Cape Mendocino Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.42° N 124.40° W

Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 am 24 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cape Mendocino sea temperature is
13.8°C
0.8° 

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 24 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy 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★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 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 Tuesday (Aug 25) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 7s. 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 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 2.4m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Tue 25th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 17s
Best Surf 2AM (Tue 25th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 17s
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

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cooking.

Honestly, for the next couple of weeks, it’s a frustrating picture. We’ve got a lot of swell on the charts for Cape Mendocino, but the wind just won’t play ball for most of it. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions, with a messy onshore or cross-shore flow dominating. The first real shot at something clean doesn’t look to arrive until Tuesday, 1st of September.

Even then, it’s not the big stuff. That Tuesday morning (1st September) we see a light cross-offshore wind cleaning things up, with a small 3 ft swell from the SSW with a modest period around 13 seconds. The combined energy is only moderate at 343, so it won't have much punch, but it'll be clean. The afternoon picks up a little better, with a 4 ft NW windswell (period just 10 seconds), giving us 576 combined energy, and that clean, glassy feel holds. It’s small, but it'll be the best we’ve seen in a week.

The standout window, and the one I’m circling on the calendar, is around the 3rd and 4th of September. We’ve got a solid pulse of long-period groundswell arriving from the SSW. On Thursday the 3rd, expect a clean 3 to 3 ft swell with a period of 18 to 19 seconds. That’s proper energy, with combined readings of 1037 and 1217. The catch? The wind is cross-shore and moderate, so it’ll have some texture. Given the long period, this swell will be better for the more lined-up point and reef setups around the cape, as it might stand up too straight on the beach breaks. It’s an advanced-level setup at 3 ft? No, at that height it’s manageable, but if the swell faces up a bit, it’s a good challenge. Friday the 4th offers similar size and direction, with the same cross-shore wind and combined energy in the 1100-1200 range. This is your best bet for the whole forecast period—not perfect, but the only time we see a real groundswell with enough strength to make the less-than-ideal wind worth it.

The water is about average for the time of year, sitting around 57°.

Don't expect much from the second week. The swell hangs around, 3 ft from the SSW, but the wind stays stubbornly on it, and the period drops off. By Tuesday the 8th, the energy is back over 1000, but with that cross-shore breeze, it’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle session. There’s a very long period swell showing for the 7th (22 seconds!), but it’s paired with a fresh 19 mph wind, making it a messy proposition.

So, to wrap it up: the first few days are a write-off. Rideable, clean surf shows up on Tuesday the 1st of September, but it’s small. The real window, if you can be patient, is Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th. It’s not glassy, but that's your best chance at some genuine long-period groundswell with enough energy to make it worthwhile.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on the wind.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
2
1
0
2
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
0
1
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
18
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
17
0.8
SW
16
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
0.6
SW
14
0.8
SSW
16
0.7
SW
17
0.8
SSW
19
1.1
SSW
18
1.1
SSW
18
1
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
255
246
232
326
214
206
203
201
183
141
171
164
339
281
411
759
751
487
582
463
334
Wind (km/h)
15
SSW
15
SSW
5
S
10
NW
15
NNW
15
NNE
20
NNW
20
N
15
N
25
N
25
N
20
NNE
20
NNW
25
N
20
N
20
NNW
20
N
20
N
25
N
25
N
15
NNE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
High Tide
10:58AM1.38m
9:14PM1.77m
11:24AM1.42m
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
Low Tide
3:54PM0.95m
4:43AM0.01m
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
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:35
6:37
6:37
6:39
6:39
6:41
6:41
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:01
8:00
7:59
7:57
7:55
7:53
7:52
 mm
Temp °C
17
17
14
17
17
15
19
20
17
17
18
14
15
16
14
15
16
14
15
15
13
Feels °C
15
15
13
16
15
12
16
17
15
14
14
10
11
12
11
11
13
11
11
10
9
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Cape Mendocino:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Cape Mendocino surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest