Cape Mendocino Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.42° N 124.40° W

Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 am 11 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cape Mendocino sea temperature is
10.9° C
3.4° 

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 11 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period, SSW swell with 627 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 15 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s 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 (Aug 15) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 7s. 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 1.1m 16s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Sat 15th Aug)2.5ft (0.7m) 18s
Best Surf 2AM (Sat 15th Aug)2.5ft (0.7m) 18s
Most Powerful 5AM (Sun 16th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

Second Forecast (Imperial)

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I'm gonna level with you – the next 16 days at Cape Mendocino are a tough watch. We're looking at a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions, with hardly anything that'll get the heart racing. The water's sitting at a chilly 52°F thanks to a temperature anomaly of 5°F colder than normal, so you'll want a thick wetsuit if you're even thinking about paddling out.

The first few days, from Tuesday the 11th of August right through to Thursday the 13th, are a write-off. Small, weak swell around 2ft to 2ft from the SSW with a moderate cross-shore wind and combined energy barely cracking 200 to 270. It's just messy and weak. Not worth your time.

Things try to get a bit more interesting on Thursday afternoon, the 13th, when the swell jumps up to 6ft from the NW, but the period drops to a short 8 seconds and the combined energy climbs to 621 – moderate, but it's a lumpy, disorganised mess with a moderate cross-shore wind. The surf quality is marginal at best, and with that short period, it's gonna be a bumpy, closed-out affair. Only for the keenest of experts.

Friday the 14th offers a similar story with 5ft NW swell, but the period is even shorter at 7 seconds and the energy is up at 662. That's a lot of water moving around, but with a cross-onshore wind, it's choppy. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

From Saturday the 15th right through to the end of the forecast on Wednesday the 26th, the outlook is grim. We're back to small, weak swells, mostly in the 2ft to 4ft range from the SSW, with the occasional WNW or SW pulse. The winds are predominantly cross-shore or cross-onshore, and the combined energy fluctuates but never delivers any real quality. The best we get is a marginal score of 2 out of 10 on Sunday the 16th afternoon and again on Wednesday the 19th afternoon, with a 4ft and 3ft SSW swell and a gentle cross-shore breeze, but it's still not clean or powerful.

To be honest, there's no standout session in this whole 16-day window. The swell is too small, the winds are unfavourable, and the conditions are consistently poor. If you're desperate, the later afternoons around Sunday the 16th and Wednesday the 19th are the least bad, but don't expect much. It's a tough run for Cape Mendocino.

Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Tue morning). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
1
0
3
0
1
3
1
2
3
1
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
SW
19
0.4
SW
18
0.6
SSW
18
0.6
SSW
18
0.5
SW
17
0.6
SSW
16
0.6
SW
16
1.9
NW
8
1.8
NW
7
1.6
NW
7
0.5
SSW
19
0.7
SSW
18
1
SSW
17
1
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
14
1
SSW
14
1
SSW
14
0.9
SSW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
102
115
209
207
137
173
206
382
340
281
212
280
576
505
539
612
604
515
437
400
330
Wind (km/h)
25
NNW
25
N
30
N
30
N
25
N
30
N
20
NNW
20
NNW
15
N
15
NW
20
NNW
15
NNE
15
NNW
20
NNW
15
NNE
15
NW
15
NNW
15
NNE
10
WNW
10
NW
5
S
Wind State
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross-off
on
cross-on
glassy
High Tide
11:49AM1.53m
10:34PM2.09m
12:26PM1.60m
11:26PM2.05m
1:02PM1.66m
00:17AM1.94m
1:36PM1.71m
1:08AM1.78m
2:09PM1.74m
2:00AM1.60m
2:43PM1.75m
2:58AM1.41m
3:18PM1.74m
4:06AM1.25m
Low Tide
4:52PM0.79m
5:51AM-0.32m
5:45PM0.68m
6:32AM-0.24m
6:36PM0.58m
7:11AM-0.11m
7:28PM0.49m
7:49AM0.06m
8:19PM0.43m
8:26AM0.26m
9:14PM0.38m
9:04AM0.47m
10:12PM0.35m
clear
clear
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part cloud
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part cloud
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part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
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<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:24
6:24
6:26
6:26
6:28
6:28
6:30
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:20
8:19
8:17
8:15
8:15
8:14
8:12
 mm
Temp °C
16
17
15
15
16
15
14
15
14
15
16
14
15
15
14
16
16
14
16
16
14
Feels °C
12
12
12
11
12
12
11
13
11
13
14
11
13
12
11
14
14
11
15
15
13
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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