14 | W 14 | SW 15 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | 11 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 76 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | SW 6 | SW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | — | SW 6 | SSW 6 | — | SSW 7 | — | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 9 | — | — | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | — |
| kJ | 31 | 69 | 60 | 77 | 107 | 93 | 138 | — | 78 | 80 | — | 93 | — | 117 | 136 | 258 | — | — | 66 | 90 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 102 | 912 | 310 | 11 | 1050 | 303 | 11 | 912 | 310 | 141 | 912 | 7 | 0 | 1050 | 310 | 102 | 912 | 310 | 141 | 852 | 7 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Manabi | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ecuador | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our San Mateo surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the San Mateo Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for San Mateo provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at San Mateo can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our San Mateo surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (San Mateo) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for San Mateo may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Manabi? If you are looking for accommodation near San Mateo, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Manabi, consider staying in Manta which is 11 km (7 miles) away. Other places in and around Manabi where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Montecristi which is 21 km (13 miles) away, Portoviejo, Jipijapa and Sucre.
Nearest