Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 14s period, S swell with 456 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s period with SSW 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 11s. 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 1.1m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at what Cape Mendocino has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: the surf scene here is looking pretty flat and uninspiring for a good stretch. We're looking at a long gap with nothing really worth paddling out for. The water is sitting at 55°F at Cape Mendocino, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll want a good thick wetsuit if you're even thinking about it.
The best we've got on offer is a couple of days around Monday the 24th of August. Early morning that day, we'll see a NW swell pushing 6 ft, which is a decent size, but the period is a short 8 seconds. That's windswell, not the good stuff. The combined energy is moderate, sitting at 705. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the WNW, so it's not going to be glassy, but it's manageable. The afternoon cleans up a little with even lighter wind, but it's still cross-onshore. Honestly, it's a marginal call. This is a fairly consistent spot, but with these conditions and the cross-wind, the waves are going to be a bit messy. For the advanced crew, it might be worth a look, but the swell direction is SSW, which is the opposite of the optimum SW direction for this break, so it won't be at its best.
The rest of the forecast period is a write-off. From Thursday the 20th through to the end of the month, we're looking at a mix of tiny swell and fresh to moderate cross-shore winds that are going to leave the ocean looking like a washing machine. There's a period around the 27th and 28th where the swell picks up, but the wind is up to 19 mph, creating a lumpy cross-chop. That's less about surfing and more about a battle. For a spot that's exposed like this, with that much wind and poor surf quality, it honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing right now.
The first week of September doesn't offer any relief either. More of the same: small swell, and fresh cross-shore winds. We're looking at a solid 10-day stretch of nothing to get excited about from the end of August. It's a grim run, but it's part of the deal here sometimes. Keep your eyes on the charts, because it tends not to stay this poor for long.
Stay patient,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | NW 7 | SW 18 | SW 18 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 233 | 223 | 236 | 156 | 139 | 99 | 99 | 111 | 94 | 301 | 164 | 199 | 344 | 276 | 181 | 326 | 214 | 161 | 203 | 201 | 239 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 5:31PM1.65m | 8:53AM1.20m | 6:30PM1.65m | 9:48AM1.27m | 7:30PM1.67m | 10:27AM1.34m | 8:25PM1.72m | 10:58AM1.38m | 9:14PM1.77m | 11:24AM1.42m | 9:58PM1.81m | 11:48AM1.47m | 10:40PM1.82m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:45AM0.99m | 1:32AM0.24m | 1:04PM1.05m | 2:33AM0.18m | 2:14PM1.05m | 3:24AM0.11m | 3:09PM1.01m | 4:07AM0.05m | 3:54PM0.95m | 4:43AM0.01m | 4:33PM0.87m | 5:15AM-0.01m | 5:10PM0.79m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — |
 | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 15 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | WNW 10 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SW 18 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 16 |
| kJ | 225 | 210 | 164 | 128 | 76 | 74 | 62 | 52 | 90 | 231 | 164 | 521 | 344 | 276 | 163 | 120 | 214 | 161 | 203 | 201 | 239 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | NNW 7 | NW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SSW 13 | WNW 9 | SSW 15 | S 16 | S 16 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 13 | S 13 | W 13 | W 13 | SW 15 |
| kJ | 233 | 223 | 66 | 49 | 83 | 78 | 54 | 98 | 32 | 75 | 76 | 124 | 255 | 192 | 181 | 326 | 126 | 125 | 85 | 79 | 183 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 19 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | W 15 | W 14 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | S 12 |
| kJ | 54 | 58 | 236 | 156 | 139 | 99 | 99 | 111 | 94 | 29 | 30 | 199 | 106 | 153 | 146 | 126 | 70 | 100 | 32 | 18 | 76 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | NNW 6 | — | — | NW 8 | — | — | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | N 4 |
| kJ | 75 | 67 | — | — | 41 | — | — | 78 | 134 | 301 | 452 | — | — | — | — | — | 67 | 41 | 13 | 19 | 9 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 93 | 68 | 40 | 59 | 59 | 0 | 59 | 438 | 51 | 244 | 54 | 21 | 211 | 51 | 21 | 152 | 51 | 40 | 151 | 54 | 54 |
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.
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