Surf Forecasts:
San Mateo surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 19s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,314 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 19s 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 19s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 13s. 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 1.6m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (-05) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 19s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for San Mateo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Look, I'm gonna level with ya – the next 16 days at San Mateo are a real test of patience. The ocean's got some energy, but the wind just won't play ball for most of it. We're looking at a long stretch of mediocre to poor conditions before a potential window of excellence right at the end.
The first week and a half is a grind. Starting Saturday the 22nd, we've got a tiny 2ft swell from the SW with a decent 13-second period, but a cross-shore wind at 16 mph is chopping it all up. The water is a notable 80°, a huge 8° warmer than average for this time of year, which is very unusual. The combined swell energy is a modest 212, but it doesn't matter with that wind. This pattern sticks around for days. Through Sunday the 23rd, Monday the 24th, right into the next week, the swell stays tiny – between 1.0ft and 2ft – and the wind is either cross or cross-on, keeping the surf poor. The best we get is a couple of "marginal" morning windows, like on Thursday the 27th with a light breeze, but it's still only 2ft and cross-shore. The energy rarely climbs above 300, so it's just weak and messy.
We finally see a pulse of energy arrive on Friday the 28th. The morning shows 3ft from the SW with an 18-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 576. The wind is a light cross-shore, making it marginal. The afternoon, however, gets bigger at 4ft with a 977 energy reading, but the wind swings cross-on at 12 mph, ruining it. Saturday the 29th sees the biggest swell of the first week, 5ft from the SW, and the energy hits a strong 1185. But again, the wind is a moderate cross-shore, making it a messy, choppy mess. Not worth it for paddle surfing in my book – more of a kite day.
The real story is the end of the run. The surf really starts to look promising on Thursday the 3rd of September. Morning brings a 4ft SW swell with a very long 19-second period, and the energy is a powerful 1180. The wind is a light cross-on, but the afternoon gets even better: 5ft from the SW, same long 19-second period, energy climbs to 1390, and the wind turns *on* shore. It's still a bit marginal, but you can feel the change coming.
Then, Friday the 4th of September is the standout. The morning is absolutely glassy. 6ft of SW groundswell with a 17-second period – that's a very long period, meaning proper groundswell with clean lines and long gaps between sets. The combined energy is a massive 1882, showing strong wave power. The wind is glassy. This is the moment. For experienced surfers, this is excellent. The 6ft size is pushing it for beginners, but for the crew who know what they're doing, San Mateo is going to fire. The afternoon stays 6ft but the wind swings cross-on at 12 mph, so get on it early.
The following Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th still have OK swell – 5ft and 4ft – but the wind is back to being a problem, so it's a steep drop-off after that Friday morning window.
So, to wrap it up: you've got a long, frustrating gap of poor conditions from now until Thursday the 3rd. The one true standout is Friday morning, the 4th of September. Swell is 6ft from the SW, glassy conditions, and the energy is pumping. It's a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but that's the one to circle on the calendar. The rest is a write-off.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sun morning, min 23°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed morning, min 23°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 20 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
85 | 129 | 208 | 203 | 192 | 219 | 165 | 161 | 145 | 76 | 74 | 57 | 51 | 111 | 169 | 163 | 253 | 383 | 871 | 1109 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 00:04AM1.78m | 12:09PM1.84m | 1:13AM1.87m | 1:14PM1.92m | 2:05AM2.01m | 2:05PM2.04m | 2:45AM2.16m | 2:47PM2.17m | 3:21AM2.32m | 3:25PM2.29m | 3:53AM2.45m | 4:01PM2.39m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:31PM0.82m | 6:02AM1.04m | 6:42PM0.77m | 7:12AM0.97m | 7:39PM0.66m | 8:05AM0.85m | 8:23PM0.54m | 8:48AM0.71m | 9:02PM0.43m | 9:26AM0.58m | 9:37PM0.34m | 10:01AM0.46m | 10:10PM0.28m | |||||||
— | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:27 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 24 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 24 |
Feels °C | 24 | 26 | 28 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 27 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 20 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 |
85 | 82 | 208 | 203 | 192 | 219 | 165 | 161 | 145 | 76 | 74 | 49 | 51 | 111 | 169 | 163 | 253 | 383 | 871 | 1109 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 18 | SW 14 | SW 9 | SW 21 | SW 17 | SW 15 | SW 13 | SSW 8 |
60 | 129 | 52 | 50 | 35 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 51 | 33 | 13 | 116 | 173 | 174 | 83 | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 13 | NW 8 | NW 12 | SW 15 | NW 12 | SW 11 | NW 15 | NW 14 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | WNW 13 | SW 19 | SW 10 | SW 9 | WSW 22 | SW 9 | WNW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 8 | WNW 11 |
7 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 57 | 14 | 13 | 45 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 12 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 6 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SW 6 | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SW 6 | SW 5 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SSW 5 | SW 5 | SW 14 | SSW 5 | SW 5 | SW 4 |
60 | 37 | 28 | 24 | 32 | 36 | 33 | 19 | 29 | 39 | 31 | 29 | 32 | 24 | 18 | 22 | 238 | 19 | 23 | 17 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 814 | 7 | 7 | 912 | 221 | 102 | 938 | 111 | 7 | 1077 | 450 | 141 | 815 | 7 | 141 | 1054 | 7 | 141 | 954 | 141 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Manabi | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ecuador | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











