San Mateo Surf Break

Lat Long: 0.95° S 80.83° W

San Mateo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 am 22 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's San Mateo sea temperature is
26.7° C
4.4° 

San Mateo surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


San Mateo surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 17s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 17s period, SW swell with 1,312 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 20s 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 Saturday (Jul 25) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 20s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at San Mateo in the next 16 days are 1.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 7s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 4PM.

Wave TypeTime (-05) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Sat 25th Jul)2.5ft (0.7m) 20s
Best Surf 7AM (Sun 26th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 17s
Most Powerful 1AM (Tue 28th Jul)5ft (1.5m) 17s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for San Mateo over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what San Mateo's got cookin' for us over the next couple of weeks. We're lookin' at a point break that needs a good NW groundswell to really light up, but the charts are showin' a whole lot of weak, short-period SW windswell instead. The first few days are a write-off – Wednesday and Thursday, poor surf conditions and cross-chop will have you paddlin' your brains out for nothin'. We're starin' down the barrel of a slow start.

Now, Friday the 24th, there's a little bump in energy. Mornin' shows a small 2ft SW swell with a long 21-second period, and while the energy is gettin' a bit more serious (740), the conditions are still marginal; it's a "maybe" kind of day. Saturday the 25th is where we get our first real taste. The morning session is the standout of the week, hands down. It's glassy with a light S breeze, cleanin' up a 3ft SW swell from the 19-second period. The energy's up there (794), and a 19-second period means long lines – but at a point? That could be real nice. The water's a balmy 80°F, which is much warmer than normal for the time of year – you won't need a thick wetsuit, that's for sure.

Sunday the 26th keeps the magic goin' in the morning. Another glassy start, this time from the SW, with a slightly bigger 4ft swell from the same 17-second period. The energy's solid at 913. Looks like another sweet window for long, clean waves. But afternoon on both Saturday and Sunday, the wind swings cross-onshore and it gets choppy and messy. So it's strictly a dawn patrol mission.

Monday the 27th, the swell size ticks up to 4ft, and the morning is still lookin' rideable with a light cross-shore (1144 energy), but Tuesday the 28th pushes into the 5ft range – that's gettin' into expert-only territory, especially with a shorter 16-second period and cross-chop in the morning. The rest of the forecast trails off. From the 29th onwards, we see swell sizes droppin' from 5ft down to 1ft by Thursday the 6th of August, accompanied by a lot of marginal and poor conditions. The energy takes a nosedive from the 525 range down to a weak 87 by the 6th.

So the big picture: your best bet is to be on the water early on Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th. That's the cream of the crop. A couple of other mornings (like the 24th, 27th, and 28th) have some small, cross-shore potential, but it's a gamble with a lot of chop. And from the 29th onward, we're lookin' at a real slump. If you don't hit that weekend, you might be waitin' a week for a half-decent ripple.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 26°C on Wed morning, min 24°C on Wed afternoon). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 27°C on Sat afternoon, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
1
3
3
1
2
3
0
1
3
1
3
3
0
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
NW
18
0.4
NW
18
0.4
NW
17
0.3
SW
26
0.4
SW
24
0.6
SW
24
0.7
SW
21
0.9
SW
21
0.7
SW
20
1
SW
19
0.9
SW
19
1
SW
18
1.1
SW
17
1.2
SW
17
0.8
SW
20
1.3
SW
18
1.3
SW
18
1.5
SW
17
1.6
SW
16
1.6
SW
16
1.5
SW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
114
112
75
105
202
347
449
763
408
723
627
602
760
783
455
1099
1099
1312
1230
1215
1028
Wind (km/h)
20
SSW
25
SW
20
SW
15
SSW
15
WSW
10
WSW
10
SSW
20
WSW
5
SW
5
S
15
W
15
SSW
5
SW
20
WSW
20
SW
15
SSW
20
SW
10
SSW
10
SSW
20
SW
10
SSW
Wind State
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
High Tide
10:24PM1.92m
10:35AM2.03m
11:31PM1.86m
11:38AM1.96m
00:39AM1.87m
12:40PM1.95m
1:38AM1.93m
1:37PM2.00m
2:28AM2.02m
2:26PM2.08m
3:11AM2.14m
3:09PM2.17m
3:49AM2.26m
Low Tide
4:08PM0.67m
4:21AM0.89m
5:08PM0.73m
5:26AM0.96m
6:12PM0.73m
6:34AM0.96m
7:11PM0.67m
7:34AM0.91m
8:03PM0.59m
8:25AM0.83m
8:48PM0.49m
9:10AM0.73m
9:28PM0.39m
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:26
6:26
6:26
6:26
6:26
6:26
6:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:30
6:30
6:31
6:31
6:31
6:31
6:31
 mm
1
2
1
Temp °C
26
26
24
25
25
24
26
26
24
26
27
24
26
26
24
26
27
24
26
26
24
Feels °C
26
25
23
26
26
26
27
26
27
29
29
26
30
27
24
27
28
26
27
27
26
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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