Surf Forecasts:
Depressions surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 19s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with 422 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s period with S 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 5s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Depressions in the next 16 days are 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 12s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's break down what we've got coming up for the next couple of weeks.
To be honest, it's a pretty bleak picture. The first week is a total write-off. The first hint of anything worth paddling out for isn't until Monday, September 7th, and even then it's a bit of a gamble. We're talking about a full week of poor surf or flat conditions before that.
The water temp is sitting at 71°F right now, which is a massive 8°F warmer than usual for this time of year. That's a very unusual situation, and it's not doing us any favors on the wave front.
The best we've got in this whole 16-day window is hanging around the morning of Monday, September 7th. Depressions is the only spot that gets a mention, but it's inconsistent and rarely breaks, so this is a real long shot. The swell is coming from the SSE at 3ft with a period of 13 seconds, which is a decent groundswell with some energy behind it. The combined wave energy is sitting at 440, which is moderate. The real kicker, and the only reason I'm even mentioning it, is the wind. We've got a glassy, 3 mph easterly wind that morning. It will be as clean as it gets. It's a beginner spot, and the crowds are "sometimes" there, so you might have it to yourself.
The afternoon of the 7th keeps the clean theme going with an offshore wind from the ENE at 6 mph, pushing into the same 3ft SSE swell. It's a similar story, but with a bit of a bump in the breeze.
After that, the window slams shut again. The morning of Tuesday the 8th sees a strong cross-offshore wind from the ESE at 22 mph, which will make it incredibly difficult to get a decent wave. The rest of the forecast is just a long run of poor surf, with the swell dropping right off and the wind switching back onshore. Don't hold your breath for anything else.
So, for the entire 16 days, the only real standout is the glassy morning of Monday, September 7th at Depressions. It's a rare and inconsistent spot, so don't bank on a classic, but if you're local and desperate, that's your best bet.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Thu afternoon, min 18°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 14 | SSE 11 | SSW 13 | WNW 5 | SW 18 | SW 16 | S 13 | SW 18 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSE 13 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 105 | 74 | 68 | 61 | 79 | 68 | 121 | 152 | 115 | 188 | 246 | 325 | 422 | 261 | 212 | 209 | 220 | 239 | 250 | 299 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 00:36AM1.51m | 12:42PM1.96m | 1:45AM1.33m | 1:25PM1.97m | 3:36AM1.21m | 2:24PM1.96m | 6:25AM1.24m | 3:43PM1.97m | 7:35AM1.36m | 5:08PM2.02m | 8:08AM1.47m | 6:21PM2.11m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:42PM0.65m | 6:08AM0.82m | 7:45PM0.63m | 6:34AM0.97m | 9:06PM0.60m | 7:03AM1.11m | 10:40PM0.53m | 7:59AM1.23m | 00:02AM0.40m | 10:25AM1.29m | 1:04AM0.26m | 12:07PM1.22m | 1:52AM0.16m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — |
 | 7:27 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:19 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 21 |
Feels °C | 24 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 23 | 23 | 17 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSW 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSE 13 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 |
| kJ | 85 | 74 | 39 | 37 | 33 | 56 | 121 | 103 | 63 | 188 | 246 | 325 | 422 | 261 | 212 | 209 | 220 | 239 | 250 | 299 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 11 | NW 10 | SE 12 | SSE 11 | W 6 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | WNW 6 |
| kJ | 105 | 69 | 68 | 44 | 79 | 68 | 68 | 152 | 115 | 79 | 39 | 25 | 37 | 48 | 31 | 163 | 184 | 142 | 103 | 27 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | W 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 13 | SSE 9 | S 8 | W 12 | SSW 21 | SSW 12 | S 19 | SE 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSE 14 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 6 | SW 10 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 5 | 8 | 31 | 31 | 34 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 42 | 28 | 111 | 41 | 3 | 55 | 71 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 82 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | W 6 | NW 6 |
| kJ | 28 | 29 | 22 | 61 | 37 | 17 | 108 | 77 | 37 | 106 | 67 | 18 | 75 | 75 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 35 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 76 | 1 | 1 | 76 | 0 | 141 | 1 | 0 | 136 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 1 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Depressions surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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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