
Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 5 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period, SW swell with 316 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period with NW 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 Wednesday (Aug 05) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 14s. 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 0.7m 18s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 9s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, grab a coffee, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Cape Mendocino over the next couple of weeks.
To be straight with you, this stretch of coast is looking pretty underwhelming for the immediate future. We’ve got a long, drawn-out run of poor to marginal surf, and it’s going to be tough to find a decent wave for nearly two weeks. The first real half-decent option I can see doesn't show up until Wednesday the 19th of August.
The water here is about as cold as it gets for this time of year – we're talking a serious anomaly, running nearly four degrees colder than usual at 50°F, so you’ll want a good thick steamer.
For most of the first two weeks, we’re stuck with a persistent, fresh northerly breeze that’s blowing cross-shore, creating lumpy, cross-chop conditions. The swell is mostly tiny – barely cracking 2 ft – and the energy is weak to moderate. The few pulses of bigger swell that roll in have poor wave quality. Saturday the 15th of August does show a bit of a lift, with a 3 ft SSW swell on the morning, but it’s still cross-shore and just marginal. Not worth getting excited about.
Now, the only real standout of the whole 16-day window lands on Wednesday the 19th of August. We finally get a push of WNW swell, building from 5 ft in the morning to a solid 7 ft by the afternoon. The wind is still cross-shore out of the north at 12 mph, keeping it a bit messy, but the combined swell energy will be strong (1362). The period is a moderate 12 seconds, so it’ll have some push. This is definitely for the experienced crew, as that 7 ft swell is getting into the expert zone. It’s located at Cape Mendocino (United States), an exposed spot that favours a SW optimum, so this WNW swell won’t be quite perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got.
Before that, you’re looking at a nearly 14-day dry spell of nothing rideable. That’s just how it goes here sometimes – the forecasts can change, but for now, don’t bother checking the boards until that second week. Honestly, with the persistent cross-shore wind and the beach-break setup through that period, it’s looking far more interesting for the kite crew than for paddle surfing.
Keep an eye on that Wednesday the 19th – it’s a long way out, so take it with a pinch of salt, but it’s the only hope on the horizon.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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 | NW 8 | WNW 9 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 13 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
355 | 289 | 95 | 87 | 85 | 83 | 85 | 131 | 107 | 235 | 240 | 147 | 198 | 196 | 167 | 165 | 163 | 97 | 95 | 115 | 209 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 4:41PM1.81m | 6:35AM1.09m | 5:33PM1.86m | 8:19AM1.14m | 6:32PM1.91m | 9:34AM1.24m | 7:36PM1.98m | 10:27AM1.35m | 8:39PM2.04m | 11:10AM1.45m | 9:39PM2.09m | 11:49AM1.53m | 10:34PM2.09m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:18AM0.65m | 00:08AM0.24m | 11:14AM0.82m | 1:20AM0.09m | 12:27PM0.95m | 2:27AM-0.06m | 1:45PM1.00m | 3:27AM-0.20m | 2:55PM0.97m | 4:20AM-0.29m | 3:57PM0.89m | 5:08AM-0.34m | 4:52PM0.79m | ||||||||
6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 8:28 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:20 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 |
355 | 289 | 107 | 110 | 85 | 83 | 57 | 79 | 80 | 235 | 240 | 147 | 198 | 196 | 167 | 165 | 163 | 92 | 70 | 115 | 209 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | NW 11 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 14 |
73 | 99 | 84 | 40 | 18 | 82 | 80 | 131 | 107 | 32 | 21 | 56 | 37 | 28 | 72 | 67 | 98 | 97 | 95 | 82 | 54 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | SSW 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 19 | WNW 8 | SSW 21 | W 12 | SSW 19 | SW 12 | W 13 | SW 23 | SW 23 | W 12 | SSW 11 | W 15 | S 10 | SW 16 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | S 12 |
31 | 12 | 95 | 87 | 37 | 13 | 85 | 11 | 74 | 37 | 31 | 21 | 21 | 27 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 39 | 18 | 33 | 27 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 3 | S 3 | — | — | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 |
1 | 1 | — | — | 145 | 157 | 197 | 263 | 310 | 419 | 555 | 958 | 1055 | 976 | 1916 | 1395 | 1194 | 1528 | 1217 | 1107 | 1695 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 152 | 83 | 0 | 51 | 294 | 41 | 151 | 51 | 40 | 151 | 780 | 54 | 262 | 80 | 51 | 188 | 54 | 54 | 289 | 294 | 41 |
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.











