Cape Mendocino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' up at Cape Mendocino over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you, this stretch is lookin' pretty grim for paddlers.

The whole 16-day run is plagued by cross-shore winds and choppy conditions. The energy in the water is there, with moderate readings in the 250 to 660 range, but it's all blown out. There's no clean, glassy day in sight, and the swell is mostly weak, hovering between 2 ft and 4 ft. Only on Thursday the 13th afternoon and Monday the 24th afternoon does it push past 5 ft, but those are short-period, lumpy messes. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

The first few days are a total write-off. Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th mornings are just poor. The combined swell energy is moderate (265 to 244), but with a 30 km/h cross-shore, it's a lumpy cross-chop. Not worth paddling out.

Things don't get any better through the weekend. Friday the 14th to Sunday the 16th are all "marginal" at best. We're seeing 2 ft to 4 ft of SSW swell with moderate energy (565 to 659), but the wind remains cross or light cross-onshore. The waves are just choppy and weak.

Heading into the new week, it's more of the same. Monday the 17th through Thursday the 20th offer no relief. The swell is small, and the wind is still doing us no favors. The only highlight might be Wednesday the 19th morning with a light breeze and a combined swell energy of 541, but it's still onshore and small.

The second week is a total washout. From Friday the 21st right through to the end, it's all "poor surf conditions." The combined swell energy drops at times into the 250 range, and the wind is a relentless cross-shore from the NNW at 20-30 km/h. There's a brief pulse of 6 ft on the 26th, but it's a short-period NW windswell with a fresh cross-shore. No good.

So, what's the best on offer? Honestly, there isn't one standout day. The least worst option is probably the morning of Sunday the 16th, with 4 ft of SSW swell and a light 10 km/h cross-onshore, giving it a combined energy of 659. It's not clean by any stretch, but it's the tidiest the water gets. For anyone really keen, the Wednesday morning of the 19th might also be worth a look with a gentle breeze and similar 3 ft swell. But seriously, don't hold your breath.

Rusty.

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