
Surf Forecasts:
Depressions surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 14 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 13 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, WNW swell with 472 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 16s 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 (Sep 11) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 5s. Another secondary swell of 1.3m and 6s 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 1.6m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Mon 14th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the Depressions stretch. Gotta be straight with you – this is a tough run. We’re lookin’ at a 16-day window that’s nearly all flat and messy. The first real surf that’s even worth a mention doesn’t show up until Saturday the 12th, and even then, it’s a long shot.
The whole pattern is sad. The swell is tiny, the period is all over the place, and the wind is almost always cross-on or onshore. There’s a real stretch of garbage from the 10th through the 11th – nothing but poor surf conditions. The combined energy is weak, barely cracking three digits, and when it does, it’s on the lower end. The water temp is a massive 4° warmer than average, which is really unusual – feels like a warm bath out there, but there’s no wave to enjoy it.
The only blip that even gets a whisper of hope is Sunday the 13th. The morning shows a bit of a pulse: 4 ft of WNW swell, with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 548 (moderate). The wind is WSW at 6 mph, coming straight onshore though, so it’s gonna be bumpy. That’s the best we’ve got, and it’s still just “marginal.” The afternoon gets bigger at 6 ft, but the period drops to 6 seconds – that’s windswell junk, and the cross-onshore W wind at 9 mph will chop it up. This ain’t a beginner wave; 6 ft with that short period is a washout for everyone.
After that, from the 14th right through the 25th, it’s a desert. The swell barely reaches 3 ft, the period is short, and the energy stays under 500. The wind is a constant cross-onshore or onshore, turning what little swell there is into messy, unrideable slop. The forecast confidence is decent for the first week, but it doesn’t matter – there’s just no surf.
Mate, I hate to say it, but put the board away for a while. This is a rare blank run, even for Depressions. The only thing that might be interesting is if you’ve got a kite, because the constant cross-onshore wind and small, choppy waves might be more fun for that than a paddle. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, it’s a no-go.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Thu afternoon, min 20°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 19°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 6 | WNW 10 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
295 | 261 | 251 | 196 | 146 | 171 | 102 | 146 | 131 | 254 | 222 | 399 | 162 | 135 | 206 | 120 | 90 | 68 | 88 | 63 | 98 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 10:04AM1.88m | 9:50PM2.10m | 10:33AM1.95m | 10:35PM1.96m | 11:01AM2.00m | 11:21PM1.79m | 11:30AM2.01m | 00:10AM1.60m | 11:59AM1.98m | 1:05AM1.43m | 12:31PM1.92m | 2:21AM1.29m | 1:08PM1.84m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:47PM0.66m | 4:17AM0.32m | 4:32PM0.57m | 4:46AM0.47m | 5:18PM0.52m | 5:14AM0.65m | 6:05PM0.52m | 5:39AM0.83m | 6:55PM0.55m | 6:02AM0.99m | 7:53PM0.61m | 6:19AM1.13m | 9:08PM0.66m | ||||||||
6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 7:13 | — | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:08 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:05 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 31 | 32 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 21 | 25 | 27 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 21 |
Feels °C | 32 | 31 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 18 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 6 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | WNW 7 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WNW 9 | SW 13 | WNW 10 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 5 |
295 | 261 | 251 | 31 | 146 | 171 | 77 | 102 | 96 | 254 | 45 | 399 | 162 | 135 | 206 | 120 | 90 | 68 | 40 | 27 | 11 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 5 | SW 9 | SSW 7 | SW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 |
18 | 20 | 5 | 196 | 51 | 42 | 102 | 59 | 29 | 46 | 58 | 44 | 48 | 107 | 75 | 65 | 39 | 39 | 88 | 63 | 98 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | S 12 | WNW 12 | W 18 | WNW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | S 10 | S 9 | SW 19 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 13 | S 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 20 | S 19 | S 18 | S 18 | S 16 |
28 | 11 | 14 | 24 | 12 | 14 | 35 | 7 | 6 | 58 | 10 | 56 | 27 | 1 | 15 | 14 | 31 | 29 | 55 | 55 | 46 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | — | — | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 | WNW 4 |
— | 37 | 64 | — | 62 | 73 | 88 | 146 | 131 | 190 | 222 | 378 | — | — | 168 | — | — | — | — | 32 | 11 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 25 | 1 | 1 | 142 | 1 | 1 | 141 | 35 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 0 |
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.










