San Mateo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what we’ve got on the cards.

First off, it’s a pretty rough start out there. There’s a lot of cross and cross-onshore wind hammering the waves, making for messy, lumpy conditions. The combined swell energy is in the moderate zone (with readings like 757 and 526), but the quality just isn’t there for a good paddle. The water temperature is a real standout for this part of the world – a whopping 81°F, which is 9°F warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s very unusual, so you’ll be surfing in short sleeves for sure.

San Mateo (point) is the only spot in the game, but it’s an inconsistent one, so you have to pick your moments. The first true glimmer of hope comes early on Tuesday morning, the 18th of August. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, with a nice 3ft of swell from the SW and a period of 16 seconds. That long period means proper groundswell, good shape, and though it’s a point break, the clean conditions should make for some memorable lines. The combined energy sits at a decent 475, and the early morning crowds are only a *sometimes* problem, so if you’re keen, get out there before the afternoon chop arrives. This is the best session on offer so far.

After that, things slide back into a poor funk of lumpy cross-chop for several days. There’s a tiny window on Friday morning, the 21st of August, with another glassy start. The swell is tiny though, only 1ft, and the energy has dropped way down to 109. It’s surfable but very ordinary – more of a longboard or a fun-board session if you’re desperate.

Then we hit a long, flat stretch with very little energy and poor winds until we look further out. The real standout for the whole outlook is Saturday morning, the 29th of August. The wind turns clean and cross-offshore, with 3ft of SW swell at 16 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 459. The point should be handling that long-period energy beautifully, offering clean, lined-up waves. Crowds might be a factor, but for that quality, it’s worth the company. That Saturday morning is the pick of the bunch, though it is a long-range call, so treat it as a promising possibility.

The end of the run, around the 30th, shows a slight increase in swell size back to 4ft with moderate energy (443), but the wind is just a light cross-shore, so the quality is only marginal. There’s no other break to switch to, so we’re stuck with this inconsistent point break being our only hope.

Rusty.

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