
Surf Forecasts:
Cape Mendocino surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 6 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 15s period, SSW swell with 653 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 5s 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 15s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 7s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cape Mendocino over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let me break down what we’re looking at for the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a pretty grim stretch ahead. The first decent chance to even think about paddling out doesn’t come until Saturday the 5th, and even then it’s a real low-energy affair. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with almost nothing rideable, and that’s the story for most of the 16 days.
The one spot that pops up with anything at all is Cape Mendocino. The water is sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than your typical September average. The combined swell energy is moderate on the Saturday morning, hitting 1090, but it’s a long-period groundswell from the SSW at 4ft with a 16-second period. That period is a double-edged sword – it’ll bring some shape, but it might break a bit too straight and fat for the beach setup here. The wind is a cross-shore from the NNW at 9 mph, which is enough to keep it from being glassy, but it’s not trashing it either. The catch is, the forecast is calling it marginal, with questionable tide, so it’s a real gamble. The afternoon gets bumpier with a cross-shore wind picking up to 12 mph, so morning is your only real window.
Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th are basically write-offs – the swell drops to 3ft or less, and the wind stays a stiff cross-shore. The combined energy is still in the moderate range, but it’s just not clean enough to get excited about.
We hit a real dead zone from Tuesday the 8th all the way through to Wednesday the 16th. The swell stays tiny, the wind is mostly cross-shore or onshore, and the combined energy dips into the weak hundreds. There’s a brief flicker on Wednesday the 9th with a 4ft SSW swell and a 12-second period, but the wind is a light cross-onshore at 3 mph, and the energy is only 489. It’s just not worth the effort.
The only other time the swell gets above 3ft is on Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th, with 3ft to 4ft from the SW and a decent period, but the wind is screaming cross-shore at 12 to 19 mph. The forecast calls it poor – lumpy, choppy, and messy. Honestly, with that wind and only a beach setup, this looks more like a kite-surfing session than a paddle-out.
Late in the window, on Friday the 18th of September, there’s a bump in size to 6ft from the NW with a short 8-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 1171. But the wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-shore. That’s a washing machine, not a wave. It’s only for the hardcore, and even then, it’s a no from me.
There’s no true standout here, folks. The best of a bad bunch is the Saturday morning session on the 5th, and even that’s a low-percentage call. The rest of the 16 days is a long stretch of flat, choppy, or just plain ugly conditions. Sometimes it’s like this – a blank run. The forecasts can change, but right now, I’d say save your energy for the next swell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed night, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 19 | WNW 12 | SW 17 | SW 17 | S 10 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
620 | 589 | 653 | 405 | 400 | 236 | 243 | 239 | 236 | 229 | 209 | 251 | 359 | 368 | 180 | 419 | 553 | 522 | 558 | 465 | 418 | |
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 | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 8:17AM1.27m | 6:17PM1.84m | 9:14AM1.37m | 7:30PM1.87m | 9:58AM1.47m | 8:37PM1.91m | 10:36AM1.56m | 9:37PM1.94m | 11:11AM1.64m | 10:32PM1.91m | 11:44AM1.71m | 11:23PM1.85m | 12:15PM1.76m | 00:14AM1.74m | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:35PM1.04m | 2:10AM-0.05m | 1:56PM0.98m | 3:10AM-0.12m | 3:02PM0.86m | 4:00AM-0.14m | 3:59PM0.71m | 4:44AM-0.12m | 4:49PM0.56m | 5:23AM-0.05m | 5:37PM0.42m | 6:00AM0.06m | 6:22PM0.30m | ||||||||
6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | |
— | 7:43 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:32 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | NW 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | NNW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 7 | S 12 | S 12 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | NW 9 |
328 | 287 | 653 | 405 | 400 | 236 | 243 | 239 | 236 | 237 | 178 | 240 | 173 | 164 | 96 | 278 | 276 | 522 | 274 | 175 | 183 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | NW 9 | SSW 11 | NW 9 | SSE 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSE 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
620 | 589 | 215 | 68 | 107 | 215 | 233 | 229 | 118 | 229 | 209 | 251 | 359 | 336 | 151 | 419 | 553 | 496 | 558 | 465 | 418 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | S 11 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 16 | NW 8 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 19 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NNW 7 | S 8 |
142 | 86 | 37 | 34 | 193 | 68 | 38 | 37 | 32 | 118 | 118 | 83 | 130 | 368 | 180 | 163 | 117 | 124 | 115 | 37 | 93 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 9 | NNW 4 | NW 9 | NNW 4 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 4 | S 6 | — | — | — | — |
— | 384 | 32 | 164 | 10 | 13 | 149 | 193 | 302 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 175 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 151 | 780 | 40 | 151 | 437 | 40 | 149 | 51 | 21 | 80 | 51 | 0 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 151 | 54 | 45 | 762 | 438 | 54 |
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.










