Depressions Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.41° N 119.85° W

Depressions Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 pm 31 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Depressions sea temperature is
20.9° C
3.8° 

Depressions surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Depressions surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 18s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 19s period, SSW swell with 212 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period with WNW 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 Saturday (Aug 01) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Depressions in the next 16 days are 0.5m 19s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Sat 1st Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 6s
Best Surf 5AM (Sat 8th Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 18s
Most Powerful 2PM (Fri 7th Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 19s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Right then, let’s take a look at what’s on the cards for Depressions. It’s a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent beach break that’s fairly exposed to the swell, ideally wanting a WSW direction. To be straight with you, the outlook for the next 16 days is pretty grim. We’re looking at a long, barren stretch with nothing that shapes up into a proper surf session.

The water is running at a toasty 70°F, which is 7° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s pretty unusual, you’ll be sweating in your wettie. But that’s about the only interesting thing here.

The pattern kicks off right at the end of July. On Friday the 31st of July, there’s a small 2ft swell from the south with a solid 12-second period, but it’s crossed up by a cross-onshore wind (9 mph) and the wave comment reads “poor surf conditions” with a combined swell energy of 283 (moderate energy). No good.

Then we fall into a real slump. From Saturday the 1st of August right through to Saturday the 8th of August, the swell stays tiny, mostly 1ft to 3ft, with onshore or cross-onshore winds. The energy is all over the shop – sometimes weak, sometimes moderate – but the surf quality is consistently rated as poor. The wind is often light, but it’s always onshore which is just not what you want. You might see a small 3ft swell on the 2nd, but with 9-second period and poor conditions, it’s not worth a paddle.

There’s a flicker on Sunday the 9th of August – a 2ft swell from the WNW with an 11-second period and a combined energy of 257 (moderate). The wind is light and onshore. But the surf is still rated as “poor surf conditions”. It's a tease.

The second week is more of the same. From Monday the 11th of August to Friday the 15th, we’ve got very little to get excited about. Swells are tiny at 1ft to 2ft, mostly from the SSW or SW, with periods ranging from 14 to 20 seconds. While those longer periods (over 14 seconds) mean there’s some groundswell energy in the water, the wave quality is rated poor or marginal. On the 15th of August, Saturday morning, the wind is almost calm (3 mph), but it’s cross-onshore, and the swell is only 2ft with a combined energy of 285 (moderate). The forecast says it’s marginal, not good.

Honestly, there’s not a single standout in this 16-day window. The best I can say is that the first week is a total washout, and the second week offers nothing but small, poor-quality waves. If you’re desperate, that Sunday the 9th with the 2ft swell might be the *least* bad option, but even then, the wind’s onshore and the quality is poor. This stretch is a write-off for surf.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 22°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 21°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
1
Sunday
2
Monday
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1
WNW
6
0.5
S
13
0.8
WNW
8
0.9
WNW
8
1
WNW
9
1
WNW
9
0.9
W
6
0.9
WNW
9
0.8
WNW
9
0.9
WNW
9
0.4
WNW
9
0.3
SW
15
0.5
SW
14
0.4
SW
14
0.3
SW
14
0.4
SW
13
0.4
SW
13
0.4
SW
13
0.3
SSW
18
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
69
92
87
122
173
173
55
138
110
144
32
34
99
51
31
56
46
44
63
Wind (km/h)
0
NE
10
WSW
10
WSW
0
SSE
10
WSW
10
WSW
0
NNW
10
SW
15
WSW
5
ESE
10
SW
15
WSW
0
E
10
SW
15
WSW
5
ESE
10
SW
15
WSW
5
ESE
Wind State
glassy
on
on
glassy
on
on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
on
on
glassy
on
on
glassy
on
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
11:12PM1.97m
12:40PM1.66m
11:50PM1.82m
1:08PM1.72m
00:33AM1.63m
1:39PM1.79m
1:30AM1.44m
2:17PM1.85m
2:54AM1.26m
3:07PM1.92m
5:09AM1.17m
4:08PM1.99m
Low Tide
6:08AM0.38m
6:01PM0.99m
6:32AM0.50m
6:55PM0.95m
6:57AM0.64m
8:01PM0.90m
7:23AM0.79m
9:22PM0.82m
7:54AM0.94m
10:54PM0.69m
8:38AM1.08m
00:16AM0.50m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:09
6:09
6:11
6:11
6:11
6:13
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:01
8:00
8:00
7:59
7:58
7:57
7:55
 mm
Temp °C
25
29
29
25
28
29
24
27
28
24
27
28
23
25
28
23
27
27
24
Feels °C
25
29
29
25
28
29
24
26
28
23
26
28
23
25
27
23
26
26
24
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Depressions:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

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.

Nearest locationNearest