
Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 21s period, SSW swell with 1,221 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 16s. 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 21s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 21s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s coming up for Cape Mendocino over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you, the outlook is a bit of a mixed bag, but there are some interesting signals if you know where to look and you’re patient.
We’ve got a stretch of pretty marginal conditions kicking things off this Saturday the 18th and into the first part of the week. The water temp is sitting at a chilly 51°F, which is a massive 6°F colder than what’s normal for this time of year. That’s a whole lot of neoprene, boys. The swell energy is actually pretty impressive, with readings hitting four figures – moderate to strong at 1032 units – but the problem is the wind. It’s coming from the NNW at 16 mph, blowing straight across the face, making for a choppy mess on that 3 ft SW groundswell. The period is a very long 18 seconds, so there’s plenty of grunt, but at a beach setup like this, that long interval will make the waves a bit straight and tricky. Not a session to write home about.
Sunday the 19th isn’t much better. The morning brings a bigger 6 ft NW swell, but it’s a short-period 8-second windswell and the wind is cross-on. It’s going to be lumpy and unruly. That’s more for the gear-testers than the surfers.
Monday the 20th is where we get a little glimmer. The morning session is the pick of the early days. We’ve got that clean, glassy water with the wind dropping right off to just a slight air, coming from the west. The swell is only 2 ft, but it’s a proper long-period SW groundswell (16 seconds). The combined energy is moderate at 421 units, but with zero wind, the ocean will look like a mirror. It’s small, but it will be the cleanest surf of the first week. For a log or a fun mid-length, this is your window.
After that, things take a turn. From Tuesday the 21st right through to Friday the 1st of August, it’s a real slog. A persistent NNW-N cross wind sets up, gusting from 9 to 19 mph, just ruining most of the waves. Swell sizes hover between 2 ft and 4 ft, mostly from the SSW, but the wave comment reads “poor surf conditions” or “marginal” for nearly every session. There’s a few days in there with some serious energy – like Saturday the 25th with 1637 units of combined swell energy from a very long period 21-second SSW groundswell – but those howling cross-winds (16 mph from the NNW) will trash any potential. It’s a classic Cape Mendocino pattern: plenty of ocean energy, but the wind just won’t let you have it. If the wind keeps up like this, the beach break setup looks more interesting for a kite session than a paddle.
Looking into the second week, it’s more of the same story. The most promising session in the whole 16-day window is actually Monday morning on July 20th. That’s the standout. It’s the only time the wind goes glassy, and while the swell is small, the quality will be miles ahead of anything else on offer. For the rest of it, you’re looking at a long blank run of onshore or cross-shore winds that just won’t quit. The forecasts can change, but right now, this stretch looks lean. Keep an eye on it, though; it never stays bad here forever.
Stay patient, keep wax on, and wait for that glass-off.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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 18 | WNW 16 | NW 8 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 26 | SSW 24 | SW 24 | SW 23 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
375 | 348 | 445 | 434 | 419 | 261 | 390 | 367 | 245 | 275 | 214 | 246 | 116 | 170 | 236 | 233 | 447 | 374 | 801 | 558 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:40PM1.69m | 3:10AM1.48m | 4:20PM1.72m | 4:18AM1.27m | 5:00PM1.73m | 5:43AM1.12m | 5:42PM1.73m | 7:28AM1.07m | 6:27PM1.73m | 9:03AM1.12m | 7:14PM1.74m | 10:11AM1.21m | 8:03PM1.75m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:49PM0.58m | 9:47AM0.18m | 10:56PM0.49m | 10:31AM0.41m | 00:05AM0.40m | 11:20AM0.62m | 1:13AM0.29m | 12:16PM0.80m | 2:16AM0.19m | 1:21PM0.93m | 3:10AM0.09m | 2:25PM1.00m | 3:58AM0.01m | |||||||
— | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
8:44 | — | — | 8:44 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:42 | — | — | 8:42 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:39 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 12 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 16 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SW 17 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | S 11 | NW 8 | SSW 15 | S 10 | NNW 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 24 | SW 23 |
353 | 388 | 445 | 434 | 513 | 428 | 390 | 268 | 178 | 205 | 136 | 246 | 98 | 157 | 236 | 233 | 173 | 158 | 801 | 558 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | WNW 16 | WNW 15 | WNW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 12 | SSW 15 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SSW 26 | SSW 24 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 |
375 | 348 | 259 | 239 | 419 | 261 | 362 | 367 | 177 | 275 | 190 | 114 | 116 | 170 | 65 | 64 | 447 | 374 | 141 | 98 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSE 12 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 16 | WNW 13 | SW 14 | NW 11 | NW 11 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 14 | S 13 | SSE 13 | S 17 |
71 | 132 | 201 | 27 | 163 | 160 | 173 | 215 | 245 | 64 | 214 | 60 | 60 | 58 | 33 | 19 | 38 | 87 | 53 | 143 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | — | — | NNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 8 | — | NW 8 | NNW 8 | — | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 |
233 | — | — | 541 | — | — | — | — | — | 182 | — | 147 | 179 | — | 177 | 212 | 212 | 343 | 368 | 339 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 54 | 41 | 51 | 151 | 40 | 0 | 51 | 40 | 151 | 151 | 0 | 151 | 54 | 51 | 151 | 54 | 51 | 211 | 54 | 51 |
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.










