
Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 5 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, NW swell with 479 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 15s 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 Wednesday (Aug 05) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 15s period. 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 1.9m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 10s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long, hard look at what’s coming down the pipe for Cape Mendocino. I’ve got to be straight with you – this forecast is a tough one. We’re looking at a 16-day window that’s mostly a whole lot of nothing for the paddle crew. The water is sitting at about 53° which is a solid 5° colder than usual for this time of year, so that’s a brutal wake-up call right off the bat.
The first real whisper of a surfable wave doesn’t show up until Wednesday, August 5th. Before that, from Monday the 3rd through Tuesday the 4th, it’s just tiny, poor-quality slop with cross-winds messing it up. Not worth even looking at.
So, the standout, and really the only true window of opportunity, is Wednesday, August 5th. The morning brings a pulse of new swell, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We’re looking at a 6 ft swell from the NW with a short period of 8 seconds. That’s a lot of windswell energy – the combined energy is moderate at 583 – but it’s going to be junky and a bit messy with the light cross-onshore breeze. Beginners might find it a bit much, and the short period means it’ll be a bit sectiony.
But then, Wednesday afternoon is where it’s at. The wind drops completely – glassy conditions. The swell settles a touch to 6 ft, still from the NW, still with that short 8-second period. That combined energy drops to 511. It’s a short window, but that glassy surface on a 6 ft NW swell is the best we’re going to get. Cape Mendocino is an exposed spot, and when the wind goes glass like that, those walls can actually have some fun little lines. The 8-second period means it’ll be a bit crumbly, but clean. This is the one to try and make.
After that, we slide back into a long, bleak stretch of tiny surf and relentless cross-shore winds. From Thursday the 6th all the way through to Tuesday the 18th of August, the swell stays tiny, never getting above 3 ft. The wind is a constant problem – mostly fresh N or NNW winds in the 12 to 22 mph range, keeping everything chopped up and ugly. The energy levels stay moderate, but the quality is just poor. The 15th and 16th of August see a little bump in energy (up to 896 on the 16th), but it’s still a small, messy 3 ft SSW swell with cross-winds. It’s not worth paddling out for.
Honestly, if you’re a kiter, the 15th and 16th might look interesting with that moderate energy and cross-wind, but for a surfer, this is a two-week park. The window is on Wednesday afternoon, August 5th. Don’t waste it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Mon afternoon, calm by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Thu morning, fresh winds from the N by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 13 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
44 | 43 | 41 | 86 | 79 | 76 | 479 | 400 | 95 | 88 | 85 | 113 | 80 | 130 | 107 | 170 | 240 | 146 | 198 | 196 | 167 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 3:22PM1.69m | 3:30AM1.28m | 3:58PM1.75m | 4:51AM1.14m | 4:41PM1.81m | 6:35AM1.09m | 5:33PM1.86m | 8:19AM1.14m | 6:32PM1.91m | 9:34AM1.24m | 7:36PM1.98m | 10:27AM1.35m | 8:39PM2.04m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:56AM0.27m | 9:54PM0.50m | 9:34AM0.46m | 10:58PM0.37m | 10:18AM0.65m | 00:08AM0.24m | 11:14AM0.82m | 1:20AM0.09m | 12:27PM0.95m | 2:27AM-0.06m | 1:45PM1.00m | 3:27AM-0.20m | 2:55PM0.97m | 4:20AM-0.29m | |||||||
6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | |
— | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 |
44 | 43 | 1276 | 732 | 581 | 534 | 479 | 400 | 261 | 203 | 85 | 113 | 57 | 80 | 82 | 170 | 240 | 146 | 198 | 196 | 167 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 12 | NW 10 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 21 |
44 | 41 | 41 | 86 | 79 | 76 | 73 | 99 | 95 | 88 | 37 | 82 | 80 | 130 | 107 | 37 | 84 | 36 | 28 | 28 | 72 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 11 | S 13 | SW 20 | S 12 | W 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 19 | W 13 | SW 12 | SW 23 | SW 23 | SW 21 | SSW 11 |
27 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 37 | 31 | 12 | 30 | 60 | 11 | 12 | 25 | 11 | 74 | 14 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 12 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 10 |
1411 | 1603 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 300 | 226 | 419 | 527 | 560 | 696 | 619 | 1238 | 1426 | 1547 | 2322 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 219 | 51 | 41 | 51 | 51 | 21 | 152 | 0 | 40 | 128 | 780 | 51 | 151 | 51 | 40 | 294 | 1923 | 41 | 561 | 54 | 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.











