Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Cape Mendocino.

Honestly, it’s a tough look for the next couple of weeks. We start off this Friday, the 28th, with some waist-high swell around 3-3 ft from the SSW, but there’s a tricky cross-shore wind on it. The water is sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than what you’d usually expect this time of year – that anomaly is about 3° down, so you’ll want a thicker wetsuit. The wave energy is weak (691), and the forecast doesn’t give us much to get excited about for the weekend. Saturday and Sunday the swell bumps up a little to about 4-4 ft, but the cross-shore winds are blowing 16-19 mph, making it lumpy and messy. The energy stays moderate (924 to 570), but the ride quality is poor. Not worth paddling out.

Monday, the 31st, sees the wind drop a notch and the swell holds around 3 ft from the SSW, but we’re still looking at cross-onshore to cross conditions and only marginal surf. There’s a bit of an uptick on Tuesday, September 1st, with a short-period NW pulse of 5 ft, but the period is only 7 seconds, so it’s weak and crumbly. The energy is moderate (439), but those short-period waves won’t hold shape.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting for a short window. On Wednesday morning, September 2nd, we get a real treat: glassy conditions, with the wind dropping to practically nothing – just 3 mph from the NNW, making it clean. The swell is small, only 2 ft, but it’s a long-period 18-second SSW groundswell. The wave energy is moderate (514), and for a spot like Cape Mendocino that is fairly consistent and exposed to the SW, that clean morning glass will be the best you’ll see all period. The swell direction matches the optimum (SW), so those point breaks and reefs nearby could have a little gem. Just know it’s small, so bring your longboard.

After that, things get a bit rowdy. Thursday, September 3rd, a bigger NW swell pushes in, hitting 6-7 ft with a period of 11 seconds. That’s a solid amount of energy (1459-1517), but it’s coming with onshore to cross-onshore winds. That’s going to make it a lumpy, choppy mess. The beach breaks might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddling, honestly.

The rest of the first week and into the second week sees some smaller SSW swells, but the winds are mostly cross or onshore. There’s a little pulse on Tuesday the 8th with 5 ft from the NW, but it’s short period (8 seconds) and cross-shore. By Saturday the 12th, the wind is howling at 19 mph from the north, with a 6 ft WNW swell and big energy (1563), but it’s going to be blown out.

The standout here is Wednesday, September 2nd, in the morning. That glassy, clean, long-period SSW groundswell – even though it’s small – is your best bet for a quality, uncrowded session. After that, it’s a lot of waiting.

Keep your eyes peeled, but don’t hold your breath for the rest of it.

Rusty.

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