Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 11s period, NW swell with 1,317 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period with W 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 17s. 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 2.3m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 2AM. 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 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk about what’s on the cards for our stretch of coast at Cape Mendocino.
For the next week or so, it’s a pretty frustrating picture. There’s some energy in the water, but the wind just keeps ruining it. The first real chance of anything half-decent doesn’t show up until Thursday morning, September 3rd, and even then it’s borderline with a cross-onshore breeze.
The start is a bust. Wednesday the 2nd is a total write-off – a 2ft swell with a 22 mph cross-off wind and a moderate energy reading of 480. Not worth a look. Thursday the 3rd has some size, around 7ft to 7ft from the WNW, but the wind is on it all day, which is a real bummer. The energy Thursday morning is solid at 1284, but it’s messy with the onshore wind.
Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th are more of the same – the swell drops a bit and we’re stuck with cross-onshore winds. The energy on Friday morning is still a strong 1657, but that NW wind just chops it all up. By Sunday the 6th, the swell is down to around 3ft, but a strong NNW wind keeps it lumpy. Monday and Tuesday of the following week are looking poor and blown out.
But, there’s one clear standout. Friday morning, September 11th. That’s your day. We’re looking at a clean 4ft SW swell with a long 16-second period and a slight offshore breeze from the north. The combined energy is a nice 778, and the conditions are clean with that cross-off wind. That’s the kind of morning you plan around. With that long period, Cape Mendocino should have some proper shape. Crowds are a possibility here sometimes, but a Friday might be your best bet for some peace.
As for the rest, keep an eye on Monday the 14th. The afternoon brings a big 10ft NW swell with an energy reading of 1369, but that’s a serious step up. That’s strictly for the experts, and with a nasty 19 mph cross-shore wind, it’s going to be a messy, powerful beast. Tuesday the 15th stays that big – 10ft again – with more cross-shore wind. Honestly, at that size with that wind, this setup looks more suited to the kite surfers than the paddle crew. It’s just too much hassle.
So, the pick of the whole 16-day run is definitely that Friday the 11th. The rest of it is a waiting game for the wind to ease up.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Wed afternoon, calm by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SW 18 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | NW 12 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 151 | 249 | 202 | 318 | 716 | 1235 | 1317 | 876 | 653 | 659 | 487 | 463 | 525 | 411 | 305 | 264 | 366 | 437 | 529 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 3:43AM1.27m | 3:11PM1.82m | 5:11AM1.18m | 4:03PM1.83m | 6:53AM1.19m | 5:06PM1.83m | 8:17AM1.27m | 6:17PM1.84m | 9:14AM1.37m | 7:30PM1.87m | 9:58AM1.47m | 8:37PM1.91m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:27PM0.20m | 9:03AM0.72m | 10:30PM0.14m | 9:54AM0.88m | 11:43PM0.09m | 11:07AM1.00m | 1:00AM0.02m | 12:35PM1.04m | 2:10AM-0.05m | 1:56PM0.98m | 3:10AM-0.12m | 3:02PM0.86m | 4:00AM-0.14m | ||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — |
 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — |
mm | — | — | 9 | 12 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | NW 12 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | SSW 15 | NW 7 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 |
| kJ | 141 | 141 | 202 | 318 | 716 | 1235 | 1317 | 876 | 653 | 405 | 287 | 202 | 210 | 210 | 305 | 235 | 366 | 437 | 529 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 16 | S 6 | SW 19 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSE 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 151 | 249 | 130 | 40 | 513 | 186 | 553 | 651 | 576 | 659 | 487 | 463 | 525 | 411 | 176 | 264 | 233 | 220 | 158 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 7 | S 13 | SSW 19 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SSE 14 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSE 14 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 11 |
| kJ | 42 | 90 | 58 | 35 | 55 | 248 | 132 | 130 | 82 | 101 | 106 | 61 | 37 | 39 | 43 | 207 | 38 | 37 | 31 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 3 | S 4 | S 5 | SSW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | — | — | NW 8 | — | NW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 7 |
| kJ | 4 | 14 | 92 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | — | 227 | — | 240 | 233 | 279 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 21 | 188 | 80 | 21 | 51 | 80 | 0 | 152 | 68 | 0 | 151 | 151 | 0 | 151 | 151 | 40 | 151 | 54 | 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