San Mateo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Rusty here, checkin' in with the surf outlook for San Mateo. It's a point break, and it's an advanced wave, so don't be fooled if it looks mellow—it's fickle and inconsistent, so you gotta be patient. The water is a full 81° right now, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year—like a bath, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

Alright, let's be real. The first few days are a write-off. From Monday the 3rd through to Thursday the 6th, it's all poor surf conditions with tiny, weak swell—mostly under 3 ft from the SW with short periods and cross-onshore winds. The combined energy is weak to moderate (147 to 385), and the wind is just messing it up. Not worth paddling out.

Then we get a sniff of something good. Friday morning, the 7th of August, is your standout. Early doors, it goes glassy—wind is 5 km/h from the West, dead clean. The swell is only 3 ft, but it's a long-period groundswell coming from the SW with a 16-second period. The energy jumps to 516 (moderate). It's not huge, but those long lines will wrap around the point beautifully. This is the best window you'll see for a while. The afternoon turns choppy again, so get in early.

After that, it's back to mediocrity. The weekend and most of the following week are a mixed bag of poor surf conditions and marginal forecasts. The wind stays cross or cross-onshore, keeping things bumpy. The swell ticks up a bit around the 14th and 15th, with the 14th of August Friday afternoon seeing a 5 ft SW swell at 16 seconds and energy hitting 1055 (strong). But the wind is cross and moderate (25 km/h), so it'll be a messy, choppy mess. There's a morning session on the 15th of August Saturday with light cross-shore wind and a 4 ft SW swell, but it's still only marginal.

Later in the window, the 18th of August Tuesday morning shows a 2 ft swell with a 20-second period and 680 energy, but again, it's cross-shore wind and only marginal. The long period means it'll be fat and powerful, but the wind is the enemy here.

Overall, if you're an advanced surfer who's keen on a clean, long-period point wave, get out there on Friday morning the 7th. That's the one. The rest of the 16 days is mostly a waiting game. The swell is there, but the wind just won't play ball. It's a tough stretch for a spot that's already inconsistent.

Rusty.

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