Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s on the menu for Cape Mendocino over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a rough start. The first ten days or so are a write-off. We’ve got a solid run of poor surf conditions with moderate to fresh cross-shore winds messing up any chance of clean waves. The swell is there, but it’s not doing us any favors with that wind. You’ll see a bit of a pulse around the 12th and 13th of July with some 6ft to 6ft swell from the NW, but the cross-shore breeze is just too strong, creating a lumpy cross-chop. It’s a no-go. After that, the swell drops right off, with tiny waves through the middle of the month. The long period swells that show up (like 20 seconds on the 15th) just don’t have any size behind them, and the wind is still junk.

We’ve got a long gap of about a week and a half with really nothing to recommend. The energy is weak, and the wind is relentless. The spot is a fairly consistent one, but it’s not happening right now.

The only glimmer of hope comes way out at the end of the forecast. Around the 24th and 25th of July, we start to see some proper energy building. You’ll see swells around 4ft to 4ft from the SW and SSW, with a period of 20-22 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The issue is that wind is still cross-shore from the NNW, 12-15 mph, so it will stay a bit messy. It’s marginal, but it’s the best we’ve got. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual.

So, really, the standout window is the weekend of the 25th and 26th of July. That’s your best bet. The swell is building, and the direction from the SW is a decent match for the spot. The wind is still a problem, but it’s the only time in the whole 16 days where the energy is up and the forecast isn’t completely hopeless. It’s still not perfect, but it’s the only one worth a look for the dedicated crew.

Rusty.

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