Surf Forecasts:
Depressions surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 14s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 15s period, SSW swell with 326 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 14s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Depressions this week:
The surf forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 11s is also forecast. Another secondary swell of 1.0m and 6s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Depressions in the next 16 days are 0.9m 15s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you – the next 16 days at Depressions are a real mixed bag, and honestly, there’s not a lot to get excited about. The overall pattern is a whole lot of onshore and cross-onshore winds messing up what could be some decent swell. The water is a blistering 71°, which is a whopping 7° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a very unusual anomaly, you’d be boiling in a steamer.
We start off on Thursday the 27th of August with a tiny 2ft south swell at 11 seconds, and a combined energy of 275 (moderate). But the WNW cross-shore at 6 mph is just making a mess of it. It’s a marginal situation, and the score is low. Not worth paddling out for.
Friday the 28th is even worse. The morning has a bit of a 3ft WNW swell but with a poor 8-second period and a score of zero. The afternoon drops to 1ft. It’s a write-off.
Saturday the 29th sees the swell energy jump up – the combined energy is 575 in the morning and 623 in the afternoon (strong). We’re looking at a 2ft SW groundswell with a long 17-second period in the morning, and 16 seconds in the arvo. That’s a proper groundswell. But the wind is cross-onshore, picking up to 16 mph in the afternoon, which will turn it into a choppy, bumpy mess. For a beach break like Depressions, that long period swell will likely break too straight. It’s a shame, because the energy is there, but the conditions are a zero.
Sunday the 30th through to Tuesday the 1st of September is more of the same – cross-onshore winds and poor surf. The only flicker of hope is on Tuesday afternoon, the 1st of September. The wind goes glassy, with a light SSW at 3 mph. The swell is 2ft from the south at 11 seconds, with a combined energy of 168 (moderate). The notes say “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and the score is just a 1. It’s the best on offer, but that’s a low bar.
From Wednesday the 2nd of September through to the end of the run, we’ve got a fairly consistent little run of knee-to-waist high swell, mostly 2ft to 3ft from the south, with periods between 11 and 17 seconds. The combined energy fluctuates between 212 and 461 (moderate to strong). But the wind is almost always cross-onshore, with a few moments of “on” offshore wind. The scores are all 0 or 1.
The standout – if you can call it that – is Tuesday the 1st of September afternoon. That glassy window is the one chance at a clean wave, even if it’s tiny. The other small window is on the 8th of September (Tuesday) morning, with an 18-second period SSW swell at 1ft and a light offshore SW wind. But it’s a marginal call, and the swell is tiny. For a fairly consistent spot like Depressions, this run of poor conditions is a bummer, but forecasts can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 34°C on Thu afternoon, min 21°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 18°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | S 11 | S 11 | SW 18 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
121 | 107 | 110 | 68 | 312 | 302 | 261 | 255 | 314 | 218 | 183 | 115 | 83 | 73 | 64 | 86 | 79 | 187 | 184 | 150 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:45PM2.07m | 10:51AM1.73m | 10:22PM1.99m | 11:14AM1.81m | 11:01PM1.86m | 11:39AM1.87m | 11:45PM1.70m | 12:07PM1.93m | 00:36AM1.51m | 12:42PM1.96m | 1:45AM1.33m | 1:25PM1.97m | 3:36AM1.21m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:43PM0.89m | 4:32AM0.32m | 4:22PM0.81m | 4:56AM0.41m | 5:03PM0.74m | 5:19AM0.53m | 5:49PM0.69m | 5:43AM0.68m | 6:42PM0.65m | 6:08AM0.82m | 7:45PM0.63m | 6:34AM0.97m | 9:06PM0.60m | |||||||
— | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 34 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 22 |
Feels °C | 34 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 25 | 29 | 30 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | WNW 8 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 5 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 |
121 | 107 | 43 | 26 | 312 | 302 | 261 | 255 | 314 | 218 | 183 | 30 | 83 | 73 | 64 | 86 | 77 | 187 | 184 | 82 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | S 10 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 18 | W 9 | S 16 | S 16 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | W 5 | SW 13 | S 10 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 |
73 | 75 | 66 | 68 | 152 | 42 | 127 | 124 | 2 | 2 | 107 | 115 | 74 | 68 | 11 | 44 | 52 | 69 | 68 | 150 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | SW 14 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | S 17 | S 9 | S 9 | W 20 | SW 21 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | W 10 | W 10 | SW 13 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 10 | W 10 | S 13 |
21 | 65 | 31 | 19 | 27 | 91 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 139 | 90 | 8 | 8 | 44 | 31 | 79 | 10 | 7 | 84 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | W 5 | WNW 3 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 |
60 | — | 110 | 67 | 100 | 140 | 229 | 166 | 243 | 167 | 80 | 28 | 31 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 15 | 22 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 1 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Depressions Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Depressions provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Depressions can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Depressions surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Depressions) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Depressions may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Depressions is 1 km (1 miles) from Isla Vista. If you plan a vacation in Santa Barbara, look for hotels and other accommodation in Isla Vista. Isla Vista has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











