Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this stretch is looking like a tough one for Cape Mendocino. We’ve got a full 16-day window on the table, but don’t get your hopes up for any classic waves. You’re looking at mostly poor surf with a persistent cross-shore wind that’s gonna make it lumpy and messy.

Cape Mendocino (Region_URL) is the only game in town, and it’s an exposed spot that needs a decent SW swell to light up. Right now, we’ve got a very long-period groundswell coming in from the SSW at 16 seconds, but the size is small – just about 4 ft on Wednesday morning. The combined swell energy is moderate at 998, but it’s not making clean waves. That north wind at 19 mph is cross-shore, and the water is about average for this time of year. The water is sitting at whatever it usually is, no major temp anomaly. This is a morning you’d probably skip; the chop is just too lumpy.

We roll through the rest of the week with the same story. Wednesday afternoon bumps the energy up to 1276, still with a 3 ft swell from the SSW, but that fresh cross-shore wind kills it. Thursday and Friday are even smaller, with swell dropping to 2 ft to 3 ft and the wind staying cross-shore from the N or NNW. The energy drops off into the hundreds. No standout sessions here.

Then comes Saturday, August 1st – we get a spike in height to 5 ft, but the period plummets to a short 6 seconds from the NW, and the wind is howling at 19-22 mph. That’s a recipe for complete windswell junk. Energy is weak on the afternoon, down to 274. This is honestly more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-worthy day.

From Sunday, August 2nd, onward, we hit a real flat spell. Swell sizes stay under 2 ft for over a week straight. The energy numbers hover around 100 or less, with a brief bump back to 244 on Saturday, August 8th. Even then, it’s a 2 ft swell with a 17-second period from the SSW – that’s a long period for a tiny wave, so you’ll see some long lulls between sets. The wind stays cross or cross-on, and it’s nothing special.

The only flicker of life comes late in the window, around Monday, August 10th. The swell starts to push back up to 2 ft to 2 ft, with periods in the 14-18 second range, and the energy climbs into the 400s and 700s. By Thursday, August 13th morning, we’ve got 3 ft from the SW at 16 seconds with a moderate cross-shore breeze – that’s the closest we get to “marginally surfable.” The energy is up to 756. It’s not a stand-out, but if you’re desperate, that’s your best bet. It’s still a cross-shore wind though, so don’t expect glassy faces.

That’s the full picture. A long, flat run with one or two marginal days way out there. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, don’t bother waxing up. This is a break for the kite crew and the patient.

Rusty.

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