Surf Forecasts:
Depressions surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period, SW swell with 312 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Depressions in the next 16 days are 0.7m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.1m 15s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s on the cards for our local stretch.
First off, the water is absolutely balmy – 70° and a whopping 7° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s a rare treat, so you’ll be shedding the rubber for sure.
Right, the honest truth is there’s nothing epic on the horizon. The first day we’ve got to work with is Wednesday, the 26th of August, but it’s a real softie. We’re looking at a 3ft SSE swell with a period of 12 seconds, and the combined energy is weak at 322. The wind is a light onshore from the SSW, which is okay for a beginner wave but not exactly turning heads. It’s a marginal call at best.
Thursday the 27th starts with some hope. The morning is glassy – a proper clean sheet of water – but the swell is tiny, a mere 2ft from the S. The combined energy (211) is weak. It’s surfable if you’re desperate for a splash, but the conditions are very ordinary. By the afternoon, the wind shifts cross-on from the W, and it all falls apart.
We’ve got a long gap of poor to marginal conditions stretching through the end of August and into the first week of September. The swell is small, directions are all over the place, and the wind is rarely kind. The best you’ll see is a few mid-week glassy moments on the morning of Wednesday the 2nd of September, but again, that’s with a 2ft S swell. It’s barely moving.
Now, there is a pulse of energy that shows up on Thursday the 3rd of September. The combined energy jumps to 602 (moderate) in the morning, with a 4ft SSW swell at 14 seconds. That’s a longer period groundswell. The wind is a light onshore from the SW, which is marginal but not a total write-off. The afternoon sees a 4ft SSW swell with a period of 12 seconds and a cross-shore wind from the NW, which is a better wind angle. The energy is up to 662 (moderate). This is the high point of the whole 16-day window, but it’s still being called “marginal” with questionable tide conditions. If you’re an intermediate or above, this is your best bet. It’s a long way out though, so keep an eye on it.
After that, it’s back to the same old story of small, weak swells and onshore winds through to the 10th of September. The second week is a bit of a write-off, with nothing to get excited about. The swell is too small and the wind is consistently onshore or cross-on, making it choppy and messy. For a beach-and-reef setup like this, the bigger but wind-affected swells (like the 6ft on Saturday the 29th of August) would be more interesting for kite surfers looking for grunt than for paddle surfers looking for a clean face.
Look, “Depressions” is fairly consistent, so it won’t stay this poor forever, but for the next 16 days, the pickings are slim. Stick to the Thursday the 3rd of September and hope it cleans up.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Fri afternoon, min 24°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Sat afternoon, min 19°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | S 10 | S 11 | WNW 8 | SW 16 | WNW 6 | SW 18 | SW 17 | WNW 6 | SW 16 | WNW 8 | SSW 14 | S 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | S 11 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
189 | 126 | 75 | 121 | 206 | 66 | 106 | 312 | 302 | 213 | 255 | 244 | 218 | 261 | 115 | 83 | 113 | 145 | 128 | 121 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 9:10PM2.11m | 10:30AM1.66m | 9:45PM2.07m | 10:51AM1.73m | 10:22PM1.99m | 11:14AM1.81m | 11:01PM1.86m | 11:39AM1.87m | 11:45PM1.70m | 12:07PM1.93m | 00:36AM1.51m | 12:42PM1.96m | 1:45AM1.33m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:05PM0.98m | 4:07AM0.27m | 3:43PM0.89m | 4:32AM0.32m | 4:22PM0.81m | 4:56AM0.41m | 5:03PM0.74m | 5:19AM0.53m | 5:49PM0.69m | 5:43AM0.68m | 6:42PM0.65m | 6:08AM0.82m | 7:45PM0.63m | |||||||
— | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:24 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 31 | 29 | 28 | 32 | 26 | 31 | 33 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 20 | 24 | 26 | 22 |
Feels °C | 31 | 30 | 30 | 34 | 26 | 30 | 32 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | S 9 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | S 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | S 11 |
189 | 83 | 65 | 63 | 206 | 62 | 26 | 312 | 302 | 206 | 255 | 228 | 218 | 261 | 92 | 83 | 113 | 145 | 128 | 121 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | SSE 11 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | SW 16 | S 18 | S 17 | S 16 | S 16 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | SW 13 | SW 18 |
48 | 126 | 71 | 121 | 75 | 43 | 69 | 152 | 91 | 127 | 124 | 2 | 2 | 183 | 115 | 70 | 14 | 13 | 44 | 79 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | S 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | W 10 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | SW 21 | SSE 13 | SW 19 | W 10 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 18 | WNW 7 |
85 | 75 | 75 | 73 | 65 | 66 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 96 | 14 | 8 | 68 | 45 | 31 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | WNW 6 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | WNW 5 | — | — | WNW 9 | — |
— | — | — | — | 101 | — | 106 | 148 | 243 | 213 | 201 | 244 | 195 | 93 | 58 | 35 | — | — | 28 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 35 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 53 | 310 | 0 | 149 | 1 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











