Cape Mendocino Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.42° N 124.40° W

Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 am 17 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cape Mendocino sea temperature is
10.4° C
3.0° 

Cape Mendocino surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s period, S swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s period, S swell with 1,429 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Cape Mendocino in the next 16 days are 2.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore 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 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Mon 20th Jul)2.5ft (0.8m) 16s
Best Surf11PM (Mon 20th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 14s
Most Powerful 8AM (Wed 22nd Jul)8ft (2.5m) 11s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' at Cape Mendocino over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you, it's a tough run. The first few days are a write-off, and the good stuff is scarce. We're talking about a long stretch of cross-shore wind and choppy, bumpy conditions that just won't let up.

The first real chance to even think about paddling out comes on Monday, July 20th. The morning starts glassy with a light WNW breeze at 3.1 mph, and the water's glassy. That's a huge plus. The swell is a small 2.3 ft from the SW with a nice long 16-second period, so there's some real energy in the water (421). The afternoon cleans up a bit more, going cross-offshore with the same light breeze, and the swell nudges up to 3.0 ft (837). It's not big, but it's clean. This is your best bet in the whole window for a proper, clean surf. The water temp is a freezing 50.7°F which is a full 5.4°F colder than normal for this time of year, so you're gonna need a thick suit and booties. It's a shame the crowds are "sometimes" around, but for waves this small, they'll be manageable.

Tuesday, July 21st, is a bit of a letdown after that. Wind stays light from the N at 3.1-6.2 mph, but it's cross-shore, and the swell shifts to a weaker S groundswell around 3.9 ft (746). It's marginal, with a bit of a cross-chop developing. It's surfable, but nowhere near as good as Monday.

Then we hit a wall. From Wednesday, July 22nd, right through to the end of the month, the story is the same: fresh, strong winds from the N or NNW, pumping at 15.5-18.6 mph, creating a lumpy, messy cross-chop. The swell gets bigger, with a big S pulse on the 25th and 26th hitting 3.9 ft from the SSW with a very long 21-second period, and combined energy up in the 1500s (1721 on the 25th afternoon). That's plenty of power, but with that wind, it's gonna be a washing machine. That 6.9 ft NW windswell on Sunday the 19th? That's a short period (8 seconds) and cross-shore breeze, so it'll be a bumpy, close-out mess. For a spot like this, with that strong cross-shore wind and big swell, honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The last few days of July and into August the swell fades right down to 2.0 ft, and the wind stays strong and cross-shore, so it's a full-blown flat spell. It's a rough outlook, but the glassy Monday morning on the 20th is the one to circle. Promise that.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (calm on Mon afternoon, fresh winds from the S by Wed afternoon).

Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
1
2
2
0
2
2
2
2
3
4
2
2
3
1
1
2
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
WNW
17
1
WNW
16
0.9
WNW
16
0.9
WNW
16
0.8
SW
18
0.9
WNW
16
2.1
NW
8
2
NW
8
0.9
SW
17
0.7
SW
16
0.9
SW
16
1.1
S
14
1.2
S
13
1.3
S
13
1.6
S
12
2.4
S
10
1.7
S
10
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
433
518
463
452
375
348
585
540
419
261
362
460
495
572
759
1085
522
243
261
233
168
Wind (km/h)
25
NNW
25
N
20
N
20
NNW
25
NNW
15
NNW
20
NNW
25
N
10
N
5
WNW
5
SSE
5
NNE
5
N
10
N
15
SSE
30
S
30
S
0
SSE
10
NNW
15
NNW
10
NNE
Wind State
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-off
High Tide
3:01PM1.66m
2:11AM1.69m
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
Low Tide
8:23AM-0.23m
8:45PM0.65m
9:05AM-0.04m
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
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:01
6:01
6:03
6:03
6:03
6:05
6:05
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:45
8:44
8:44
8:43
8:42
8:42
8:40
 mm
1
1
Temp °C
15
16
14
15
16
14
15
16
14
16
16
16
20
22
21
17
18
17
16
16
16
Feels °C
11
12
10
12
13
11
12
12
11
16
17
15
21
22
23
16
13
15
15
14
14
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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