
Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 3 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 11s period, NW swell with 1,242 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cape Mendocino this week:
The surf forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 16s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cape Mendocino in the next 16 days are 2.3m 11s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 7s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at what’s on the cards for Cape Mendocino.
It’s a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. Right out of the gate, Wednesday and Thursday are pretty well a write-off with junky conditions and messy wind. There’s a bit of swell around, but the quality is poor, so you’re not missing much. The first real glimmer shows up on Thursday 10th September – that’s the standout window we’ve got.
We get a nice shot of glassy conditions on Thursday morning. The swell is small at 3 ft, but it’s coming from the SW with a lovely long period of 17 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. Combined wave energy sits at 781 (moderate), so there’s some push behind it. The water temp is running 53°F, which is a solid 5°F colder than usual for this time of year. That’s noticeably chilly, so you’ll want a good thick wetsuit. That Thursday morning is the pick of the period – clean, glassy, and that long-period SW swell will wrap in nicely.
Later on, Tuesday 15th September afternoon looks decent too, with another glassy session and small 2 ft swell from the WNW at 13 seconds. Energy is lower at 237, so it’s small but clean for a sneaky session.
Come Wednesday 16th September morning, it’s glassy again with 2 ft from the SW at 16 seconds – tiny but clean if you’ve got a longboard.
Now, there’s a bit of a pulse showing on Thursday 17th September morning – 8 ft from the NW, but only 8 seconds period, so it’s a short-period wind swell. Combined energy hits 1017 (strong), but with light cross-onshore wind, it’s gonna be messy. That’s one for the experts only – over 8 ft but the quality isn’t there.
Overall, Cape Mendocino isn’t firing big, but that Thursday 10th morning is legit. Keep an eye on the glassy windows through the second week as well – small but fun.
Stay wet,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Wed afternoon, calm by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 18 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | NW 7 | S 12 | S 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
249 | 202 | 454 | 622 | 991 | 1219 | 910 | 653 | 659 | 582 | 463 | 621 | 411 | 334 | 264 | 327 | 304 | 299 | 219 | 196 | 297 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 3:11PM1.82m | 5:11AM1.18m | 4:03PM1.83m | 6:53AM1.19m | 5:06PM1.83m | 8:17AM1.27m | 6:17PM1.84m | 9:14AM1.37m | 7:30PM1.87m | 9:58AM1.47m | 8:37PM1.91m | 10:36AM1.56m | 9:37PM1.94m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:03AM0.72m | 10:30PM0.14m | 9:54AM0.88m | 11:43PM0.09m | 11:07AM1.00m | 1:00AM0.02m | 12:35PM1.04m | 2:10AM-0.05m | 1:56PM0.98m | 3:10AM-0.12m | 3:02PM0.86m | 4:00AM-0.14m | 3:59PM0.71m | 4:44AM-0.12m | |||||||
6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | |
— | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | |
mm | — | 8 | 12 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 13 |
Feels °C | 12 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 |
141 | 202 | 454 | 622 | 991 | 1219 | 910 | 653 | 405 | 287 | 206 | 186 | 411 | 334 | 129 | 125 | 304 | 299 | 219 | 196 | 297 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSE 15 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 |
249 | 130 | 214 | 513 | 186 | 553 | 651 | 576 | 659 | 582 | 463 | 621 | 130 | 169 | 258 | 327 | 173 | 156 | 120 | 118 | 162 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 5 | SSW 19 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSE 14 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | SW 18 | WNW 10 |
90 | 58 | 93 | 19 | 248 | 132 | 125 | 82 | 103 | 145 | 97 | 38 | 46 | 43 | 264 | 233 | 56 | 48 | 47 | 111 | 19 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | S 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | — | — | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 |
13 | 100 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 269 | 190 | 190 | — | — | 113 | 79 | 198 | 251 | 204 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 170 | 80 | 0 | 21 | 59 | 0 | 21 | 83 | 0 | 151 | 149 | 0 | 134 | 151 | 0 | 151 | 439 | 40 | 68 | 151 | 40 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Humboldt County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Cape Mendocino Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Cape Mendocino provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cape Mendocino can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cape Mendocino 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 (Cape Mendocino) 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 Cape Mendocino 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.
Cape Mendocino is 47 km (29 miles) from Eureka. If you plan a vacation in Humboldt County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Eureka. Eureka has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










