
Surf Forecasts:
Depressions surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 13 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s period, WNW swell with 495 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 0.9m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 1.1m 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 1.7m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’.
Honestly, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and frustrating for us at Depressions. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak swell and onshore or cross-onshore winds messing things up. The first real surfable day doesn’t show up until Friday the 11th of September, and it’s nothing to write home about.
That Friday morning, we’ve got a 2 ft swell coming from the SW with a very long 16-second period – that’s groundswell energy, for sure. The combined energy is weak, at 282, and the wind is light and offshore from the SW, which would make for clean, glassy conditions. But the score is low, and the word is “marginal.” It’s a beginner-friendly wave height, but with that long period, the sets will be spaced out and might wall up a bit at this beach break setup. Still, if you’re desperate for a paddle, dawn patrol Friday is your only real window for now.
We then slide into a long, dry spell. Saturday the 12th morning is a repeat of Friday, with 2 ft and offshore wind, but the direction is more SSW and the period has dropped to 14 seconds. By afternoon, the wind swings cross-onshore and it gets choppy.
Sunday the 13th sees a bump in size – 4 ft in the morning from the WNW, but it’s only a 9-second period windswell. The winds are cross-onshore, and the combined energy is still weak at 353. It’s messy. By the afternoon, the swell hits 6 ft with a 6-second period – that’s a junky, short-period windswell piling in with a cross-onshore breeze (15 km/h). The combined energy is 400, which is moderate, but the quality is poor. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one.
From Monday the 14th through to the end of the month, it’s a sad story. The swell stays mostly below 3 ft, with the odd bump up to 2 ft. The period bounces between a long 16-21 seconds and a short 6-8 seconds, but the winds are almost always cross-onshore, keeping the surface messy or choppy. The combined energy numbers are mostly in the 100-400 range, weak to moderate, but it’s all for nothing with the poor quality scores. The one exception is the morning of Saturday the 19th of September, where we get a 2 ft SW swell with a long 18-second period and offshore wind – that’s another “marginal” call, but it’s clean. For a shortboard, it’s tiny. For a longboard, it could be a fun little glide.
The biggest size shows up on Sunday the 20th of September afternoon, with a 7 ft WNW swell and a 7-second period (combined energy 652, moderate-strong). But with cross-onshore wind and that short period, it’s going to be a junky, washing-machine mess. Again, more for the kite crew.
Look, the water temp is about average for the time of year. But the bottom line: there’s no standout session here. The best bet is to pick your moments with the morning offshore winds on the tiny days, but you’re not going to get any real power. For the next 16 days, Depressions is pretty much a write-off. Stay patient, forecasts can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Thu night, min 21°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Mon afternoon, min 19°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
251 | 196 | 146 | 171 | 102 | 102 | 156 | 243 | 272 | 193 | 202 | 186 | 166 | 162 | 94 | 70 | 88 | 63 | 98 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 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 | 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 | |||||||
— | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:08 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:05 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 28 | 29 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 22 | 27 | 29 | 21 | 25 | 26 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 19 |
Feels °C | 28 | 29 | 30 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 19 | 25 | 27 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | W 6 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | WNW 7 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SW 17 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 |
251 | 33 | 146 | 171 | 62 | 102 | 96 | 46 | 45 | 193 | 202 | 107 | 166 | 162 | 94 | 70 | 48 | 32 | 19 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 7 | SW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 18 | S 9 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 |
5 | 196 | 51 | 42 | 102 | 59 | 29 | 58 | 58 | 44 | 48 | 1 | 75 | 65 | 63 | 39 | 88 | 63 | 98 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | W 18 | WNW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | WSW 16 | SW 19 | SW 13 | W 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 20 | S 19 | S 18 | S 18 | S 16 |
9 | 24 | 12 | 14 | 35 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 25 | 56 | 27 | 5 | 15 | 14 | 31 | 29 | 55 | 54 | 46 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | — | W 9 | — | SE 3 | SSE 3 | — | — | — | — |
66 | 29 | 47 | 44 | 73 | 87 | 156 | 243 | 272 | 97 | — | 186 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 142 | 1 | 0 | 146 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 45 | 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.










