Cape Mendocino Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.42° N 124.40° W

Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 pm 16 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cape Mendocino sea temperature is
10.4° C
3.0° 

Cape Mendocino surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 13s period, S swell with 569 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period with SW 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 17s period. 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 1.3m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 11PM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Mon 20th Jul)3ft (0.9m) 17s
Best Surf 2AM (Mon 20th Jul)3ft (0.9m) 17s
Most Powerful 8PM (Tue 21st Jul)4.5ft (1.3m) 13s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Cape Mendocino has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it's a bit of a slow start. The first few days are looking pretty average, with a lot of cross-shore wind messing up the shape. You’re not going to want to rush out there just yet. We’ve got a long gap here with no real standout surf until we get towards the end of the month. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

For Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th, we’ve got some small, long-period groundswell rolling in from the WNW, around 3ft with a period of 16 to 17 seconds. That’s a classic groundswell with real energy behind it, but the wind is a cross-shore moderate breeze, so it’s not going to be clean. The combined energy is moderate (832 and 1146), but the conditions are just poor to marginal. It’s gonna be a bumpy, choppy mess.

Sunday the 19th sees a bit of a jump in size on the morning, with a 7ft swell from the NW, but it’s a short-period windswell (8 seconds) and the wind is still cross. That’s a lot of water moving around but no real shape to it. The energy is moderate (987), but it’s not one for the log.

Monday the 20th through to Thursday the 24th is a real nothing-burger. Swell drops right off, mostly under 3ft, with a mix of light cross-onshore and cross-shore winds. The combined energy drops into the low hundreds (295 to 882). It’s pretty bleak, to be honest. You’d be better off doing something else.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. On Friday the 24th of July in the afternoon, we start to see a change. A solid 3ft swell from the SSW with a very long period of 24 seconds rolls in, combined energy hitting 1254. The wind is light and onshore, but the potential is there. This is a proper groundswell, and it’s going to wrap around the points and reefs at Cape Mendocino. It’s a long period, so it’ll break a bit straight at the beach, but for the right setup, it’ll be lined up.

The real standout, though, is the weekend of the 26th and 27th of July. Saturday morning the 25th has a 4ft SSW swell with a 21-second period, and the wind is light cross-shore from the NNW. This is the best window we’ve got. The combined energy is strong (1475). That’s a clean, lined-up groundswell with light wind. It’s not going to be huge, but it will be quality. The break is fairly consistent, and you can expect crowds sometimes, so get there early.

Into Sunday the 26th, the swell holds around 4ft from the SW with a 20-second period, but the wind picks up to a fresh cross-shore during the afternoon. The morning will still be decent. The energy is very strong (1982). After that, through to the end of the month, the wind gets stronger and the conditions get lumpy again. The swell sticks around at 3ft to 5ft, but the cross-shore fresh breeze kills it.

The second week of the outlook is a write-off. The wind is honking from the N and NNW at 18-22 mph, creating a lumpy cross-chop. The swell is small and the energy is weak. Honestly, with that much wind and a beach setup, it’s looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a dud. The best bet is Saturday morning, July 25th at Cape Mendocino. You’ve got a solid 4ft groundswell from the SSW, light wind, and strong energy. It’s the only real window of clean, quality surf in the whole 16 days. Sunday the 26th morning is a backup, but the wind will get you. After that, it’s a long stretch of poor conditions.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
0
0
1
2
2
1
1
1
3
0
2
2
2
2
3
1
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
WNW
18
0.9
WNW
17
1
WNW
16
0.9
WNW
16
0.9
WNW
16
0.8
SW
18
1.9
NW
8
2
NW
8
0.9
SW
17
0.9
SW
17
0.7
SW
16
0.9
SW
16
0.9
SW
16
1.1
S
13
1.1
S
13
1.2
S
12
0.8
SSW
15
0.7
SSW
13
0.8
SSW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
438
433
518
463
452
375
423
527
434
419
261
362
367
404
398
407
275
158
243
Wind (km/h)
20
N
25
NNW
25
N
15
N
20
NNW
25
NNW
20
N
20
NNW
25
N
15
N
15
NW
15
NNW
15
N
5
NW
10
N
5
ESE
20
S
20
S
10
SSE
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
glassy
cross
cross
cross-off
High Tide
1:16AM1.89m
3:01PM1.66m
2:11AM1.69m
3:40PM1.69m
3:10AM1.48m
4:20PM1.72m
4:18AM1.27m
5:00PM1.73m
5:43AM1.12m
5:42PM1.73m
7:28AM1.07m
6:27PM1.73m
Low Tide
8:23AM-0.23m
8:45PM0.65m
9:05AM-0.04m
9:49PM0.58m
9:47AM0.18m
10:56PM0.49m
10:31AM0.41m
00:05AM0.40m
11:20AM0.62m
1:13AM0.29m
12:16PM0.80m
2:16AM0.19m
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:01
6:01
6:03
6:03
6:03
6:05
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:45
8:45
8:44
8:44
8:43
8:42
8:42
 mm
Temp °C
14
15
16
14
15
16
14
15
16
13
17
17
15
19
21
21
20
20
18
Feels °C
10
11
12
10
12
13
11
12
13
10
15
16
14
18
20
20
17
18
17
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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