Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Cape Mendocino over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, this stretch of coast is looking pretty underwhelming for the immediate future. We’ve got a long, drawn-out run of poor to marginal surf, and it’s going to be tough to find a decent wave for nearly two weeks. The first real half-decent option I can see doesn't show up until Wednesday the 19th of August.

The water here is about as cold as it gets for this time of year – we're talking a serious anomaly, running nearly four degrees colder than usual at 50°F, so you’ll want a good thick steamer.

For most of the first two weeks, we’re stuck with a persistent, fresh northerly breeze that’s blowing cross-shore, creating lumpy, cross-chop conditions. The swell is mostly tiny – barely cracking 2 ft – and the energy is weak to moderate. The few pulses of bigger swell that roll in have poor wave quality. Saturday the 15th of August does show a bit of a lift, with a 3 ft SSW swell on the morning, but it’s still cross-shore and just marginal. Not worth getting excited about.

Now, the only real standout of the whole 16-day window lands on Wednesday the 19th of August. We finally get a push of WNW swell, building from 5 ft in the morning to a solid 7 ft by the afternoon. The wind is still cross-shore out of the north at 12 mph, keeping it a bit messy, but the combined swell energy will be strong (1362). The period is a moderate 12 seconds, so it’ll have some push. This is definitely for the experienced crew, as that 7 ft swell is getting into the expert zone. It’s located at Cape Mendocino (United States), an exposed spot that favours a SW optimum, so this WNW swell won’t be quite perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got.

Before that, you’re looking at a nearly 14-day dry spell of nothing rideable. That’s just how it goes here sometimes – the forecasts can change, but for now, don’t bother checking the boards until that second week. Honestly, with the persistent cross-shore wind and the beach-break setup through that period, it’s looking far more interesting for the kite crew than for paddle surfing.

Keep an eye on that Wednesday the 19th – it’s a long way out, so take it with a pinch of salt, but it’s the only hope on the horizon.

Rusty.

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