Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s period, S swell with 429 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 13s period with SSW 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 10s. 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 1.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) 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 1.9m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let me level with you. Cape Mendocino has been sleepin’ for a while, and the next couple weeks aren’t gonna wake it up much. We’ve got a big empty stretch at the start—no real surf worth paddlin’ out for until Monday, August 24th.
That Monday morning, we finally get somethin’. Wave height is about 5 ft from the NW, but the period’s only 8 seconds, so it’s windswell, not groundswell. Combined energy’s 666, moderate, but it’s just not gonna have any punch. Winds are light from the S, cross, so it’ll be a little bumpy. Not great.
Later, Thursday the 27th, we get a 3 ft SSE swell with a 14-second period—longer period is good for shape. Energy’s moderate at 538. But the wind’s blowin’ 12 mph from the N, cross, so it’s gonna be choppy and messy.
Fast forward to early September. Tuesday the 1st shows 6 ft from the NW, period only 9 seconds, combined energy 752 (moderate). Wind’s 12 mph from the N, cross. Marginal at best.
Now here’s the one that gets my attention: Thursday, September 3rd afternoon. We’ve got 6 ft from the NW, period 8 seconds, but the combined energy is 1043—strong. Winds are light from the S, cross, so the surface isn’t glassy but it’s not howlin’. This window is 16 days out, so take it with a grain of salt, but it’s the best lookin’ window in the whole forecast. The swell direction is NW, not the ideal SW, so it might not line up perfect for Cape.
Friday the 4th also shows a 3 ft SSW swell with an 18-second period—long period groundswell, energy 1270, strong. But the wind is 12 mph from the N, cross, so it’ll be lumpy. That long period will work best if you can find a point or reef, but on this exposed beach it might close out.
The water’s 55°F, which is about 3° colder than normal, so that’s pretty chilly for this time of year.
Bottom line: there are long gaps of flat or poor conditions. The only real glimmer is that first week of September, but the wind is always a problem. If you’re a kiteboarder, this whole stretch with the constant breeze and windswell might get you stoked, but for a surfer, it’s a rough patch.
Hang tight, and check back in.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | NW 8 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | S 16 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 139 | 98 | 99 | 111 | 94 | 231 | 164 | 199 | 305 | 192 | 232 | 326 | 214 | 206 | 203 | 201 | 333 | 336 | 178 | 167 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:30PM1.65m | 9:48AM1.27m | 7:30PM1.67m | 10:27AM1.34m | 8:25PM1.72m | 10:58AM1.38m | 9:14PM1.77m | 11:24AM1.42m | 9:58PM1.81m | 11:48AM1.47m | 10:40PM1.82m | 12:11PM1.52m | 11:21PM1.80m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:33AM0.18m | 2:14PM1.05m | 3:24AM0.11m | 3:09PM1.01m | 4:07AM0.05m | 3:54PM0.95m | 4:43AM0.01m | 4:33PM0.87m | 5:15AM-0.01m | 5:10PM0.79m | 5:45AM-0.01m | 5:45PM0.69m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — |
 | 8:06 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:57 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | WNW 10 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SW 18 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 76 | 74 | 48 | 54 | 90 | 231 | 164 | 425 | 305 | 236 | 109 | 56 | 35 | 26 | 203 | 201 | 333 | 336 | 178 | 167 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SSW 13 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | S 16 | S 16 | SW 18 | S 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 13 | W 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | S 12 |
| kJ | 83 | 78 | 54 | 98 | 32 | 30 | 76 | 124 | 255 | 153 | 232 | 326 | 214 | 206 | 85 | 76 | 186 | 134 | 171 | 71 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | S 14 | SW 18 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | W 8 | W 12 | W 11 | S 16 | S 14 |
| kJ | 139 | 98 | 99 | 111 | 94 | 75 | 30 | 199 | 106 | 192 | 146 | 126 | 126 | 125 | 72 | 29 | 73 | 63 | 177 | 98 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 7 | — | — | — | SE 3 | SSE 3 | — | — | NNW 6 | NNW 4 | N 3 | N 3 | N 4 | NNW 5 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 72 | 114 | 189 | 362 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | 25 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 42 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 438 | 0 | 0 | 436 | 54 | 244 | 54 | 21 | 51 | 51 | 0 | 294 | 51 | 21 | 151 | 151 | 51 | 151 | 436 | 40 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Humboldt County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Cape Mendocino surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest