Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 11s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 3 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 11s period, NW swell with 999 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 15s 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 15s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cape Mendocino in the next 16 days are 2.1m 11s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) 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 2.2m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Cape Mendocino.
Honestly, it’s a tough look for the next couple of weeks. We start off this Friday, the 28th, with some waist-high swell around 3-3 ft from the SSW, but there’s a tricky cross-shore wind on it. The water is sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than what you’d usually expect this time of year – that anomaly is about 3° down, so you’ll want a thicker wetsuit. The wave energy is weak (691), and the forecast doesn’t give us much to get excited about for the weekend. Saturday and Sunday the swell bumps up a little to about 4-4 ft, but the cross-shore winds are blowing 16-19 mph, making it lumpy and messy. The energy stays moderate (924 to 570), but the ride quality is poor. Not worth paddling out.
Monday, the 31st, sees the wind drop a notch and the swell holds around 3 ft from the SSW, but we’re still looking at cross-onshore to cross conditions and only marginal surf. There’s a bit of an uptick on Tuesday, September 1st, with a short-period NW pulse of 5 ft, but the period is only 7 seconds, so it’s weak and crumbly. The energy is moderate (439), but those short-period waves won’t hold shape.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting for a short window. On Wednesday morning, September 2nd, we get a real treat: glassy conditions, with the wind dropping to practically nothing – just 3 mph from the NNW, making it clean. The swell is small, only 2 ft, but it’s a long-period 18-second SSW groundswell. The wave energy is moderate (514), and for a spot like Cape Mendocino that is fairly consistent and exposed to the SW, that clean morning glass will be the best you’ll see all period. The swell direction matches the optimum (SW), so those point breaks and reefs nearby could have a little gem. Just know it’s small, so bring your longboard.
After that, things get a bit rowdy. Thursday, September 3rd, a bigger NW swell pushes in, hitting 6-7 ft with a period of 11 seconds. That’s a solid amount of energy (1459-1517), but it’s coming with onshore to cross-onshore winds. That’s going to make it a lumpy, choppy mess. The beach breaks might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddling, honestly.
The rest of the first week and into the second week sees some smaller SSW swells, but the winds are mostly cross or onshore. There’s a little pulse on Tuesday the 8th with 5 ft from the NW, but it’s short period (8 seconds) and cross-shore. By Saturday the 12th, the wind is howling at 19 mph from the north, with a 6 ft WNW swell and big energy (1563), but it’s going to be blown out.
The standout here is Wednesday, September 2nd, in the morning. That glassy, clean, long-period SSW groundswell – even though it’s small – is your best bet for a quality, uncrowded session. After that, it’s a lot of waiting.
Keep your eyes peeled, but don’t hold your breath for the rest of it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SSW 16 | SW 17 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | NW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | NW 7 | NW 9 | NW 9 | SW 18 | NW 9 | NW 12 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
339 | 281 | 315 | 759 | 877 | 627 | 733 | 546 | 405 | 400 | 325 | 210 | 168 | 314 | 208 | 249 | 130 | 478 | 866 | 918 | 690 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 3:11PM1.82m | 5:11AM1.18m | 4:03PM1.83m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 9:03AM0.72m | 10:30PM0.14m | 9:54AM0.88m | 11:43PM0.09m | ||||||||
6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | |
— | 7:55 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SW 17 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 7 | SSW 13 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 12 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 11 |
339 | 281 | 315 | 759 | 877 | 627 | 733 | 546 | 527 | 359 | 262 | 282 | 168 | 154 | 208 | 172 | 126 | 478 | 866 | 918 | 690 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 11 | SW 13 | SSE 10 | W 10 | S 10 | W 11 | S 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | NW 10 | SSE 12 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 |
99 | 88 | 88 | 32 | 18 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 405 | 400 | 325 | 210 | 117 | 50 | 154 | 249 | 86 | 177 | 450 | 470 | 497 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 10 | W 11 | S 9 | W 12 | S 10 | SW 21 | S 9 | SW 20 | SW 19 | NW 11 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSE 12 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 14 |
62 | 87 | 54 | 21 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 17 | 2 | 16 | 14 | 33 | 154 | 81 | 44 | 93 | 130 | 85 | 143 | 129 | 195 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 |
191 | 208 | 151 | 112 | 141 | 376 | 452 | 530 | — | — | — | — | — | 314 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 29 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 151 | 436 | 54 | 151 | 438 | 40 | 244 | 437 | 21 | 717 | 151 | 45 | 244 | 151 | 0 | 0 | 86 | 0 | 40 | 86 | 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.











