Surf Forecasts:
Depressions surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 6 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 15s period, SSE swell with 796 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 12s period with SSE 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 (Aug 31) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 13s. 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 1.3m 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy 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 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the Depressions stretch.
Gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is a bit of a struggle. For the first few days, from the 31st of August right through most of the first week of September, we're dealing with a lot of weak, onshore junk. The water temp is a massive 8°F warmer than usual, which is very unusual, but that's about the only highlight. The swell energy is mostly weak to moderate, and the wind is just all wrong. It's a real wait-and-see situation.
The only real window that catches my eye kicks off on Sunday the 6th of September. The afternoon brings a bit of hope. We've got a glassy, clean 3ft swell from the SSE, with a long period of 15 seconds. The combined energy here is a solid 610, which is a big step up. It's a proper groundswell, so it'll hump up nicely but might be a bit too lined-up for a beach break – though it's our best chance.
Then Monday the 7th of September keeps the promise. The morning session sees a 4ft SSE swell, period hanging at 15 seconds, and a light cross-shore breeze. The energy is strong at 840. This is the standout of the whole forecast. The waves will have some real grunt and shape, and with the wind slightly offshore, it should be clean. On the downside, this spot can get crowded sometimes, so get in early. The water is still much warmer than normal, so you might not need a thick suit.
After that, things drop off again. The 8th of September still has size, but the wind swings onshore and messes it up. By the 9th, the swell is fading and we're back to small, poor conditions. There's a long gap of nothing really worth chasing from the 10th of September right through to the end of the 16-day window. The swell energy drops right back into the low 100s and even down to 73, which is just weak.
Look, if you're a beginner, that 3ft to 4ft stuff is perfect. The long period swell will make the paddle out easier between sets. The bigger stuff is still manageable, but it's inside the comfort zone for most. Just don't expect too much from the rest of the run.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Thu afternoon, min 18°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 | SSW 14 | SSE 11 | SSW 13 | WNW 5 | SW 18 | SW 16 | S 13 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SSE 15 | SSE 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 134 | 105 | 74 | 68 | 59 | 79 | 69 | 121 | 152 | 118 | 214 | 246 | 243 | 422 | 326 | 212 | 232 | 289 | 361 | 468 | 588 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 12:07PM1.93m | 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 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 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 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 6 |
Temp °C | 23 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 19 | 24 | 26 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 19 | 22 |
Feels °C | 23 | 23 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 15 | 22 | 24 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 18 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 19 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | 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 | SSW 16 | SSE 13 | SW 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SSE 15 | SSE 15 |
| kJ | 134 | 85 | 74 | 39 | 37 | 33 | 57 | 121 | 101 | 64 | 214 | 246 | 243 | 422 | 326 | 201 | 232 | 289 | 361 | 468 | 588 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 14 | SSW 16 | SSE 14 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | W 6 | SW 15 |
| kJ | 20 | 105 | 69 | 68 | 44 | 79 | 69 | 67 | 152 | 118 | 49 | 38 | 67 | 59 | 236 | 212 | 158 | 176 | 142 | 18 | 104 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 14 | WNW 7 | W 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 13 | SSE 9 | S 8 | W 10 | SSW 21 | SSW 10 | S 19 | NW 10 | NW 10 | SW 11 | WNW 7 | SSE 11 | WNW 6 | W 6 | SW 14 | S 15 |
| kJ | 41 | 5 | 8 | 31 | 31 | 34 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 42 | 19 | 111 | 24 | 25 | 30 | 26 | 47 | 25 | 19 | 103 | 17 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | W 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | W 5 | W 4 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 6 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 |
| kJ | 49 | 28 | 30 | 17 | 59 | 32 | 19 | 105 | 69 | 65 | 110 | 61 | 15 | 18 | 22 | — | 23 | — | 21 | 21 | 18 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 20 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 76 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 149 | 1 | 0 | 175 | 0 | 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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