Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SSW swell with 759 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period with SW 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 18s period. 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 1.1m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Cape Mendocino has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you—it's a tough stretch ahead. There are some promising signals way out there, but for the immediate future, we're in a bit of a dry spell.
The water temp is sitting around 57°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Right now and for the next several days, it's pretty grim. We're looking at a run of poor surf conditions all the way from Sunday the 23rd of August through to the end of the month. The winds are mostly cross or cross-onshore, often fresh, and they're just chopping everything up. There are some small swells running, but nothing that's worth paddling out for. The energy is mostly weak to moderate at best (332 to 819), and the quality just isn't there.
Into the first week of September, things start to look a little more interesting, but it's still marginal. On Wednesday the 2nd of September, we see a shift with a WNW swell around 5ft to 5ft, but the period is short at 8 to 9 seconds, and winds are still cross-shore. The energy is moderate (509 to 568), but it's not clean enough to get excited about.
Now, there is a bit of a standout window starting to shape up around Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th of September. Thursday morning sees a light cross-onshore breeze with a 3ft SW swell carrying a long 19-second period. The energy is moderate to strong (876 to 938). This long-period groundswell could offer some good shape, but with that slight onshore wind, it won't be perfect. Friday morning the 4th gets a bit better—a 4ft SSW swell, still a long 18-second period, and the wind is a light cross-shore. The energy is strong (1034). For an exposed spot like Cape Mendocino, this is the best we're likely to see. The break is fairly consistent, but expect it to be a bit more lined-up due to that long period.
The weekend of the 5th and 6th of September shows a mixed bag, with some moderate energy and a few marginal calls, but the wind stays messy. By Monday the 7th, the winds pick up again and we're back to lumpy conditions. The best bet in this whole 16-day run is probably the Friday morning of the 4th of September. It's not a classic, but it's the closest thing to a clean, lined-up wave we've got on the horizon. Remember, that's over a week away, so treat it as a promising possibility rather than a sure thing.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Sun morning, calm by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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 19 | NW 7 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | NW 6 | SW 14 | NW 7 | SW 17 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
231 | 227 | 199 | 311 | 192 | 232 | 326 | 214 | 206 | 203 | 201 | 183 | 134 | 216 | 164 | 271 | 281 | 315 | 759 | 751 | 487 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 12:34PM1.58m | 00:03AM1.74m | 12:58PM1.65m | 00:47AM1.65m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 6:14AM0.03m | 6:22PM0.59m | 6:43AM0.11m | 7:01PM0.47m | ||||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:53 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 12 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 10 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SW 18 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | NW 8 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 |
231 | 164 | 337 | 248 | 188 | 88 | 326 | 214 | 206 | 203 | 201 | 183 | 134 | 171 | 164 | 271 | 55 | 315 | 759 | 751 | 487 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | S 16 | S 16 | SW 18 | S 14 | SW 17 | NW 6 | S 13 | S 13 | W 13 | W 8 | W 12 | S 14 | SSE 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 17 | SW 13 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 |
26 | 76 | 124 | 311 | 153 | 232 | 38 | 126 | 125 | 89 | 29 | 69 | 94 | 99 | 106 | 69 | 281 | 60 | 40 | 41 | 39 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | S 14 | SW 18 | S 14 | S 13 | W 15 | WNW 8 | S 12 | WSW 12 | WNW 8 | W 11 | W 12 | SSW 18 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
75 | 30 | 199 | 106 | 192 | 146 | 126 | 71 | 36 | 75 | 49 | 19 | 39 | 44 | 126 | 62 | 88 | 39 | 20 | 18 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 7 | NW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | N 3 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NNW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 6 | NW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 |
160 | 227 | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | 25 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 103 | 216 | 218 | 220 | 131 | 240 | 244 | 215 | 344 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 244 | 54 | 21 | 334 | 93 | 21 | 152 | 151 | 51 | 151 | 211 | 51 | 151 | 436 | 54 | 151 | 436 | 40 | 151 | 436 | 59 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Humboldt County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











