Cape Mendocino Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.42° N 124.40° W

Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 am 26 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cape Mendocino sea temperature is
13.2°C
1.4° 

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 26 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SSW swell with 877 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 1.2m and 7s is also forecast. 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 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Tue 1st Sep)2.5ft (0.8m) 14s
Best Surf 2AM (Tue 1st Sep)2.5ft (0.8m) 14s
Most Powerful 2PM (Sat 29th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, it’s Rusty.

Honestly, looking at the next stretch, it’s a bit of a flat, blown-out mess for the first several days. The swell’s tiny and the wind’s got too much cross to it, so the ocean is just going to look like a washing machine. We’re talking about a pretty dull run from now through the end of August and into the first couple of days of September. There’s a solid gap where the surf really isn’t worth paddling out for; it’s all under 3 ft of weak, short-period slop with a constant cross-breeze. You’re better off waiting it out.

The first real glimmer of something shows up on Wednesday the 2nd. The swell starts to build from the NW, but it’s still grubby with a short period of 9 seconds. By Thursday the 3rd, we see the first bit of real size, with the swell hitting 5 ft in the morning and 8 ft in the afternoon. That’s a bit of a step up, and the energy is starting to get going, but it’s still cross-shore and lumpy. This is a period where it’s going from flat to stormy, not necessarily clean.

Things get serious on Friday the 4th. The morning brings a 8 ft NW swell with a 10-second period. Now, that’s a decent push of water, a strong to very strong energy reading (2107). But here’s the catch – it’s cross-onshore and choppy. For a spot like Cape Mendocino (North Coast) which is exposed to the open ocean, this is going to be a beast. That size is more than the beginners should be thinking about, and even for the advanced crew, the wind is going to make it a battle. It might honestly look more interesting for the kite crew than for paddle surfing on that Friday. The energy in the water is undeniable, but the quality is poor.

After that big pulse, the surf settles down again. Saturday the 5th still has a 6 ft NW swell in the morning but it’s getting smaller and the wind is still cross-onshore. From there, we’re back to smaller, weaker swells for the second week. The period drops back down and we’re scraping at around 3 ft or less. There’s a brief look on Sunday the 6th with a 4 ft NW swell but the wind is still on it. And there’s one more interesting pulse in the long-range on Tuesday the 8th, a 20-second period from the SSW, but it’s only 2 ft, so all that long-period energy isn’t going to translate into much on the beach.

Honestly, if I have to call one standout in this whole window, it’s that Friday the 4th. It’s got the most significant size (8 ft) and the most raw energy (2107). It’s not going to be pretty, but the ocean will have some life in it. It’s a powerful, ground-swell-driven NW swell. The 10-second period is not huge, but it’s got some punch. Just know the winds are going to be messy, so if you’re an expert and you don’t mind a battle, that’s your day. Otherwise, keep waiting.

The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

It’s a frustrating outlook, to be honest. Plenty of waiting and watching the cams.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds.

Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
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
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
15
0.6
SW
15
0.6
SW
15
0.6
SW
14
0.8
SSW
16
0.7
SW
17
0.7
SSW
19
1.1
SSW
18
1.1
SSW
18
1.1
SSW
16
1.2
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
16
1
SSW
15
1
SSW
14
0.9
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
13
0.7
SSW
13
1
NW
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
203
201
183
135
171
164
339
281
315
759
751
627
733
554
405
400
325
210
154
154
156
Wind (km/h)
15
NNW
20
N
15
NNE
20
N
25
N
20
NNE
25
NNW
25
N
20
N
30
NNW
25
N
25
NNW
30
NNW
30
N
20
N
20
NNW
20
N
15
NNE
20
NNW
20
N
20
NNE
Wind State
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
High Tide
11:48AM1.47m
10:40PM1.82m
12:11PM1.52m
11:21PM1.80m
12:34PM1.58m
00:03AM1.74m
12:58PM1.65m
00:47AM1.65m
1:25PM1.71m
1:37AM1.53m
1:55PM1.76m
2:34AM1.40m
2:29PM1.80m
3:43AM1.27m
Low Tide
5:10PM0.79m
5:45AM-0.01m
5:45PM0.69m
6:14AM0.03m
6:22PM0.59m
6:43AM0.11m
7:01PM0.47m
7:13AM0.23m
7:44PM0.37m
7:46AM0.37m
8:32PM0.27m
8:22AM0.55m
9:27PM0.20m
clear
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:37
6:39
6:39
6:41
6:41
6:43
6:43
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:59
7:57
7:55
7:53
7:52
7:51
7:50
 mm
Temp °C
19
20
17
17
18
14
15
16
14
15
16
14
15
16
13
15
16
14
16
17
15
Feels °C
16
18
15
14
14
10
11
12
11
11
11
11
10
11
9
12
13
12
13
14
12
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Cape Mendocino:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Cape Mendocino surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest