Cape Mendocino Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.42° N 124.40° W

Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 am 07 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cape Mendocino sea temperature is
10.5° C
2.7° 

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 8 Jul 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 8 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 17s period, SSW swell with 717 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cape Mendocino this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Cape Mendocino in the next 16 days are 1.1m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 08) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 8s period and expected on Friday (Jul 10) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 5PM (Wed 8th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 17s

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


Hey, it’s Rusty. Let’s talk about the Cape for the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s looking bleak. We’ve got a massive stretch of poor conditions with nothing worth getting excited about. The main problem is a nasty, non-stop cross-shore wind out of the north that’s gonna trash every wave that shows up. The water is a bone-chilling 51°, which is *much colder than normal* for July, so you’ll want a thick suit.

The only window that even slightly qualifies as surfable is Tuesday morning, July 7th. We’ve got a 1.5m swell from the NW with a strong combined energy of 1250, but it’s being shredded by a 20 km/h cross-shore from the NNW. The wave comment says it’s marginal, so it’s a rough, probably frustrating session for the hardcore locals.

And then? Nothing. From Tuesday afternoon, July 7th, all the way to July 22nd, every single check-in shows “poor surf conditions.” That’s over two weeks of junk. The wind stays cross from the north at 15-22 mph, turning everything into a lumpy mess. There’s a spike in size on Sunday, July 12th, with a 2.0m NW swell, but it comes with a short, weak 7-second period and 19 mph cross-shore wind. That’s windswell for the kites, not for paddlers, and at that size over 5ft, it’s experts-only chaos.

Even the longer-period groundswells we see later, like a 0.9m swell with a 19-second period on the 15th, get completely gutted by the wind. Cape Mendocino is a fairly consistent spot, so this kind of dead run is unusual and frustrating. It’s a total write-off. Hopefully, the forecasts change, but for now, do yourself a favor and don’t bother.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds.

Tuesday
7
Wednesday
8
Thursday
9
Friday
10
Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
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)
1.5
NW
11
0.9
SSW
19
1
SSW
18
0.9
SSW
18
1.1
SSW
17
1
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
15
1.7
NW
10
2
NW
7
1.9
NW
8
1.8
NW
9
1.6
NW
8
1.5
NW
8
0.6
SSW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
496
643
651
491
717
539
545
441
372
377
372
275
268
242
546
407
418
492
372
297
139
Wind (km/h)
20
NNW
25
NNW
20
N
25
NNW
30
N
30
N
35
N
30
N
30
N
30
N
25
N
20
NNE
25
N
30
N
25
N
30
NNW
30
N
20
NNE
25
NNW
25
N
20
NNE
Wind State
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
High Tide
5:32PM1.70m
6:21AM1.05m
6:14PM1.80m
8:06AM1.05m
7:02PM1.89m
9:33AM1.14m
7:54PM1.98m
10:39AM1.25m
8:48PM2.06m
11:31AM1.36m
9:44PM2.12m
12:18PM1.44m
10:38PM2.15m
Low Tide
10:58AM0.39m
00:42AM0.38m
11:48AM0.58m
1:46AM0.16m
12:47PM0.74m
2:45AM-0.05m
1:51PM0.86m
3:40AM-0.25m
2:56PM0.92m
4:33AM-0.40m
3:57PM0.93m
5:23AM-0.49m
4:56PM0.90m
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:54
5:54
5:54
5:56
5:56
5:56
5:58
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:50
8:50
8:49
8:49
8:47
8:47
8:46
 mm
Temp °C
13
14
12
14
15
13
13
14
13
15
15
14
15
16
13
14
15
13
15
16
13
Feels °C
9
9
7
10
10
9
7
8
8
10
10
10
11
12
8
9
10
8
10
11
8
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
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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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