
Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 14s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, NW swell with 585 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 15s 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 15s 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 2.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.4m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, let's cut to the chase. It’s gonna be a frustrating stretch of surf for a bit, I'm not gonna lie.
We’ve got a southwest swell pushing in, but the north wind is just shredding the surface. Today and Friday are a loss – cross-shore winds, lumpy, poor. The swell energy is around 617, so there's some power, but it’s not reaching us clean.
The weekend is a write-off for the most part. Saturday is tiny, around 3ft, with a cross-onshore breeze. Not worth the drive. Sunday gets a little more size, up to 4ft, but the period drops out from the WNW, and it's a short-period, crumbly mess.
By Monday, we see a bit more push, 6ft plus, but the north wind is getting stronger and it’s all cross. This is getting into the territory where it’s too big for beginners and the chop will make it a battle. The period is still just 8 seconds, so it lacks any real punch.
Then, we hit a flat spell. Tuesday and Wednesday are barely breaking – knee-high at best. Plan on doing something else with your time. We’re looking at a blank run from Tuesday morning through Thursday morning, a solid four days of nothing.
Thursday the 16th shows a bit of a pulse, back up to 6-7ft from the northwest, but the period is still short, and it's cross-onshore in the morning. It’s messy and jumbled.
We go back into the small stuff for the rest of that week and into the weekend. There's a glimmer of hope for Sunday morning, the 20th. The wind, for once, looks like it’s going to die down to glassy. Swell is around 2-3ft from the southwest with a long 18-second period. That’s a proper groundswell, which gives us a chance of some shape. The energy is moderate, but the clean conditions will be the key. This is the standout window. It’s small, so don't expect magic barrels, but it's your best chance for a fun, clean surf.
But don't bank on it lasting. Monday and Tuesday of the following week are back to the usual north wind chop.
Then we see a change. The forecast for Thursday the 24th starts showing a bigger pulse of swell. We're looking at 8ft from the northwest. But the period is a puny 8 seconds, and the north wind is going to be gale force. This is a stormy, maxed-out, horrible looking mess. By Friday the 25th, it’s bigger still, 8ft, with 45 km/h north winds. For the average punter, this whole stretch is going to be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
So, to sum up. A whole lot of nothing, and then a small window of clean potential on the morning of Sunday, September 20th. It’s not going to be epic, but it’ll be the best we get for a while. After that, it’s all about waiting out the stormy, windy mess. Forecasts can change, but right now, this is what we got.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Tue afternoon, light winds from the SSE by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SSW 16 | SW 21 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
477 | 465 | 418 | 407 | 301 | 293 | 219 | 497 | 475 | 458 | 490 | 147 | 179 | 122 | 87 | 585 | 445 | 322 | 232 | 201 | 160 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:15PM1.76m | 00:14AM1.74m | 12:45PM1.78m | 1:04AM1.62m | 1:14PM1.78m | 1:56AM1.48m | 1:43PM1.76m | 2:54AM1.35m | 2:16PM1.72m | 4:02AM1.24m | 2:53PM1.66m | 5:28AM1.19m | 3:40PM1.60m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:22PM0.30m | 6:36AM0.21m | 7:07PM0.22m | 7:11AM0.38m | 7:51PM0.17m | 7:46AM0.56m | 8:37PM0.16m | 8:24AM0.74m | 9:27PM0.17m | 9:07AM0.90m | 10:23PM0.21m | 10:03AM1.02m | 11:28PM0.24m | ||||||||
6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | |
— | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 12 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | NNW 9 | NW 9 | NW 10 | SW 14 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | SW 13 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 |
477 | 465 | 272 | 178 | 256 | 293 | 219 | 388 | 336 | 84 | 188 | 147 | 179 | 122 | 741 | 585 | 445 | 322 | 232 | 166 | 126 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | NW 10 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 17 | SW 13 | SW 12 | WNW 13 | NW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 18 | S 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
86 | 83 | 418 | 407 | 301 | 110 | 186 | 142 | 116 | 107 | 83 | 39 | 69 | 42 | 87 | 121 | 121 | 104 | 147 | 201 | 137 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WSW 13 | WNW 10 | NW 9 | SW 19 | SW 19 | WSW 9 | WNW 15 | WNW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | NW 12 | S 19 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SW 21 |
54 | 22 | 55 | 79 | 33 | 65 | 70 | 57 | 127 | 8 | 84 | 17 | 38 | 23 | 37 | 118 | 48 | 47 | 41 | 38 | 160 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | — | — | NW 4 | — | — | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | — | — | — | — | SSE 2 | S 3 | SSE 3 |
149 | 117 | — | — | 17 | — | — | 497 | 475 | 458 | 490 | 605 | 717 | 723 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 151 | 436 | 40 | 128 | 40 | 0 | 436 | 438 | 40 | 294 | 436 | 40 | 219 | 54 | 40 | 211 | 45 | 21 | 86 | 86 | 0 |
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)
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.










