Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cookin’ for the Cape Mendocino area over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough run. The forecast is showing a whole lot of nothing for a solid stretch. We’re looking at a gap of about 13 days with no real surf on offer. The wind is locked in from the north, blowing cross-shore, and it’s just not cooperating. The swell is small and weak, with the combined energy barely getting into the double digits or low hundreds most days. For example, on the morning of the 28th of July, the combined energy is only 929 (moderate), but the waves are messy and poor. The water temp is sittin’ around 14°C, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Monday, the 10th of August. We see a bump in size, with the swell hitting 7ft to 7ft out of the northwest, but the period is a short, choppy 7 to 8 seconds. The wind is still cross-shore, and the conditions are described as marginal. That’s a lot of water moving around, but it’s gonna be a lumpy mess at the beach. For a spot like Cape Mendocino, which is an exposed beach setup, this is lookin’ more like a day for the kite surfers than a paddle session. The combined energy on the Monday afternoon is 1028 (moderate), so there’s some push, but the quality is just not there for a good paddle.

Now, if you’re lookin’ for the best of a bad bunch, the standout window is Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th of August. On Tuesday morning, the wind finally swings around to the west at just 5 km/h, which is basically glassy. The swell is a tiny 2ft, but it’s a beautiful, long-period groundswell at 20 seconds from the south-southwest. That’s a very long period, and it’s gonna wrap around the points and reefs much better than the beach. The combined energy is 521 (moderate). Wednesday morning is similar, with a 3ft swell from the south-southwest at 18 seconds and light winds. This is a rare, delicate window of clean, glassy conditions. For a spot that’s been battered by wind, this is a true standout. The waves will be small, but they’ll be lined up and clean. Keep in mind though, this is over a week away, so treat it as a promising prospect rather than a guarantee.

The rest of the run after that drops off again. There’s a small spike on the 10th, but as I said, the wind and short period make it a messy proposition. The 5th of August shows a 8ft swell from the northwest with a short 8-second period and cross-onshore wind – that’s a big, ugly, blown-out mess for experts only.

So, for the daily surfer, the honest truth is the first 13 days are a write-off. Your best bet is to wait for that Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th. It’s not gonna be big, but it’ll be clean. Get on it if you can.

Rusty.

Read more