Cape Mendocino Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.42° N 124.40° W

Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 25 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cape Mendocino sea temperature is
13.2°C
1.5° 

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 26 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SSW swell with 877 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s 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 Wednesday (Aug 26) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 2s is also forecast. 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 1.2m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Wed 26th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 16s
Best Surf 2AM (Wed 26th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 16s
Most Powerful 2PM (Sat 29th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

Yo, it’s Rusty. Let’s get real about the Cape for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a pretty flat and messy outlook from now until early September. Most days you’re looking at weak surf – like 2 ft to 3 ft – with a lot of onshore or side-shore wind from the north and northwest. That’s going to chop it up something fierce. We’re talking about a solid run of poor surf from Tuesday the 25th of August through to the 7th of September, so don’t expect much.

The water temp is around 56°, which is about 3° colder than average, so it’s a bit nippy.

The only real standout that might be worth a look is on Monday, September 7th. There’s a 5 ft short-period swell from the NW (8 seconds) with a combined energy of 633 – that’s moderate. The wind eases to a gentle side-shore from the NNW, so it won’t be as choppy as what we’ve been dealing with. It’s still a marginal call because of the tide, but if you’re desperate, Cape Mendocino might have a couple of lumpy peaks.

Then on Wednesday, September 9th, the swell really picks up – 7 ft from the NW, 10-second period, with strong energy (1372). That’s expert territory, and it’s still cross-shore from the north at around 12 mph. The surface will be lumpy, so it’s not going to be glassy, but for the crew with bigger boards and a bit of nerve, there could be some power in the water.

For the beginners, stay away from anything over 5 ft, and definitely don’t go out on that 7 ft day. Also, remember that those longer period groundswells (like the 16-second stuff earlier) can make beach breaks unpredictable, but Cape Mendocino is an exposed spot so it might handle it alright.

It’s a lean run overall. Just one of those quiet spells. Things’ll turn around.

Keep the faith,
Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds.

Tue
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
2
0
0
2
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
15
0.6
SW
15
0.6
SW
15
1
WNW
9
0.8
SSW
16
0.7
SW
17
0.7
SSW
19
1.1
SSW
18
1.1
SSW
18
1.1
SSW
16
1.2
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
16
1
SSW
15
1
SSW
14
0.9
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
214
206
203
201
183
150
171
164
339
281
315
759
751
627
733
554
405
400
325
210
Wind (km/h)
15
NNW
15
NNE
15
NNW
20
N
15
NNE
20
NNW
25
N
20
NNE
25
N
25
N
15
N
25
NNW
30
N
25
NNW
25
NNW
30
N
20
N
15
NW
20
NNW
10
NE
Wind State
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-off
High Tide
9:58PM1.81m
11:48AM1.47m
10:40PM1.82m
12:11PM1.52m
11:21PM1.80m
12:34PM1.58m
00:03AM1.74m
12:58PM1.65m
00:47AM1.65m
1:25PM1.71m
1:37AM1.53m
1:55PM1.76m
2:34AM1.40m
Low Tide
4:33PM0.87m
5:15AM-0.01m
5:10PM0.79m
5:45AM-0.01m
5:45PM0.69m
6:14AM0.03m
6:22PM0.59m
6:43AM0.11m
7:01PM0.47m
7:13AM0.23m
7:44PM0.37m
7:46AM0.37m
8:32PM0.27m
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:37
6:39
6:39
6:41
6:41
6:43
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:00
7:59
7:57
7:55
7:53
7:52
7:51
 mm
Temp °C
17
16
19
20
17
17
18
15
15
16
14
15
16
13
15
15
13
15
16
15
Feels °C
16
14
16
17
15
14
14
11
11
12
10
11
11
9
11
10
9
13
14
13
  • Map Icons:
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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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