Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at what’s on the cards for Cape Mendocino.

It’s a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. Right out of the gate, Wednesday and Thursday are pretty well a write-off with junky conditions and messy wind. There’s a bit of swell around, but the quality is poor, so you’re not missing much. The first real glimmer shows up on Thursday 10th September – that’s the standout window we’ve got.

We get a nice shot of glassy conditions on Thursday morning. The swell is small at 3 ft, but it’s coming from the SW with a lovely long period of 17 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. Combined wave energy sits at 781 (moderate), so there’s some push behind it. The water temp is running 53°F, which is a solid 5°F colder than usual for this time of year. That’s noticeably chilly, so you’ll want a good thick wetsuit. That Thursday morning is the pick of the period – clean, glassy, and that long-period SW swell will wrap in nicely.

Later on, Tuesday 15th September afternoon looks decent too, with another glassy session and small 2 ft swell from the WNW at 13 seconds. Energy is lower at 237, so it’s small but clean for a sneaky session.

Come Wednesday 16th September morning, it’s glassy again with 2 ft from the SW at 16 seconds – tiny but clean if you’ve got a longboard.

Now, there’s a bit of a pulse showing on Thursday 17th September morning – 8 ft from the NW, but only 8 seconds period, so it’s a short-period wind swell. Combined energy hits 1017 (strong), but with light cross-onshore wind, it’s gonna be messy. That’s one for the experts only – over 8 ft but the quality isn’t there.

Overall, Cape Mendocino isn’t firing big, but that Thursday 10th morning is legit. Keep an eye on the glassy windows through the second week as well – small but fun.

Stay wet,
Rusty

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