World › United States of America › California › Cape Mendocino
Cape Mendocino 85.8
#1302 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇺🇸 United States of America · California · near Eureka
Works almost every day, no off season, thick rubber.
Works all yearBig waveAdvanced
Surf score85.8 /100
Surfable days97% of the year
Clean days38% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell50% period 11 s+
Typical size2.1 m 6.9 ft median
Water12°C a 5/4 with boots and hood
Best time to surf Cape Mendocino
The best time to surf Cape Mendocino is February, April, November. The season runs Feb to Feb. In November the water sits around 13°C, so pack a 4/3 with boots, and the typical wave is 2.2 m. The nearest airport is ACV (67 km) and the nearest town is Eureka (47 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88% | 38% | 2.9 m | 12°C | 5/4 |
| Feb | 93% | 50% | 2.6 m | 12°C | 5/4 |
| Mar | 99% | 36% | 2.4 m | 11°C | 5/4 |
| Apr | 99% | 47% | 2.2 m | 12°C | 5/4 |
| May | 99% | 36% | 2.0 m | 10°C | 5/4 |
| Jun | 100% | 19% | 1.8 m | 11°C | 5/4 |
| Jul | 100% | 21% | 1.6 m | 12°C | 5/4 |
| Aug | 100% | 18% | 1.6 m | 13°C | 5/4 |
| Sep | 100% | 31% | 1.7 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Oct | 97% | 38% | 2.1 m | 13°C | 4/3 |
| Nov | 97% | 51% | 2.2 m | 13°C | 4/3 |
| Dec | 92% | 42% | 2.9 m | 12°C | 5/4 |
Why 85.8
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
26.0
Clean days 24%
23.0
Groundswell 12%
10.0
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
6.7
Water comfort 10%
0.0
Access 10%
8.0
The detail
Faces 240° with 50% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 76% of days. Mean peak period 11.2 s. Days over 3 m: 18%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 6%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates 40.411, -124.394 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
South Jetty - Table Bluff🇺🇸 United States of America · score 84.3Harbor Entrance🇺🇸 United States of America · score 84.3North jetty🇺🇸 United States of America · score 84.3Bunkers🇺🇸 United States of America · score 83.5
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