Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 21s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 19s period, SSW swell with 1,255 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 23s 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 Saturday (Jul 25) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 23s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 9s. 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 1.3m 19s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 23s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 19s |
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’s on offer for Cape Mendocino over the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, it’s a tough run ahead. The forecast starts with a bit of small swell on Friday the 24th of July, but there’s a lot of cross-onshore wind messing it up, and the water is running a bit colder than average for this time of year at 54.7°. The swell energy is high at 1131, but the quality just isn’t there for a good paddle. This pattern of cross and cross-onshore wind sticks around through the weekend and into the next week, with the swell sitting around 3 ft to 4.3 ft from the SSW and SW. The periods are long, over 17 seconds, so there’s groundswell in the water, but it’s not lining up with the conditions. The morning of Saturday the 25th has the lightest wind, with a light cross-onshore breeze at 5 km/h, and the swell is 3.9 ft from the SSW. That’s about the best of a bad bunch early on, but it’s still only marginal.
From late July and into the first week of August, the wind really picks up, with fresh cross-shore winds blowing 19 mph or more, and the swell gets a bit bigger but also short and choppy. The wave energy drops way down, with values in the hundreds, and the surf is just poor. There’s a gap here from about the 30th of July right through to the 8th of August where there’s really nothing worth paddling out for. The swell on the 30th of July is 6.2 ft, but it’s short period at 7 seconds and with strong wind, it’s a real mess. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The only flicker of hope comes way out on Friday the 7th of August, with a tiny 1 ft swell from the west, a 16-second period, and light offshore wind at 10 km/h. The energy is only 88 though, so it’s a whisper. Still, with offshore wind and a long period, it might be clean but tiny. Saturday the 8th of August is similar, with a 1.6 ft west swell and 15-second period, but the wind goes cross-shore again. Fading energy, cross winds, and small waves – it’s a tough stretch for Cape Mendocino.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 24 | SW 23 | SSW 21 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | NW 7 | NW 8 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 964 | 558 | 1221 | 1051 | 872 | 1100 | 863 | 719 | 845 | 1104 | 837 | 789 | 1081 | 911 | 635 | 539 | 436 | 396 | 429 | 226 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 8:03PM1.75m | 11:00AM1.28m | 8:50PM1.78m | 11:38AM1.33m | 9:34PM1.81m | 12:10PM1.37m | 10:16PM1.84m | 12:39PM1.39m | 10:55PM1.85m | 1:05PM1.42m | 11:34PM1.83m | 1:30PM1.46m | 00:13AM1.79m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:25PM1.00m | 3:58AM0.01m | 3:21PM1.02m | 4:39AM-0.05m | 4:10PM1.01m | 5:16AM-0.10m | 4:52PM0.98m | 5:49AM-0.13m | 5:29PM0.95m | 6:20AM-0.14m | 6:06PM0.90m | 6:50AM-0.13m | 6:43PM0.85m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — |
 | 8:39 | — | — | 8:38 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:36 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:34 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 9 | NW 9 | SSW 21 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | NW 8 |
| kJ | 176 | 183 | 1221 | 1051 | 872 | 1100 | 863 | 719 | 845 | 1104 | 837 | 789 | 1081 | 911 | 635 | 539 | 436 | 372 | 306 | 226 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 24 | SW 23 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SSW 12 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | S 18 | S 17 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 |
| kJ | 964 | 558 | 152 | 145 | 112 | 86 | 56 | 163 | 117 | 122 | 138 | 95 | 93 | 75 | 70 | 307 | 373 | 183 | 186 | 218 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | NW 11 | SSW 21 | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 21 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 18 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SSE 15 | SSE 15 | SSW 15 |
| kJ | 154 | 151 | 125 | 196 | 57 | 101 | 30 | 180 | 98 | 40 | 144 | 144 | 79 | 49 | 154 | 27 | 30 | 21 | 47 | 142 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 7 | NW 10 | N 3 | NNW 4 | N 3 | N 3 | NNW 3 | N 3 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | N 8 |
| kJ | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | 75 | 250 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 82 | 136 | 226 | 396 | 429 | 163 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 74 | 0 | 21 | 436 | 0 | 151 | 211 | 40 | 151 | 211 | 51 | 211 | 436 | 54 | 334 | 437 | 54 | 294 | 80 | 40 |
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.
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