Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for Cape Mendocino over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, things are looking pretty grim. We've got a solid 16-day window ahead, but the first 14 days are basically a write-off. The surf is small, the wind is ugly, and the conditions are just plain poor. It's a tough stretch.

The only faint glimmer of hope comes right at the very end of the forecast. On Monday, August 10th, there's a slight uptick, but it's still marginal. The best chance for a wave is later in the afternoon, with a 1.6ft swell from the SW.

Now, the one standout, and I mean *the only one*, is on Tuesday, August 11th. Cape Mendocino is our spot, and it's an advanced wave. It's "fairly consistent," but it's exposed to the SW swell. The morning session sees a small 2ft swell from the SSW, but the wind is a light, cross-onshore breeze from the SW. That's okay, but it's the afternoon that gets my heart beating a little faster. The swell direction shifts to SW, and the wind goes from a light breeze to a true offshore, blowing from the W at only 3 mph. That's glassy, clean, perfect conditions. The water temp is about 56°F, which is normal for this time of year. The downside is that the swell is tiny, but with that offshore wind, it'll be as good as it's gonna get. It's a very long period groundswell at 19 seconds, so it's got real energy. Don't expect a crazy amount of waves, but the ones that come through will be clean and lined up. It's a spot for the experienced crew, and with crowds being "sometimes," you might have it to yourself.

The rest of the week after that is just more small, messy cross-shore junk. The combined swell energy for that Tuesday afternoon is a moderate 568 (moderate wave energy). It's a long-range call, so it's promising but not a guarantee. For now, sit tight, and maybe get your gear ready for that Tuesday afternoon session.

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