Surf Forecasts:
Depressions surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 13s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 14s period, S swell with 452 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 13s 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 15s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you—this 16-day window for Depressions is a tough one. There’s no real standout session, and a lot of it is just watching the horizon with a coffee in hand. The water is sitting at 70° with a massive 3° anomaly, which is very unusual for this time of year—feels like a warm bath out there.
The first real chance to get wet is around Sunday the 6th of September, but it’s a marginal call. You’ve got a 3ft south swell, period at 13 seconds, and a light onshore breeze from the WSW. The combined energy is moderate (514). It’s not terrible, but it’s not gonna get anyone out of bed early. Monday the 7th is similar, with a 4ft south swell, but by the afternoon the wind swings cross-onshore and the whole thing gets messy.
From Tuesday the 8th through to Saturday the 12th, the swell drops off and the wind stays cross or cross-onshore. Waves are small, period is short, and the energy is weak to moderate. Not worth paddling out for.
Then on Sunday the 13th of September, things get a bit weird. The afternoon sees an 8ft WNW swell, but it’s riding a short 7-second period and the wind is cross-onshore. That’s a lot of water moving around with no shape—only for the experts, and even then, it’s a messy, dumpy affair. The combined energy is strong (702), but it’s not surfable in a good way. This is more kite-surfing territory than paddle surfing.
The following week, from Monday the 14th to the end of the period, it’s the same story: small, short-period swells, mostly cross-onshore winds, and poor to marginal conditions. The only break here is Depressions, which is a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent spot, but the swell direction is mostly from the SW or WNW, and the optimum swell direction for this spot is WSW—so it’s rarely lining up right. When it does get a pulse, it’s inconsistent, and when it’s inconsistent, it’s a gamble.
Honestly, if you’re desperate, the best bet is the morning of Sunday the 6th or Monday the 7th—small, clean enough, but don’t expect much. The rest of the 16 days is a long, flat, or messy gap. For a spot like Depressions, this kind of blank run is more normal than you’d hope. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d save your energy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Wed morning, min 20°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Thu afternoon, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 345 | 420 | 368 | 285 | 195 | 102 | 71 | 94 | 138 | 195 | 295 | 261 | 251 | 193 | 176 | 171 | 114 | 182 | 150 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:37AM1.57m | 7:22PM2.19m | 9:07AM1.68m | 8:15PM2.22m | 9:36AM1.79m | 9:03PM2.19m | 10:04AM1.88m | 9:50PM2.10m | 10:33AM1.95m | 10:35PM1.96m | 11:01AM2.00m | 11:21PM1.79m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:52AM0.16m | 1:16PM1.09m | 2:34AM0.11m | 2:11PM0.93m | 3:11AM0.12m | 3:00PM0.78m | 3:45AM0.19m | 3:47PM0.66m | 4:17AM0.32m | 4:32PM0.57m | 4:46AM0.47m | 5:18PM0.52m | |||||||
 |  | | |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — |
 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:14 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:09 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 20 |
Feels °C | 22 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 29 | 29 | 24 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | WNW 5 | SW 16 | WNW 6 | W 6 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 345 | 420 | 368 | 285 | 195 | 102 | 71 | 41 | 138 | 195 | 28 | 261 | 57 | 38 | 176 | 171 | 103 | 102 | 50 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SSW 9 | SSW 12 | SW 17 | SW 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 16 | WNW 10 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 |
| kJ | 144 | 14 | 14 | 31 | 50 | 98 | 68 | 94 | 25 | 28 | 295 | 18 | 251 | 193 | 21 | 10 | 35 | 35 | 29 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 10 | SW 9 | WSW 19 | W 13 | WNW 6 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 8 | SW 9 | S 12 | SSW 7 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | W 15 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 |
| kJ | 15 | 3 | 36 | 3 | 4 | 49 | 58 | 56 | 30 | 13 | 19 | 11 | 5 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | NW 4 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 |
| kJ | 17 | 20 | 11 | 14 | 5 | 24 | 19 | — | 11 | 53 | — | 45 | 72 | 33 | 67 | 60 | 114 | 182 | 150 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 118 | 0 | 55 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 142 | 76 | 1 | 1 | 87 | 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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