About Mendocino County Surf Travel
North of Sonoma lies the enchanting Mendocino coast and the final leg of Highway 1 — a clogged artery of tourists in summer and blessedly deserted in winter. Not a stellar surfing destination for travelers, but the Mendocino coast has the occasional redeeming day.
Much of Mendocino is also inaccessible, so don’t get your hopes up for finding a coldwater paradise. Although dependent on tourism, the tiny coastal towns possess unique characters of their own. North of Westport, the coast intensifies and morphs into the Lost Coast, a harshly forbidding stretch of cliff and rock.
Mendocino County Surf Crowds:
Population is not a dominating factor in this area since there’s so much coast, but the key spots do become crowded when they’re on. The choice breaks are few and far between, so guys tend to congregate when the conditions are in alignment. For the visitor, only a few spots will be obvious, and finding the rest will require some open locals to point you in the right direction — the forests and abundant steep cliffs lining Highway 1 keep things shrouded in mystery.
Mendocino County Surf Hazards:
Mendocino’s shark population is legendary, and there have been more than a handful of incidents involving divers, surfers, and the big, hungry fish between Marin and Mendocino. This coast has lots of rocks, seaweed and places for seals and sea lions to hang around, so the sharks know where to go. Unfortunately, the best surf is where most of the sea life exists, so every session can be seen as a roll of the dice.
Best Surf Seasons in Mendocino County:
1) Fall
The best time for scoring clean surf and sunny skies. Early on in the season, chances are that the small surf of summer will be lingering. Fall can also see some gnarly winter-like storms, with 20-foot waves and heavy rainfall. The prevailing winds are usually the lightest this time of year, so if you’re going to visit lower Northern California at all, come during the months of September through November.
2) Winter
Heavy-duty weather and waves, frequently reaching 25 feet and bigger, accompanied with 50-knot south winds and horizontal rain. If you want to see some crazy conditions, go ahead and visit this area in the winter. If you’re looking to practice tailslides on your new shortboard, wait for summer or fall.
3) Spring
Another crummy time for this area. Endless spells of stiff, cold north wind and big, junky surf. Frigid water from upwelling. Gorgeous scenery and millions of blooming wildflowers, poor surf. Great hiking, however, and a nice time to visit if you’re into the tourist thing. Bottom line is, bring the girlfriend or boyfriend if you’re coming during the spring because you won’t do much surfing.
4) Summer
Summer, as with the rest of Northern California, sucks for surfing. Too foggy, too junky, too small and too damn packed with pasty tourists. The water’s colder, too, thanks to the upwelling that follows the merciless springtime winds. As a rule, the more exposed beachbreaks are the call from June through August.