Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

First off, the water is sitting at 57°, which is about 1° cooler than what’s normal for this time of year. Nothing too wild, just a little on the fresh side.

Now, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – the first week plus is pretty grim. From Monday the 24th of August right through to the 3rd of September, it’s mostly a write-off. We’ve got a persistent cross-shore wind, mostly from the north, that’s just chopping everything up. The swell is tiny, under 3ft, with a lot of that energy coming from the southwest. The combined energy figures are mostly in the 300-500 range, which is weak and unimpressive. There’s a little bump of energy on the 29th (1008) and 30th (1000), but the wind is howling at 19 mph from the north, so it’s just lumpy, messy cross-chop. Not worth paddling out for.

There’s a real gap of about 10 days here with no surf worth chasing.

Then, things get interesting around the 4th of September. Friday the 4th sees a big pulse of northwest swell roll in, hitting 10ft to 12ft. The wave energy jumps way up into the 2200-2600 range – that’s strong stuff. The wind is light from the NNW, so it’s a gentle cross-shore. But here’s the catch: that’s a lot of water. Over 8ft, this is strictly for experts only. The swell period is a short 10 seconds, so it’ll be a bit raw and dumpy on the banks. It’s a standout for sheer power, but only if you’ve got the nerve.

The best window actually looks like Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th of September. On Saturday afternoon, the swell drops to a more manageable 7ft from the northwest, with a period of 9 seconds. The wind goes glassy – dead calm from the NW. That’s a magic combination for clean conditions. The combined energy is still a solid 1174. This is the pick of the entire forecast: clean, powerful waves for experienced surfers. Sunday morning stays clean with a light offshore from the WNW, but the period is still short, so the waves will be a bit crumbly. It’s still a good option, but Saturday afternoon is the real standout.

After that, it all fades back to small, windy junk from the 7th onwards.

So, to sum it up: a long dry spell, then a big, expert-only pulse on Friday the 4th, and your best bet is the glassy, 7ft NW swell on Saturday afternoon, September 5th.

Rusty.

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