
Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 5 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 9s period, NW swell with 628 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period with NW 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 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 14s. 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 2.1m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 9s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 02) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Gather ‘round, folks. Rusty here. Let’s wade through the next couple of weeks for Cape Mendocino. It’s a bit of a rough patch, to be honest. We’ve got a lot of onshore wind and cross-chop eating up the energy for most of the run, but there’s one morning that’s worth setting the alarm for. The rest is a long, quiet stretch.
The water is running at 53°F at the start, which is a whopping 4°F colder than normal for this time of year – that’s a serious chill, so bring the thickest wetsuit you’ve got and maybe a hood.
For the first few days, from Sunday, August 2nd through Tuesday, August 5th, it’s pretty grim. The wind is howling out of the north at 25 mph, blowing straight across the swell. The waves are tiny, only 1 ft to 2 ft from the SW with a weak pulse of energy, and the surface is just a lumpy mess. There’s nothing to ride here, so save your energy.
Then, on Wednesday, August 5th, we get a short window of life. The morning brings a clean, glassy ocean with a swell from the NW at 6 ft, but it’s a short-period, windswell of only 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 583 (moderate), which is the biggest push we see. The wind is a whisper at 3 mph from the west, going glassy. This is your best shot. The swell is a bit too big for beginners, but the clean conditions will make it feel good for intermediate and advanced surfers. The afternoon sees the wind switch to a light cross-onshore, so the morning session is the real standout.
After that, from Thursday, August 6th, all the way through to Monday, August 17th, it’s a long, dry spell. The waves drop back to tiny 1.0 ft to 3 ft, and the wind remains a brutal cross-shore from the north or NNW, often at 15 to 22 mph, keeping the surface chopped and grovelly. The combined energy sometimes climbs into the 400s and 500s, but with that much wind and messy condition, it’s just a washing machine. There’s nothing to recommend for a paddle. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, if you’re into that.
So, to wrap it up: the only true standout is the morning of Wednesday, August 5th. Get on it, because the rest of the forecast is a quiet, windy wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the N on Sun morning, light winds from the NNW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the NNW by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 13 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
92 | 70 | 49 | 44 | 42 | 41 | 86 | 79 | 628 | 479 | 428 | 282 | 178 | 85 | 113 | 85 | 131 | 107 | 170 | 240 | 147 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 2:50PM1.63m | 2:28AM1.44m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:22AM0.12m | 8:57PM0.60m | 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 | |||||||
6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 8:30 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 16 |
Feels °C | 9 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | SW 15 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 |
92 | 70 | 44 | 44 | 41 | 1464 | 947 | 79 | 628 | 479 | 428 | 282 | 178 | 85 | 113 | 57 | 79 | 82 | 170 | 240 | 147 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
46 | 49 | 49 | 43 | 42 | 41 | 86 | 14 | 76 | 73 | 100 | 96 | 88 | 37 | 82 | 80 | 131 | 107 | 65 | 22 | 36 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | S 12 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 11 | S 13 | WNW 9 | S 12 | W 12 | SSW 21 | S 12 | SSW 19 | W 13 | W 13 | SW 23 |
13 | 26 | 29 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 37 | 31 | 12 | 30 | 31 | 11 | 12 | 85 | 11 | 74 | 14 | 31 | 21 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | — | — | NNW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 10 |
1114 | 1496 | 2542 | 1495 | 1535 | — | — | 767 | — | — | — | — | — | 203 | 173 | 372 | 459 | 665 | 1302 | 1418 | 2443 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 294 | 780 | 54 | 219 | 51 | 41 | 151 | 100 | 21 | 0 | 51 | 40 | 152 | 800 | 51 | 151 | 51 | 40 | 114 | 100 | 54 |
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)
Latest Updates
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.











