
Surf Forecasts:
Depressions surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 12s period, S swell with 356 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 12s 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 18s. 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 1.1m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for the local stretch.
Honestly, looking at the next 16 days, it’s a tough run. We’re dealing with a lot of poor surf conditions and only marginal windows. The pattern is there, but the quality is just off. The water is sitting at 70°—that’s much warmer than normal for this time of year, by about 7°, which is pretty wild for us.
The first real sniff of a session comes on Monday morning, September 7th. Depressions has a south swell rolling in at 4ft with a 13-second period, which is a proper groundswell. The combined energy is moderate (448). The wind is light and onshore, so the surface won’t be too wrecked. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, and it’s fairly consistent, but the rating is low. Look, it’s a small, cleanish window. After that, through Tuesday and Wednesday, the swell drops off fast and the wind goes cross-onshore, making it choppy. Thursday morning the 10th has a little bump of 2ft from the SW with a 17-second period, but the energy is still moderate (384) and the wind is onshore. It’s *marginal* at best.
We get a bit of a pulse from the WNW starting Saturday the 12th. The size picks up to 3ft by morning, but the period drops to 8 seconds—short period windswell. The energy is moderate (257). By the afternoon, it’s 5ft but the period is only 7 seconds, and the wind is cross-onshore. That’s going to be a bumpy, messy beach break. Not great for paddling, but if you’re a kite surfer, that setup might look more interesting than paddle surfing. Sunday the 13th sees the swell peak at 5ft in the afternoon with a 9-second period, combined energy hitting 435. That’s big enough for the experts, but with that short period and cross-onshore wind, it’s going to be a close-out mess.
The standout? Honestly, it’s the Monday morning, September 7th, for the cleanest lightest wind on a small south swell. Later in the week, the 5ft WNW swell on Sunday the 13th is the biggest, but it’s for experts only and the conditions are poor. There’s a long gap from the 14th to the 20th where it’s just marginal or poor. The second week shows a bit more promise, with the morning of Monday the 21st seeing a 3ft SW groundswell (17-second period) and the combined energy climbing to 413, with clean onshore winds. That’s the one to watch in the more distant future, but it’s a long way off—keep an eye on it.
So, bottom line: the best bet is the Monday morning session, but keep your expectations low. The rest of the window is mostly a write-off.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Wed morning, min 24°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Thu afternoon, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
420 | 368 | 285 | 151 | 222 | 71 | 94 | 138 | 195 | 295 | 261 | 251 | 196 | 178 | 171 | 120 | 168 | 295 | 249 | 322 | 203 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:37AM1.57m | 7:22PM2.19m | 9:07AM1.68m | 8:15PM2.22m | 9:36AM1.79m | 9:03PM2.19m | 10:04AM1.88m | 9:50PM2.10m | 10:33AM1.95m | 10:35PM1.96m | 11:01AM2.00m | 11:21PM1.79m | 11:30AM2.01m | 00:10AM1.60m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:16PM1.09m | 2:34AM0.11m | 2:11PM0.93m | 3:11AM0.12m | 3:00PM0.78m | 3:45AM0.19m | 3:47PM0.66m | 4:17AM0.32m | 4:32PM0.57m | 4:46AM0.47m | 5:18PM0.52m | 5:14AM0.65m | 6:05PM0.52m | ||||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
— | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:14 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:08 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 25 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 32 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 20 |
Feels °C | 27 | 26 | 24 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 32 | 32 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 18 | 23 | 24 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 13 | S 10 | S 9 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | WNW 5 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | WNW 8 | SW 14 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
420 | 368 | 285 | 151 | 222 | 71 | 41 | 138 | 195 | 26 | 261 | 251 | 196 | 178 | 171 | 120 | 100 | 295 | 249 | 45 | 44 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | SW 17 | SW 9 | SSW 8 | W 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 19 |
14 | 14 | 31 | 108 | 49 | 68 | 56 | 25 | 23 | 295 | 21 | 6 | 24 | 51 | 42 | 102 | 35 | 96 | 46 | 58 | 56 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | SW 9 | WNW 7 | SW 18 | NW 8 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | WNW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | SW 18 | WSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 16 | S 9 |
3 | 3 | 5 | 50 | 3 | 58 | 94 | 30 | 28 | 24 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 35 | 12 | 28 | 58 | 10 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | W 6 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | W 4 | WNW 4 | W 4 | W 3 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 6 |
11 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 13 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 37 | 39 | 60 | 50 | 42 | 94 | 74 | — | 168 | 176 | — | 322 | 203 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 35 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 142 | 1 | 1 | 141 | 1 | 0 | 146 | 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.










