
Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 4 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 8 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 17s period, SSW swell with 717 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 1.1m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 08) 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 2.2m 7s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 09) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Wed 8th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what the next couple weeks have in store for us.
Overall, it’s a pretty quiet and frustrating stretch for surf at Cape Mendocino. The first week is a write-off with poor conditions and messy wind, so you might as well save the wax. There’s a long gap of nothing much to recommend until things start to look a little more promising right at the very end of the forecast.
We kick off with Saturday, July 4th, but honestly, don’t bother getting wet. A northwest wind howling at 16 mph is making a mess of the 6 ft NW swell. The period is a short, weak 7 seconds, and the combined energy is a weak 566 – just a jumbly, cross-shore chop. It’s poor all day, and that theme continues right through Sunday and Monday. The swell tries to get some muscle, hitting 7 ft on Sunday afternoon (energy 1086), but the wind keeps it chopped up and ugly. Monday brings a confusing mix of leftover NW energy and a new 3 ft, 16-second groundswell from the SSW, but the cross-onshore keeps it a no-go.
Tuesday the 7th through to the middle of the following week is a desert. We’re looking at tiny 2 ft to 4 ft swells, mostly from the SSW, with persistent 16 to 22 mph cross-shore winds. The energy is moderate at best, but the wind is just too strong to produce anything but lumpy, poor surf. You can forget about the break until the 14th.
There’s a tiny flicker of hope around Wednesday the 15th of July. We get a new, very long-period 2 ft swell from the WNW with a period of 21 seconds and a combined energy of 505. That’s that deep ocean groundswell. The wind is a light cross-shore at 9 mph, so it will be clean. For a spot like Cape Mendocino that’s exposed to the SW, this WNW direction isn’t ideal, and the size is tiny, but for a patient surfer on a log, those long-period lines might offer a few peelers. It’s a very marginal, blip of a session.
The best of a bad run, and the only true standout in this whole 16-day outlook, looks to be Thursday morning, July 16th. Cape Mendocino should see a slight pulse from the WNW again, with 3 ft of swell at an 18-second period. The combined energy is 589. But the key detail is the wind: a light 6 mph from the NW. That's a light cross-onshore, but it's light enough to keep things mostly smooth. It’s not going to be pumping, and the 3 ft is small, but it might just be the cleanest window we get. For confident surfers willing to work for a few small, long-period waves, this is the morning to try.
After that, the forecast turns windy again and fades out. The Saturday the 18th brings another attempt at a 5 ft NW swell, but the 8-second period and cross-onshore wind mean it’s back to the choppy, messy stuff.
So, bottom line: it’s a grim 10 days, then a couple of tiny, clean windows around the 15th and 16th. Don't hold your breath for anything epic.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Fri 10 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SSW 18 | NW 8 | SSW 16 | NW 11 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
288 | 331 | 372 | 235 | 311 | 557 | 207 | 557 | 330 | 476 | 485 | 643 | 651 | 491 | 717 | 539 | 643 | 441 | 372 | 372 | 367 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 1:47AM1.58m | 3:49PM1.47m | 2:35AM1.44m | 4:21PM1.54m | 3:33AM1.30m | 4:54PM1.62m | 4:47AM1.15m | 5:32PM1.70m | 6:21AM1.05m | 6:14PM1.80m | 8:06AM1.05m | 7:02PM1.89m | 9:33AM1.14m | 7:54PM1.98m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:32PM0.92m | 8:59AM-0.06m | 9:27PM0.85m | 9:35AM0.06m | 10:28PM0.74m | 10:14AM0.21m | 11:35PM0.58m | 10:58AM0.39m | 00:42AM0.38m | 11:48AM0.58m | 1:46AM0.16m | 12:47PM0.74m | 2:45AM-0.05m | 1:51PM0.86m | |||||||
— | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | |
8:51 | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:49 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 16 |
Feels °C | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SW 13 | SSW 14 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | SSW 18 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | SSW 16 | NW 11 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 |
288 | 88 | 138 | 235 | 280 | 399 | 184 | 177 | 330 | 476 | 485 | 643 | 651 | 491 | 717 | 539 | 643 | 441 | 372 | 372 | 367 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 13 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | WNW 12 | SSW 20 | SW 16 | SSW 14 | WNW 10 | SW 15 | NW 9 | S 19 | — | S 18 | NW 8 | WNW 9 | — |
73 | 69 | 66 | 264 | 311 | 99 | 207 | 258 | 171 | 336 | 258 | 81 | 125 | 171 | 125 | 188 | — | 160 | 72 | 90 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 21 | SSW 15 | SSW 20 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | NW 11 | S 13 | SSW 21 | SSW 21 | SW 16 | S 12 | S 8 | SSW 15 | S 11 | S 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
45 | 78 | 149 | 186 | 136 | 31 | 87 | 260 | 260 | 261 | 11 | 5 | 191 | 9 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 8 | — | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | N 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 6 | NW 10 | NNW 6 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 |
250 | 331 | 372 | 502 | — | 557 | 573 | 557 | 473 | 109 | 287 | 244 | 57 | 384 | 127 | 247 | 450 | 373 | 330 | 428 | 342 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 41 | 149 | 51 | 40 | 219 | 151 | 42 | 151 | 437 | 51 | 151 | 436 | 51 | 149 | 436 | 68 | 334 | 437 | 42 | 262 | 54 |
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.











