Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down Cape Mendocino for the next couple of weeks. Gotta be honest, it’s a long, slow grind before we catch a real moment. The first week and a half is pretty tough, with cross-shore winds messin' up the small waves that roll in.

The one bright spot in this whole 16-day window shows up at the very end. On Friday the 25th of September, we finally get a window of calm. Cape Mendocino is the only break in play, and it’s exposed to that SW direction. The morning of Friday the 25th is still a bit messy with cross-onshore wind, but by the afternoon, the wind goes dead flat – glassy as a mirror. That’s the surface we all want. The swell is a clean 2ft from the SW, with a super long 21-second period. That’s deep ocean groundswell, packing plenty of energy (combined energy at 618) – it’ll have some real push and shape, but that long period might make it a bit straight on the beach. The water is sittin’ around 55°F, which is nearly 4°F colder than normal for this time of year – so you’ll want the thick rubber.

Honestly, that late Friday session is the only one I’d circle on the calendar. The rest of the forecast is full of moderate to fresh cross-shore breezes from the N and NNW, with swell staying tiny – 1ft to 3ft – and only brief glimpses of marginal surf. There’s a glassy morning on Wednesday the 16th of September with a 2ft SW swell and 16-second period, but the energy is only 346, and it didn’t score high enough to call it a standout.

So, it’s a tough run. There’s a big stretch of poor or marginal conditions from now all the way to the 25th. If you’ve got patience, that final afternoon could be a little gem – but it’s a long ways out, so keep watch. For now, the waves are mostly poor. The water is cooler than average, so you’ll feel the bite.

Stay frothy,
Rusty

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