San Mateo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for San Mateo.

The outlook is a bit of a struggle for the next couple of weeks. We’re looking at a long stretch of marginal to poor conditions, with a window of cleaner surf that finally shows up about a week and a half from now. The water is running a whopping 9° warmer than usual for this time of year, so the water temp is around 81° – that’s very unusual, like swimming in a bath.

The first real chance to get wet is Sunday, September 6th in the morning. San Mateo is a point break that’s inconsistent, and it’s exposed to the NW, but we’ve got a SW swell coming in at 4ft with a 14-second period. That’s a long-period groundswell, which is great for a point break – it’ll wrap in with some proper shape. The combined energy is moderate (684). The wind is a gentle cross-shore from the SSW at 9 mph, which will keep things a little bumpy with a slight cross-chop. It’s not pristine, but it’s the best of a pretty average bunch for the first week. The crowds are sometimes a problem here, so you might have a few others out. The afternoon on Sunday turns to junk with a cross-onshore wind, so get your session in early.

The rest of the first week into the second week is pretty grim. Monday morning, September 7th, has a bit of swell but it’s crossed up. Tuesday to Friday sees the swell dropping and the wind staying cross or cross-on, making for choppy, poor surf. The swell energy dips into the low hundreds (202) by Saturday, September 12th. There’s a real gap of poor surf from Sunday afternoon, September 6th, right through to the middle of the following week.

The standout is Wednesday morning, September 16th. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The swell is only 3ft from the SW, but the period is a solid 15 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSW at 6 mph, which will make for clean, glassy lines. The combined energy is moderate (304). For a point break, that offshore wind and long period will make for some really fun, peeling waves. It’s the cleanest forecast in the entire 16-day window. The downside is it’s inconsistent, so you might have to wait for the sets, but when they come, they’ll be worth it.

After that, we’re back to poor conditions. Thursday the 17th through the end of the forecast period on Monday, September 21st, is a mix of poor surf, stronger winds, and tiny swell. The morning of September 21st has a glimmer of marginal surf, but it’s not worth getting excited about.

So, the call is: get on it early Sunday morning, September 6th, for some average but surfable waves, or wait for that clean, glassy window on Wednesday morning, September 16th. That’s your best bet.

Rusty.

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