
Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 20s period, SW swell with 1,111 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 13s. 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 1.2m 20s 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 1.8m 9s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 20s |
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 cookin’ for Cape Mendocino over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: the first solid surf we see isn't until Monday the 20th of July, and even then, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The water is a chilly 51°, which is a whopping 6° colder than usual for this time of year – that’s seriously cold, so a thick wetsuit is non-negotiable.
We kick things off on Monday morning with a 6ft swell from the NW, but it's only got 8 seconds of period and a light onshore breeze from the WNW at 6 mph. The combined energy is moderate at 792, but the conditions are marginal. Honestly, it’s not looking great. The afternoon cleans up a bit with the wind dropping to 3 mph from the W, and the swell switches to a 3ft SW groundswell with a very long 16-second period. The energy is still moderate (909), but that long period means it’ll be a bit more lined up, though it might break a little straight at a beach break.
Tuesday the 21st drops off further. Morning sees a 2ft SW groundswell, still very long period at 16 seconds, but the wind is a cross-on from the NNW at 9 mph. It’s small and choppy. Afternoon is even worse – 3ft SSW with a 15-second period, but the same cross-on wind. The combined energy drops to 441. Not worth paddling out for.
Wednesday the 22nd is more of the same: tiny, short-period NW swell in the morning at 3ft and 8 seconds, with a light cross-on wind. The energy is 427 – weak to moderate. The rest of the week through to Thursday the 30th of July is a long, sad story of poor surf. The swell stays small, mostly under 3ft, and the wind is a persistent cross-shore from the north at 15 to 22 mph. It’s lumpy, choppy, and the energy is all over the place, from a weak 384 to a moderate 498. The only real spike in energy is on Friday the 24th afternoon (1215) and Saturday the 25th morning (1487), but the swell is still only 3ft to 4ft, and the wind is a moderate cross-shore breeze. The long period (21-24 seconds) will give some shape, but the wind is going to ruin it. For a spot like Cape Mendocino, which is an exposed, fairly consistent spot, this is a tough run.
The real kicker is that from the 28th of July all the way through to the 4th of August, the conditions are pretty much all poor. The wind is a fresh cross-shore breeze at 19-22 mph, and the swell is tiny – dropping to 1.0ft to 2ft. The combined energy fades to weak, down to 95 by the 3rd of August. It’s a blank run for the second week.
So, what’s the best on offer? Honestly, there’s no true standout. If I had to pick the least ugly session, it would be Monday the 20th afternoon. The 3ft SW groundswell with a very long 16-second period and a light 3 mph onshore wind from the W will at least give you some clean, glassy lines. The energy is moderate (909), so there’s some push there. It’s not big, but it’s the cleanest it’s going to get. The only other remotely interesting window is Saturday the 25th morning, with a 4ft SW groundswell at 21 seconds, but the cross-shore wind at 15 mph is going to make it a bumpy mess. With that much wind and a small swell, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Bottom line: get your Monday afternoon session in, then start looking at the long-range charts for a change. These blank runs happen, but it won’t stay this way forever.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NW 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | S 12 | SSW 15 | S 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 14 | SSW 24 | SW 24 | S 15 | SW 21 | SSW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SSW 19 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
371 | 362 | 367 | 245 | 275 | 439 | 193 | 125 | 220 | 233 | 233 | 269 | 374 | 801 | 524 | 1051 | 799 | 872 | 863 | 657 | 614 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:00PM1.73m | 5:43AM1.12m | 5:42PM1.73m | 7:28AM1.07m | 6:27PM1.73m | 9:03AM1.12m | 7:14PM1.74m | 10:11AM1.21m | 8:03PM1.75m | 11:00AM1.28m | 8:50PM1.78m | 11:38AM1.33m | 9:34PM1.81m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:31AM0.41m | 00:05AM0.40m | 11:20AM0.62m | 1:13AM0.29m | 12:16PM0.80m | 2:16AM0.19m | 1:21PM0.93m | 3:10AM0.09m | 2:25PM1.00m | 3:58AM0.01m | 3:21PM1.02m | 4:39AM-0.05m | 4:10PM1.01m | ||||||||
6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
— | 8:43 | — | — | 8:42 | — | — | 8:42 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:39 | — | — | 8:38 | — | — | 8:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 13 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | S 12 | NNW 8 | S 10 | NW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | NNW 8 | SSE 13 | SW 24 | NNW 9 | SW 21 | SSW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SSW 19 | SW 18 |
371 | 322 | 238 | 182 | 140 | 439 | 103 | 123 | 88 | 233 | 233 | 150 | 232 | 801 | 346 | 1051 | 799 | 872 | 863 | 657 | 614 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 15 | NW 8 | S 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | NW 10 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | SSW 13 | S 17 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 13 | S 12 | S 12 |
261 | 362 | 272 | 184 | 275 | 116 | 191 | 114 | 220 | 77 | 188 | 269 | 187 | 287 | 524 | 372 | 336 | 184 | 139 | 187 | 132 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 14 | S 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 11 | WNW 12 | SSW 15 | NW 12 | S 9 | S 8 | NW 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 24 | SSE 13 | SW 23 | SSW 13 | S 16 | S 15 | S 12 | — | SSW 21 |
160 | 225 | 367 | 245 | 166 | 57 | 193 | 65 | 76 | 47 | 77 | 173 | 374 | 127 | 440 | 64 | 129 | 155 | 97 | — | 180 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 8 | — | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 3 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 11 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 125 | — | 95 | 143 | 5 | 267 | 354 | 469 | 486 | 331 | 232 | 131 | 95 | 328 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 51 | 128 | 21 | 151 | 51 | 0 | 51 | 151 | 21 | 152 | 151 | 51 | 316 | 54 | 40 | 151 | 436 | 51 | 151 | 436 | 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.










