Point

left

Level 6/10

San Mateo

Manabi, Ecuador

🪨Rocks🌀Strong rips

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San Mateo is a quality left point break near Manta that comes alive during NW swell events. The wave wraps around a rocky point in a traditional fishing village, offering long walls and occasional barrels.

San Mateo surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today3

Poor

1.2mSW@15s

11km/h

1.2m@15s

11km/h

Wed4

Poor

1.0mSW@15s

8km/h

1.0m@15s

8km/h

Thu5

Poor

1.1mSW@15s

9km/h

1.1m@15s

9km/h

Fri6

Poor

1.1mSW@15s

9km/h

1.1m@15s

9km/h

Sat7

Poor

1.0mSW@15s

7km/h

1.0m@15s

7km/h

Sun8

Poor

0.8mWSW@16s

9km/h

0.8m@16s

9km/h

Mon9

Poor

0.8mSW@15s

8km/h

0.8m@15s

8km/h

Tue10

Poor

0.6mW@15s

7km/h

0.6m@15s

7km/h

Wed11

Poor

0.6mWNW@16s

9km/h

0.6m@16s

9km/h

Thu12

Poor

0.9mW@15s

10km/h

0.9m@15s

10km/h

5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's ConditionsToday's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 8 km/h · PM 15 km/h · Tide at 10am (1.8m)

Swell

1.2m

SW(230°)

Score: 11/25

Period

15s

Groundswell

Score: 23/25

Wind

11km/h

SW(223°)

Score: 9/25

Weather

28°C

0.4mm68%

First light 5:32amSunrise 6:02amSunset 6:10pmLast light 6:40pm

Windswell

0.3m@2s

Secondary

0.4m

Confidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.2m @15s SW outside window

Wind11 km/h SW onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:32–8:22am · risingStrike window: 12:00–6:40pm · through lowIdeal tide: 0.4–1.5m

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

°C

24°

28°

31°

29°

26°

24°

28°

27°

26°

24°

27°

26°

27°

26°

24°

26°

27°

28°

26°

24°

28°

29°

27°

24°

27°

29°

28°

25°

27°

28°

27°

25°

27°

28°

27°

25°

26°

28°

29°

28°

24°

26°

29°

28°

2m1.0

sec

15s

16s

15s

16s

15s

swell

windkm/h

7g12

9g26

10g27

17g41

13g34

4g10

2g12

7g24

14g33

9g31

5g10

7g19

9g26

11g28

7g23

7g13

4g19

12g33

11g30

7g24

2g7

2g11

8g33

12g35

9g30

6g13

4g14

11g31

15g40

7g35

4g7

5g18

7g30

12g36

9g37

6g15

4g19

7g26

9g32

10g36

7g14

2g21

13g34

13g40

9g42

8g18

6g24

12g31

13g36

9g39

tidem

4:03am0.5m

10:08am1.8m

4:20pm0.4m

5:14am0.4m

11:26am1.8m

5:33pm0.4m

6:18am0.3m

12:30pm1.9m

6:35pm0.3m

12:47am2.1m

7:09am0.1m

1:22pm2.1m

7:27pm0.3m

1:32am2.2m

7:53am0.1m

2:08pm2.2m

8:10pm0.3m

2:12am2.3m

8:30am0.0m

2:47pm2.3m

8:49pm0.3m

2:52am2.3m

9:08am0.0m

3:25pm2.3m

9:27pm0.2m

3:30am2.2m

9:43am0.0m

4:02pm2.2m

10:03pm0.3m

4:06am2.2m

10:18am0.0m

4:39pm2.2m

4:39am2.1m

10:55am0.1m

5:15pm2.1m

Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

4:03 am

Low · 0.48m

10:08 am

High · 1.77m

4:20 pm

Low · 0.41m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction0/25

Swell Size11/25

Swell Period23/25

Wind9/25

Raw Score43/100

Adjustments

🌊 Tide+3

💨 Gusty Wind-5

⚠️ Weak Component-10

Adjusted Score31/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score31

🌊 Mostly in the tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to MEC, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.2m @15s SW outside window

Wind11 km/h SW onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: NNW (337°)
Direction range: 315° - 360°
Size range: 1.2m - 3m
Ideal size: 2m - 2.6m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 16s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: ESE (112°)
Offshore range: 90° - 135°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid
Optimal range: 0.4m - 1.5m

Water temp

25°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

3/10

Access: Near Manta. Fishing village.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of wave is San Mateo?

San Mateo is a point break in Manabi, Ecuador, that mostly breaks left.

What swell works best at San Mateo?

San Mateo picks up swell from the NW round to the N, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the NNW. That's a tight window, so it needs the swell direction to line up. It starts working at around 1.2m and handles up to about 3m, with the sweet spot around 2 to 2.6m. Period matters too: aim for 16s or longer, as anything under 12s tends to be weak. These are the numbers our scoring uses, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise.

What wind is offshore at San Mateo?

An ESE wind is dead offshore at San Mateo, and anything from the E round to the SE keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 6am to 11am. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.

What tide is best at San Mateo?

San Mateo is at its best around mid tide, roughly 0.4m to 1.5m on the local chart.

When is the best time of year to surf San Mateo?

The most reliable run of swell at San Mateo comes Dec to Apr. There's a second window in May and Nov too. Best December-April with N-NW swells.

How cold is the water at San Mateo?

The water at San Mateo averages around 25°C, so boardshorts or a rashguard will do. It shifts a few degrees through the year, so check the season before you pack.

Is San Mateo good for beginners?

It's more of an intermediate wave, rated 6/10 for difficulty, so newer surfers are best off sticking to the smaller days. The lineup is usually quiet (crowd 3/10). Rocky point. Respect locals.

How do I get to San Mateo?

The nearest airport on our list is MEC, then it's roughly a 45-minute drive. Near Manta. Fishing village.

What other surf spots are near San Mateo?

The closest breaks we track are La Bellaca (25 km), Rio Chico (44 km) and Puerto Cayo (46 km), handy when San Mateo isn't working. We track 7 spots around Manabi in total.