Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's get straight into it. It's a bit of a waiting game for the next couple of days. The ocean's got a bit of energy, but it's fighting against itself and the wind is all over the shop for the next 48 hours.

We're looking at a slow start. Tuesday and Wednesday are pretty much write-offs. There's some swell on Tuesday, around the 4ft mark from the northwest with a 10-second period, but that south wind is just making a mess of it (moderate wave energy of 510). Wednesday drops off badly in size, and with that strong southerly breeze, it’s not worth paddling out for anything that’s going to be worth your time. We need to be patient.

Now, here's where things get interesting. The real action kicks off on Thursday, September 3rd. The swell is set to build overnight, pushing up to a solid 6ft on the morning and 7ft by the afternoon. This is a northwest swell with periods of around 10 to 12 seconds, and the energy is really starting to ramp up (1179 in the morning, jumping to a strong 1757 by the afternoon). It's going to be powerful, so this is expert territory, not for the beginners. The wind for the first part of Thursday is still a bit of a cross-shore breeze, but it's light. Friday, September 4th looks the pick of this first push. The swell holds at a robust 7ft, still from the northwest, and the wind is light and from the northwest. It’s not perfectly offshore, it's a light cross-onshore, but with that much power in the water, it should still be holding some excellent shape. The energy reading for Friday morning is a massive 1852, which is about as strong as it gets. This is the standout of the first week. Cape Mendocino will be handling this well, it's exposed enough to take the full force.

After that, the swell backs right down for the weekend and into the early part of next week. The period drops, the direction swings around to the south, and the wind stays messy. It's a real lull, a few days of pretty small, chopped-out surf with not much to get excited about.

Looking further out, the long-range charts are showing a bit of promise but nothing we can lock in yet. Around Thursday, September 10th and into the 11th, there’s a whisper of a long-period south-west swell making its way in, with periods of 16-17 seconds. The sizes look small though, under 3ft, so it's more for the longboard if it eventuates.

Then we see another pulse of northwest groundswell arriving late in the window, around Saturday, September 12th, with 7ft surf and an 8-second period. It's got some size, but that short period makes it lumpy and less defined. Following that, on the 15th, we see another 7ft pulse but again with a short 8-second period, and a northerly wind that'll be making things bumpy. The conditions look a lot less clean for these later swells.

There is another brief inbound swell around the 13th and 14th with a better period of 12 seconds, but it's just smaller, coming in at 5ft.

So, to sum it up, don't waste your time before Thursday. Thursday, September 3rd is the start of the good stuff, but Friday, September 4th is your best bet for a proper, powerful session. The later pulses have size but will be messier. Keep an eye on that Friday forecast, it's the one to circle on the calendar.

Stay stoked.

Rusty.

Read more