Depressions Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.41° N 119.85° W

Depressions Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 17 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Depressions sea temperature is
19.0° C
2.4° 

Depressions surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Depressions surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 17s period, W swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 14s period, SSW swell with 478 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 17s period with W 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 Saturday (Jul 18) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Depressions in the next 16 days are 1.1m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Sat 18th Jul)1.5ft (0.5m) 17s
Best Surf 2AM (Sat 18th Jul)1.5ft (0.5m) 17s
Most Powerful 2PM (Tue 21st Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, grab your board, let’s talk about Depressions. I’m Rusty, and I’m looking at the next two weeks. It’s not a classic run, with small waves and tricky wind, but there are a couple of sessions that could be real sweet.

The water is a warm 66°F, which is a solid 4°F warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s a nice touch, but it doesn’t make the waves any bigger.

We start on Friday the 17th with a 3ft swell from the WNW, but the period is a short 8 seconds, and the wind is straight onshore from the SW. It’s a washout. This sets the pattern for the next few days – small, weak, and messy. The combined wave energy is in the moderate range, like 354 (Friday) and 383 (Saturday), which is just not enough to get fired up.

Sunday the 19th has a bit more energy, hitting 492, but the swell is still only 2ft and the wind is cross-onshore. It’s all just mushy and marginal.

Now, here’s the first real highlight. Monday morning, the 20th of July. The wind goes glassy – dead calm from the SSW at just 3 mph. The swell is 3ft from the S, with a period of 13 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The energy is moderate at 443, but that clean, glassy surface is going to make those waves look a lot better. It’s the best morning of the first week. The crowd situation is “sometimes,” so you might have a few others out, but for a 3ft S swell with glass, it’s worth the paddle.

The rest of the week stays marginal. Tuesday the 21st has a 4ft SSW swell, but the wind is onshore, so it’s bumpy. The energy climbs to 499, but it doesn’t matter with that wind.

We then hit a dry spell. From Wednesday the 22nd through to Tuesday the 29th, the guidance is all “marginal” or “poor.” The swell is tiny, mostly 2ft to 3ft, and the wind is almost always onshore or cross-onshore. The energy numbers start to climb later in the week, hitting 649 on Friday the 24th and 877 on Saturday the 25th, but that’s from a long-period, small swell that’s just not going to break well.

Now, look ahead to the end of the month. Thursday the 30th of July afternoon is another standout. The wind goes glassy again, just 3 mph from the SSW. The swell is 4ft from the WNW, but with a short period of 9 seconds. The energy is moderate at 530, but that glassy surface will be the key. This is a good one for the evening session.

After that, it’s back to small, onshore slop through the 1st of August. The energy drops right off to 294, and the wind is onshore or cross-onshore.

So, the bottom line: the first two weeks are mostly a bust, but you have two clear windows of opportunity. Monday morning, July 20th is the best bet for the first week, with that glassy 3ft S swell. And Thursday afternoon, July 30th is your second chance, with glassy conditions and a 4ft WNW swell. Those are the calls.

Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Mon morning, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 21°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the W by Wed afternoon).

Fri
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
0
2
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
WNW
17
0.5
W
17
0.6
SW
18
0.5
SW
18
0.5
WNW
16
0.6
SW
17
0.6
SW
17
0.8
S
13
0.9
S
12
0.9
S
12
0.6
SSW
16
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
15
0.7
SSW
15
0.7
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
14
0.5
SSW
14
0.3
SW
26
1.1
WNW
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
97
147
194
159
142
238
238
206
232
210
169
236
249
199
218
183
180
105
105
80
Wind (km/h)
10
WSW
0
SSE
10
SW
10
WSW
5
ESE
5
S
10
WSW
5
E
10
SW
10
WSW
5
NW
10
WSW
20
WSW
10
WNW
15
WSW
30
W
15
WNW
15
WSW
15
W
10
NW
Wind State
cross-on
glassy
on
on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
High Tide
00:38AM1.94m
2:10PM1.80m
1:34AM1.67m
2:53PM1.83m
2:44AM1.43m
3:39PM1.86m
4:21AM1.26m
4:27PM1.87m
6:26AM1.22m
5:17PM1.89m
8:06AM1.27m
6:06PM1.92m
Low Tide
6:48PM0.96m
7:27AM0.35m
7:58PM0.95m
8:04AM0.57m
9:18PM0.91m
8:40AM0.77m
10:46PM0.83m
9:19AM0.96m
00:07AM0.71m
10:07AM1.11m
1:11AM0.58m
11:12AM1.20m
1:59AM0.47m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:00
6:00
6:01
6:01
6:01
6:03
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:10
8:09
8:09
8:08
8:08
8:07
8:07
 mm
Temp °C
23
21
24
25
22
25
25
22
26
27
27
29
29
26
27
29
26
28
29
25
Feels °C
24
22
25
25
23
26
26
22
26
25
24
27
27
25
27
28
24
27
28
24
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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