
Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 18s period, SSW swell with 1,081 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cape Mendocino this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Cape Mendocino in the next 16 days are 1.3m 18s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore 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 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cookin’ for the Cape Mendocino area over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough run. The forecast is showing a whole lot of nothing for a solid stretch. We’re looking at a gap of about 13 days with no real surf on offer. The wind is locked in from the north, blowing cross-shore, and it’s just not cooperating. The swell is small and weak, with the combined energy barely getting into the double digits or low hundreds most days. For example, on the morning of the 28th of July, the combined energy is only 929 (moderate), but the waves are messy and poor. The water temp is sittin’ around 14°C, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Monday, the 10th of August. We see a bump in size, with the swell hitting 7ft to 7ft out of the northwest, but the period is a short, choppy 7 to 8 seconds. The wind is still cross-shore, and the conditions are described as marginal. That’s a lot of water moving around, but it’s gonna be a lumpy mess at the beach. For a spot like Cape Mendocino, which is an exposed beach setup, this is lookin’ more like a day for the kite surfers than a paddle session. The combined energy on the Monday afternoon is 1028 (moderate), so there’s some push, but the quality is just not there for a good paddle.
Now, if you’re lookin’ for the best of a bad bunch, the standout window is Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th of August. On Tuesday morning, the wind finally swings around to the west at just 5 km/h, which is basically glassy. The swell is a tiny 2ft, but it’s a beautiful, long-period groundswell at 20 seconds from the south-southwest. That’s a very long period, and it’s gonna wrap around the points and reefs much better than the beach. The combined energy is 521 (moderate). Wednesday morning is similar, with a 3ft swell from the south-southwest at 18 seconds and light winds. This is a rare, delicate window of clean, glassy conditions. For a spot that’s been battered by wind, this is a true standout. The waves will be small, but they’ll be lined up and clean. Keep in mind though, this is over a week away, so treat it as a promising prospect rather than a guarantee.
The rest of the run after that drops off again. There’s a small spike on the 10th, but as I said, the wind and short period make it a messy proposition. The 5th of August shows a 8ft swell from the northwest with a short 8-second period and cross-onshore wind – that’s a big, ugly, blown-out mess for experts only.
So, for the daily surfer, the honest truth is the first 13 days are a write-off. Your best bet is to wait for that Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th. It’s not gonna be big, but it’ll be clean. Get on it if you can.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Fri morning). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | NW 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 15 | S 15 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
679 | 1081 | 789 | 635 | 539 | 436 | 419 | 306 | 171 | 169 | 239 | 188 | 229 | 176 | 105 | 74 | 70 | 49 | 66 | 64 | 41 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 12:39PM1.39m | 10:55PM1.85m | 1:05PM1.42m | 11:34PM1.83m | 1:30PM1.46m | 00:13AM1.79m | 1:56PM1.51m | 00:53AM1.70m | 2:22PM1.56m | 1:37AM1.58m | 2:50PM1.63m | 2:28AM1.44m | 3:22PM1.69m | 3:30AM1.28m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:29PM0.95m | 6:20AM-0.14m | 6:06PM0.90m | 6:50AM-0.13m | 6:43PM0.85m | 7:20AM-0.09m | 7:23PM0.78m | 7:50AM-0.01m | 8:07PM0.70m | 8:22AM0.12m | 8:57PM0.60m | 8:56AM0.27m | 9:54PM0.50m | ||||||||
6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | 8:36 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:34 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:31 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 16 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | S 13 | WNW 8 | S 12 | SSW 14 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 16 |
679 | 1081 | 789 | 635 | 539 | 436 | 419 | 306 | 159 | 169 | 239 | 188 | 229 | 153 | 105 | 74 | 45 | 41 | 66 | 64 | 41 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 18 | S 18 | S 17 | S 16 | S 16 | SW 15 | S 15 | SSE 15 | SSE 13 | SSW 14 | S 13 | SW 14 | S 11 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 12 |
97 | 55 | 53 | 98 | 307 | 287 | 183 | 186 | 171 | 155 | 169 | 141 | 134 | 176 | 99 | 21 | 70 | 44 | 44 | 41 | 15 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 21 | S 12 | S 20 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SSE 17 | S 15 | — | SSW 14 | SW 20 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | S 12 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 10 | S 16 | S 12 |
144 | 3 | 119 | 31 | 22 | 24 | 41 | 19 | 96 | 113 | — | 136 | 15 | 136 | 15 | 27 | 49 | 49 | 8 | 5 | 11 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 3 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 6 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NNW 8 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | N 6 | NNW 6 | N 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 |
9 | 174 | 215 | 202 | 470 | 319 | 148 | 123 | 175 | 101 | 138 | 60 | 246 | 233 | 913 | 1082 | 1206 | 1926 | 1244 | 1172 | 1084 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 334 | 437 | 73 | 151 | 436 | 54 | 151 | 436 | 40 | 151 | 437 | 54 | 316 | 436 | 80 | 262 | 437 | 54 | 289 | 80 | 40 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Humboldt County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










