Surf Forecasts:
Depressions surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 19s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 14s period, SSW swell with 565 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 19s 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 Friday (Jul 17) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 19s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Depressions in the next 16 days are 1.2m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 9s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 19s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break it down in feet and miles per hour.
It’s a slow period overall, don’t kid yourself. The first week is mostly small and choppy. The one that really stands out is Saturday, July 25th, when we get a real surge of energy. The rest is pretty low-key.
Friday, July 17th starts small. Depressions is seeing a 3 ft swell from the WNW with a short period, but the wind is a cross-onshore breeze at 6 mph, messing things up. The combined energy is weak (276). Not worth the drive.
Saturday, July 18th is a touch better. Swell drops to 2 ft but the period stretches out to a nice long 18 seconds, which is proper groundswell. The wind is light cross-onshore in the morning. The energy is moderate (384). Still small, but cleaner.
Sunday, July 19th is the pick of the first week. The morning is glassy – zero wind. Swell is 2 ft out of the SW with a 17-second period. The energy is moderate (315). For a small day, that’s clean and rideable. The afternoon goes onshore, so get out early.
Monday, July 20th through Thursday, July 24th is a mixed bag. Swell heights hang around 2 ft to 3 ft, with periods from 12 to 16 seconds. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, keeping the surface messy. Tuesday, July 21st has a 4 ft swell from the SSW, but the wind is on it. Nothing special.
Saturday, July 25th is the big one. The morning sees a 4 ft swell from the S, with a 15-second period, and the wind is offshore – light from the SW at 6 mph. The combined energy jumps to a strong 1105. That’s a proper amount of power. The wind is light offshore, so it should be clean. This is the standout. The afternoon gets a cross-onshore, so morning is the time.
Sunday, July 26th has a 2 ft swell from the SW with a 19-second period, offshore wind in the morning, and energy of 839. Clean but smaller.
Monday, July 27th through Wednesday, July 29th sees a consistent 3 ft swell from the SSW, with long periods around 18 seconds. The wind is offshore or light onshore, keeping things reasonable. The energy stays in the moderate to strong range (748 to 1049). Plenty of water moving, but the swell height is modest.
Wednesday, July 29th afternoon throws a curveball: a 6 ft swell from the WNW, but with a short 6-second period. That’s a windswell, and it will be messy. The energy is moderate (547), but the period is too short for a decent wave.
After that, from Thursday, July 30th onwards, the energy drops right off. Swell drops to 2 ft and below, with poor wind conditions. The last few days of the forecast are flat and not worth a look.
So, the best bet is clear: Sunday, July 19th morning for a glassy, clean small wave session, or Saturday, July 25th morning for the biggest, most powerful swell of the window. That 25th is the one to circle on the calendar. Up to 4 ft of S groundswell with light offshore winds – that’s as good as it gets in this run.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Thu night, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Wed afternoon, min 21°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 9 | WNW 18 | WNW 17 | WNW 17 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 16 | S 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | WNW 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 189 | 118 | 97 | 96 | 194 | 159 | 142 | 238 | 235 | 193 | 248 | 251 | 339 | 389 | 252 | 150 | 188 | 186 | 161 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 11:46PM2.18m | 1:27PM1.75m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:48AM0.15m | 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 | |||||||
 | | |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — |
 | 8:10 | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 30 | 27 |
Feels °C | 25 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 7 | WNW 5 | SW 17 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 10 | SSW 8 | SSW 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 |
| kJ | 189 | 118 | 87 | 62 | 44 | 26 | 18 | 238 | 146 | 193 | 248 | 136 | 339 | 389 | 149 | 80 | 188 | 163 | 141 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | WNW 18 | WNW 17 | WNW 17 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | WNW 16 | S 10 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 127 | 104 | 97 | 96 | 194 | 144 | 142 | 55 | 235 | 164 | 121 | 251 | 162 | 81 | 252 | 150 | 32 | 186 | 138 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 17 | WNW 16 | SW 18 | SSE 11 | W 7 | WNW 15 | W 4 | WNW 14 | SSE 9 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | S 16 | SSE 14 | SW 7 | SW 19 |
| kJ | 33 | 54 | 54 | 77 | 146 | 159 | 39 | 22 | 91 | 9 | 69 | 26 | 40 | 35 | 17 | 126 | 108 | 11 | 57 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ESE 2 | — | — | — | WNW 7 | — | — | WNW 7 | WNW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | W 3 | W 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 |
| kJ | — | 1 | — | — | — | 31 | — | — | 17 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 17 | 78 | 161 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 55 | 149 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 149 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 35 | 1 | 221 | 310 | 1 |
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.
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