
Surf Forecasts:
Depressions surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 11 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 15s period, SSW swell with 414 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 9 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s 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 Sunday (Aug 09) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s 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 0.9m 15s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Tue 11th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at the Depressions forecast. I gotta be straight with you – the outlook over this 16-day stretch is a tough one. There's a big old gap of nothing to start. The first hint of any kind of wave action doesn't show up until Saturday, August 15th, and even then, it's marginal at best. So if you're looking to get wet this week, you're out of luck. We’re looking at about a week of flat to near-flat conditions before anything even registers on the scale.
We finally see some life from Depressions on the morning of August 15th. The swell is a tiny 2ft from the SSW with a long period of 16 seconds, giving the water some energy (308). The wind is light from the WSW, cross-onshore, so the surface will have a few ripples. The water temp here is about average for this time of year. It hangs in there at around 3ft in the afternoon (410 combined energy), but the wind picks to a light breeze, still cross-onshore. The forecast says 'marginal', and honestly, with that tiny size and less-than-ideal wind, you'd be fighting for a knee-slapper. This spot is fairly consistent, but this is just a whisper.
Into the second week, the swell tries to show a pulse. Sunday, August 16th sees the biggest of the run so far, with a 3ft SSW groundswell hitting the afternoon session, carrying a combined energy of 442. But the problem is the wind turns fresh from the WSW at 9 mph, making for a gentle cross-onshore breeze and fairly choppy conditions. The waves are there, but they’re messy. It’s really not doing the spot any favours. For the rest of the window, it's a tough slog of onshore and cross-onshore winds with piddly little swell. The wind stays up in the moderate breeze range on Monday the 17th, and by the time we get to Friday, August 21st, the swell direction swings to a short-period WNW windswell (5ft, 6 seconds) which is just junk.
Look, with the consistent onshore to cross-onshore flow and the small, weak swell, this coast is looking more like a kiteboarding venue for most of this run than a paddle surfer's paradise. The waves are poor quality with strong winds and a beach/beach-and-reef setup. It’s a blank run that feels pretty normal for the area when the winds aren't playing ball and the swell is weak. The forecasts can always change, but as it stands, it's a lean fortnight.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sun afternoon, min 20°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | SSW 15 | S 14 | SSW 14 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
125 | 121 | 153 | 105 | 102 | 96 | 79 | 123 | 121 | 109 | 173 | 125 | 122 | 160 | 154 | 104 | 180 | 240 | 298 | 291 | 387 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:02AM1.44m | 7:24PM2.32m | 9:38AM1.53m | 8:19PM2.40m | 10:12AM1.62m | 9:09PM2.41m | 10:46AM1.71m | 9:58PM2.34m | 11:20AM1.78m | 10:45PM2.20m | 11:54AM1.84m | 11:32PM2.00m | 12:29PM1.88m | 00:20AM1.77m | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:58PM1.16m | 2:57AM0.01m | 2:01PM1.07m | 3:39AM-0.05m | 2:57PM0.96m | 4:19AM-0.04m | 3:49PM0.87m | 4:56AM0.04m | 4:41PM0.80m | 5:30AM0.19m | 5:33PM0.75m | 6:03AM0.37m | 6:28PM0.74m | ||||||||
6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 28 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 20 |
Feels °C | 28 | 29 | 23 | 27 | 28 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
125 | 121 | 153 | 105 | 102 | 59 | 79 | 123 | 121 | 109 | 173 | 125 | 122 | 160 | 154 | 104 | 140 | 240 | 298 | 291 | 387 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | SSW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | SW 13 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 6 | WNW 8 | SSW 18 | SW 14 | WNW 7 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
6 | 12 | 37 | 10 | 37 | 35 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 28 | 28 | 36 | 22 | 22 | 5 | 19 | 180 | 100 | 16 | 84 | 27 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | W 12 | SSW 11 | WNW 10 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 14 | SSE 12 | SW 13 | SSE 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 18 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | SW 13 | S 10 | S 10 |
12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 97 | 96 | 51 | 33 | 14 | 27 | 12 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 87 | 19 | 18 | 27 | 18 | 18 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 10 | — | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 7 | WNW 7 |
— | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 38 | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 15 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 149 | 1 | 0 | 310 | 1 | 0 | 136 | 1 | 0 | 150 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 310 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 1 | 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.











