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Matunuck Surf Forecast

Rhode Island, RI · South County RI reef/beach, classic hurricane-season spot.

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Matunuck Spot Guide

Best swell

S
window SE–SW (130°–230°)

Ideal size

2–9 ft
breaking-wave face height

Best wind

N
offshore · S is onshore

Verified against

Buoy 44097
live NOAA readings · our error

The wave

BreakReef and beachbreak peaks
BottomRock and sand
WavesDependable lefts and rights that organize S swell well
AbilityYes on typical days — the outside reefs add challenge when a real swell runs.
Best tideMid
CrowdSouth County regulars; roomier than Narragansett
HazardsRocks inside, poison ivy on the paths, summer parking enforcement
AccessLots by the Ocean Mist and town beach off Matunuck Beach Road

Local knowledge

Matunuck is the workhorse of Rhode Island's South County — a cluster of reef-and-sand peaks that pick up south swell consistently and hold their shape through most tides. Hurricane season is prime, when long-period S swell lights up the outer bars.

Nearby spots

FAQ

What swell direction works best at Matunuck?

S swell hits Matunuck straight on. The spot picks up anything arriving from SE (130°) through SW (230°); swell from outside that window is blocked by the coastline.

What wind is best at Matunuck?

N wind blows offshore and grooms the surf. S wind is straight onshore and chops it up; light wind under ~5 kn is fine from any direction.

When is the best time of year to surf Matunuck?

Late summer through fall is prime: hurricane season (August-October) sends the year's best long-period swell, and fall-winter nor'easters keep it pumping. Summer runs smallest outside of tropical systems.

What's the best tide at Matunuck?

Mid. Tide predictions for the spot's NOAA station are in the forecast above.

Is Matunuck good for beginners?

Yes on typical days — the outside reefs add challenge when a real swell runs.

How warm is the water at Matunuck?

Roughly 38°F at its late-winter coldest to about 72°F in late summer. In practice that means a hooded 5/4 with boots and gloves in winter and trunks or a rash guard in summer. The forecast above shows the current water temperature.

How far out is this forecast reliable?

The wave model has real skill to about 10 days, and we cut the chart there instead of padding it with guesses. Days 1-3 are solid, 4-7 useful, 8-10 a trend heads-up - and we publish our measured error against NOAA buoys, updated continuously.

Forecast from TrueSwell's own physics-based wave model (exposure → refraction → breaking, every swell train separately), built on public NOAA and Open-Meteo data and scored daily against NDBC buoy observations. How the model works →