
Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 5 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 9s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 9s period, NW swell with 643 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 9s period with NW 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 Wednesday (Aug 05) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cape Mendocino in the next 16 days are 2.1m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 9s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 02) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. This 16-day window around Cape Mendocino is a tough one. We’re staring at a whole lot of cross-shore wind and messy, small surf for the foreseeable future.
The first few days, Sunday the 2nd through Tuesday the 4th, are basically a write-off. We’ve got some knee-high slop, maybe 1ft to 2ft, with a strong breeze out of the north kicking up a nasty cross-chop. The water is 53° and running a solid 4° colder than normal for this time of year. You’re not missing anything.
Then we get a little pulse of energy on Wednesday the 5th. The swell bumps up to 6ft from the northwest, but the period is only 8 seconds, so it’s going to be a bit crumbly and fat. The morning is looking iffy with a light cross-onshore, but check out the afternoon: the wind goes glassy. That’s our first real chance to get wet, and it’s the best we’ve seen so far. The energy is moderate, with a reading of 512. It won’t be epic, but it’ll be clean and playful. Thursday morning still has some size, 5ft, but the wind swings back onshore and it gets messy. After that, the bottom falls out again.
From Thursday afternoon the 6th all the way through to Friday the 14th, it’s a grim stretch. The swell drops back to that 1ft to 2ft junk, and that persistent north to northwest wind, blowing anywhere from 15 to 22 mph, just ruin any chance of a decent wave. There’s a bunch of longer period energy in the water from the south-southwest, but it’s so weak it doesn’t matter. This is a long, flat spell.
Now, the tail end of the window starts to show some promise. On Saturday the 15th, we see a bit more size, with 3ft on offer, but the wind is still a problem. Then Sunday the 16th rolls around. Morning brings a 6ft northwest swell with a 9-second period and a solid energy reading of 859. That's the strongest energy we see all window. But again, the wind is doing its thing, blowing cross-shore from the north-northwest. It’s going to be a bit lumpy, but there’s a wave there for the guys who want to paddle out. It’s a marginal call, but it’s the most size we get.
After that, we fade again. So, honestly, if you're looking for the standout, it's that glassy window on Wednesday afternoon the 5th. It's not big, but it'll be the cleanest surf we get. Keep the faith after that, it’s a long dry spell, but the ocean usually wakes up eventually.
Signing off.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the N on Sun morning, calm by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, fresh winds from the N by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 13 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
92 | 70 | 49 | 44 | 43 | 41 | 86 | 79 | 628 | 490 | 400 | 253 | 215 | 85 | 113 | 85 | 130 | 107 | 170 | 240 | 147 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 2:50PM1.63m | 2:28AM1.44m | 3:22PM1.69m | 3:30AM1.28m | 3:58PM1.75m | 4:51AM1.14m | 4:41PM1.81m | 6:35AM1.09m | 5:33PM1.86m | 8:19AM1.14m | 6:32PM1.91m | 9:34AM1.24m | 7:36PM1.98m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:22AM0.12m | 8:57PM0.60m | 8:56AM0.27m | 9:54PM0.50m | 9:34AM0.46m | 10:58PM0.37m | 10:18AM0.65m | 00:08AM0.24m | 11:14AM0.82m | 1:20AM0.09m | 12:27PM0.95m | 2:27AM-0.06m | 1:45PM1.00m | 3:27AM-0.20m | |||||||
6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 8:30 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 17 |
Feels °C | 8 | 9 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 |
92 | 70 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 41 | 751 | 647 | 628 | 490 | 400 | 253 | 215 | 213 | 113 | 57 | 79 | 82 | 170 | 240 | 147 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 |
46 | 49 | 49 | 43 | 41 | 15 | 86 | 79 | 76 | 73 | 100 | 96 | 88 | 85 | 82 | 80 | 130 | 107 | 37 | 22 | 56 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | S 12 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 11 | S 13 | SW 20 | SSW 19 | W 12 | SSW 21 | S 12 | SSW 19 | W 13 | W 13 | SW 23 |
13 | 26 | 29 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 14 | 14 | 37 | 31 | 12 | 30 | 60 | 37 | 12 | 85 | 11 | 74 | 14 | 31 | 21 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 10 |
1047 | 1449 | 2542 | 1547 | 1569 | 1495 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 219 | 270 | 319 | 487 | 704 | 1523 | 2420 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 294 | 780 | 59 | 219 | 51 | 41 | 51 | 93 | 21 | 51 | 0 | 40 | 334 | 151 | 51 | 151 | 80 | 40 | 334 | 80 | 54 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Humboldt County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
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.











