
Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 11s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 11s period, NW swell with 1,121 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 11s 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 12s. 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 2.2m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 8s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Cape Mendocino. The 16-day outlook is a bit of a mixed bag, with some real standout moments buried in a lot of average to poor conditions. The water is running much colder than normal for this time of year, so bring the thickest wetsuit you’ve got.
We kick things off on Thursday, the 3rd of September. There’s a solid 7 ft swell from the WNW, but the forecast is pretty cautious. The conditions are a bit iffy, and the water temperature is a frigid 52°, a massive 7° colder than average. That’s a big red flag for comfort. The energy is strong though, with a combined swell energy of 1425, so there’s plenty of power in the water, but it’s not all coming together for a clean session.
Moving into Friday the 4th, the morning sees a 7 ft NW swell, but the wind is cross-onshore, making things a bit messy. The afternoon drops to 4 ft, but we get a very long period SSW groundswell of 17 seconds. That kind of period can produce some beautiful lines, especially at a point or reef, but here at a beach break it can be a bit too straight. Still, it’s worth a look if you can find a bend in the coast.
The weekend of the 5th and 6th is a write-off. Saturday has 4 ft SSW swell with a 16-second period, but the wind is all over the place, and the energy drops to 937. Sunday is even smaller at 3 ft and the wind is getting stronger. The whole early stretch is filled with marginal surf, and the conditions are just not cooperating.
There’s a rough patch from the 7th through the 9th of September. Swell drops to under 3 ft and the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore. The energy levels are in the 500-900 range, which is moderate, but the wave quality is poor. It’s a frustrating few days.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Thursday the 10th of September morning is a hidden gem. We’ve got a 3 ft SSW groundswell with a 17-second period, and the wind is from the NNE at 9 mph, giving a clean, cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is 758 (moderate), and the forecast is calling for "very good surf conditions." This is the standout of the first week. The break is fairly consistent, but it can get crowded, so get out there early. The swell is small, but that long period will make it punchy and fun.
Friday the 11th holds some promise with a 3 ft SW swell and 16-second period, but the wind is cross-shore, keeping it from being perfect. The energy bumps up to 1098, which is healthy.
Here’s the real gem of the entire outlook. On Saturday the 12th of September, the morning session is looking absolutely magic. The wind is glassy, dead calm, and the swell is a solid 5 ft from the NW with an 11-second period. Combined energy is 932. The forecast says "expect very good surf conditions." This is your best window in the whole 16 days. Clean, lined-up waves with no wind. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. The afternoon gets a bit breezy, but the morning is pure gold.
After that, the quality drops off fast. Sunday the 13th sees the wind come up strong from the N at 12-16 mph, making it choppy and messy. The rest of the second week is a struggle. From the 14th onwards, the wind is relentless, blowing 12-19 mph from the north, creating lumpy, cross-shore chop. The swell stays in the 3 ft to 6 ft range, but the energy is moderate and the conditions are poor. The morning of the 15th of September has a 6 ft NW swell and a cross-offshore wind, but it’s short period at 8 seconds and the energy is just 544.
The best of the second week is a gamble. The 18th of September afternoon has a 3 ft SW groundswell with a massive 20-second period and energy of 1004, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-shore, so it’s a lumpy mess. It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but don’t bank on it.
To sum it up: the standout is the morning of Saturday the 12th of September with glassy conditions and a solid 5 ft NW swell. The other top pick is the morning of Thursday the 10th of September, for the clean, long-period SSW groundswell. The rest of the window is a battle with the wind. This is a place that can pump, but it’s going to be a waiting game until those two windows.
Stay frothy, and don’t sleep on that glassy Saturday.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 11 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
991 | 1072 | 928 | 742 | 512 | 627 | 589 | 644 | 405 | 400 | 468 | 313 | 239 | 429 | 501 | 674 | 670 | 543 | 640 | 572 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:03PM1.83m | 6:53AM1.19m | 5:06PM1.83m | 8:17AM1.27m | 6:17PM1.84m | 9:14AM1.37m | 7:30PM1.87m | 9:58AM1.47m | 8:37PM1.91m | 10:36AM1.56m | 9:37PM1.94m | 11:11AM1.64m | 10:32PM1.91m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:43PM0.09m | 11:07AM1.00m | 1:00AM0.02m | 12:35PM1.04m | 2:10AM-0.05m | 1:56PM0.98m | 3:10AM-0.12m | 3:02PM0.86m | 4:00AM-0.14m | 3:59PM0.71m | 4:44AM-0.12m | 4:49PM0.56m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | |
7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 11 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | SSW 15 | NW 9 | SSW 14 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 |
991 | 1072 | 928 | 716 | 492 | 321 | 260 | 644 | 186 | 400 | 468 | 313 | 239 | 429 | 501 | 674 | 670 | 543 | 640 | 572 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | NW 9 | SSW 15 | SSE 16 | NW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | SW 18 |
186 | 553 | 651 | 742 | 512 | 627 | 589 | 194 | 405 | 253 | 112 | 233 | 226 | 156 | 77 | 65 | 91 | 54 | 35 | 312 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SSE 14 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | NW 12 | SSE 16 | WNW 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | S 16 | SW 19 | NNW 6 |
248 | 132 | 125 | 78 | 168 | 142 | 86 | 37 | 68 | 46 | 264 | 38 | 91 | 48 | 156 | 118 | 161 | 124 | 290 | 21 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | — | — | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 168 | 176 | 109 | 151 | 101 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 51 | 0 | 86 | 152 | 0 | 151 | 151 | 0 | 294 | 151 | 0 | 151 | 437 | 40 | 152 | 134 | 0 | 219 | 134 | 51 |
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.










