Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s cookin’ at Cape Mendocino for the next couple weeks.

Honestly, the first week and a half is a bit of a bummer. We’ve got a little swell showing up on Sunday the 26th, but it’s not going to be a classic. The water temp is about 56°F, which is just a hair below average for this time of year, so nothing wild.

The main event is a very long-period groundswell out of the SW, with a period of 19 seconds and a combined energy of 1285 (moderate wave energy). That long period gives the waves real shape and power, but at a spot like this, it can make them a little too straight. We’re talkin’ chest-high waves around 4ft, but the wind is a cross-shore from the NNW at 9 mph. It’s not glassy, but it’s not a total disaster. Sunday and Monday keep the swell going at 4ft to 4ft, but the wind picks up to 12-16 mph, pushing a cross-chop that’ll mess with the face. It’s just marginal.

From Tuesday the 28th, the wind really fires up to 19 mph and more, creating a lumpy, choppy mess. The swell fades, wave heights drop below 3ft, and the combined energy falls off a cliff. By Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st, we’re talkin’ knee-high slop with fresh winds. It’s ugly. This flat, windy spell stretches out for about 8 days with no real surf to chase.

Then, late in the game on Friday the 7th of August, the afternoon shows a spike of 5ft from the NW, but it’s a short-period windswell at 8 seconds and a combined energy of 631 (moderate wave energy). The wind is still a cross-shore from the N at 16 mph. That’s a lot of energy in a short-period wave, so it’s going to be a messy, bumpy wave. Not a standout, just a flash of size in a long flat spell.

Your best bet is the first couple of days, Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th. It’s not firing, but you could get a few. For the rest of the window, leave the board at home. This setup is lookin’ more fun for a kite than a paddle.

Rusty.

Read more