Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, checking out the Cape Mendocino zone for the next couple weeks. Gotta level with you – the surf report is pretty bleak for most of it. The first week is a total loss, and the second week only gives you a few marginal looks. Don't get your hopes up.

We're starting with nothing. Monday the 3rd, Tuesday the 4th, it's all tiny, weak, and ugly. The water is a bone-chilling 53°F, which is about 5°F colder than it should be for this time of year, so you'll feel it. The first real sign of life comes in on Wednesday the 5th. That morning, a new NW swell hits at about 6ft but with a short 8-second period and a cross-shore wind, it's just a lumpy mess with moderate energy (583). The one true standout, the only real window in this whole 16-day stretch, is Wednesday afternoon. The swell drops a bit to 6ft from the NW, the period is still short at 8 seconds, but the wind goes glassy. That's right – glassy. The combined energy is 512. For a few hours, everything will clean right up. It'll still be a punchy, short-period beach break, so don't expect perfection, but it'll be the cleanest and most fun you'll see all week. That's your chance.

After that, it's back to the dead zone. From Thursday the 6th all the way through to Sunday the 11th, it's a long stretch of small, weak, wind-chopped junk. On the 11th, we see a 8ft NW swell, but it's pulsing with a short 8-second period and a fresh 30 km/h cross-shore wind. That's a lot of whitewater and a messy, lumpy ocean – looks more like a kite-surfing session than a paddle surf. The energy is strong, hitting 796, but the quality is just not there for a surfer.

The second week, from the 12th, is more of the same. Small, wind-affected leftovers. The only flicker of life comes right at the end, around the 15th and 16th of August. It's still marginal, with 3ft from the SSW and a 16-second period giving it some long-period groundswell energy. The combined energy is high (hitting 929 on the 15th afternoon), but the winds are light and a bit cross-onshore. For a spot like Cape Mendocino, which is fairly consistent, that long-period swell could wrap in nicely, but it's a long-range call and the wind is a question mark. It's promising, but not certain. Keep an eye on the 15th afternoon and 16th afternoon for a cleaner, albeit small, window.

So, to wrap it up: Wednesday the 5th afternoon is your best bet. Get out there during that glassy lull. Everything else is either a flat, windy mess or a long-range maybe.

Rusty.

Read more