Surf Forecasts:
Depressions surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period, SSW swell with 469 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 28 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period with SSW 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 (Jul 28) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 16s. Another secondary swell of 1.3m and 6s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Depressions in the next 16 days are 0.9m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.1m 9s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next 16 days at Depressions are a tough watch. The water is a balmy 69°F, which is a whopping 7°F warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won't be cold while you're staring at flat lines.
The whole forecast period is a real struggle. From Tuesday, 28 July, right through to Wednesday, 12 August, there’s nothing that’s worth paddling out for. The combined wave energy is weak, mostly sitting in the low hundreds and even dropping to double-digits like a measly 59 (that's the combined energy of all swells). The swell heights are tiny, bouncing between 1.0ft and 4ft, and the majority of the time the conditions are described as "poor surf conditions" or "marginal".
The only real glimmer of hope comes about a week and a half away, on Tuesday morning, 4 August. We’ve got a 2ft swell from the W, with a short period of 8 seconds, so it’ll be soft and weak. But the wind is described as glassy, which is a massive positive. It’ll be clean. The combined energy is only 140 though, so it’s still very weak. It’s a "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions" scenario.
For the rest of the run, the wind is generally light and onshore, so the surface is going to be messy. The swell direction is almost always from the SW or W, which is close to the optimum WSW direction, but the size and energy just aren't there. The short periods (mostly under 10 seconds) mean the waves will be crumbly and lack punch.
Honestly, this is a blank run. There are no standouts. If you’re desperate for a paddle, that Tuesday morning on 4 August is your only chance for a glassy surface, but don’t expect any waves.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Tue afternoon, min 20°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sat afternoon, min 21°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SSE 14 | SSW 16 | SSE 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSE 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 13 | S 13 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 358 | 469 | 274 | 206 | 226 | 228 | 150 | 123 | 276 | 222 | 199 | 209 | 209 | 99 | 197 | 216 | 248 | 232 | 162 | 165 | 40 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 10:56AM1.49m | 9:29PM2.17m | 11:22AM1.52m | 10:03PM2.15m | 11:48AM1.56m | 10:37PM2.09m | 12:14PM1.60m | 11:12PM1.97m | 12:40PM1.66m | 11:50PM1.82m | 1:08PM1.72m | 00:33AM1.63m | 1:39PM1.79m | 1:30AM1.44m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:16PM1.11m | 4:48AM0.19m | 3:54PM1.07m | 5:16AM0.22m | 4:33PM1.04m | 5:43AM0.28m | 5:15PM1.01m | 6:08AM0.38m | 6:01PM0.99m | 6:32AM0.50m | 6:55PM0.95m | 6:57AM0.64m | 8:01PM0.90m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — |
 | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 23 |
Feels °C | 25 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | S 12 | S 13 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | S 12 | WNW 9 | SW 13 | SW 13 | W 9 | SW 13 | WNW 9 |
| kJ | 112 | 112 | 172 | 112 | 81 | 119 | 90 | 87 | 94 | 115 | 199 | 209 | 104 | 99 | 104 | 216 | 44 | 44 | 162 | 26 | 32 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SSW 15 | SSE 14 | S 13 | SW 15 | WNW 8 | S 13 | S 11 | SW 14 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 358 | 469 | 274 | 206 | 226 | 228 | 143 | 123 | 276 | 222 | 55 | 38 | 209 | 92 | 29 | 33 | 17 | 8 | 44 | 41 | 23 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | SSE 17 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSE 13 | WNW 5 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 20 | SW 14 | SW 19 | SW 14 | SW 18 | S 12 | WSW 16 | S 11 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 98 | 113 | 144 | 178 | 134 | 164 | 150 | 98 | 26 | 54 | 20 | 33 | 15 | 47 | 15 | 46 | 49 | 11 | 26 | 10 | 40 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | — | WNW 9 | — | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 6 |
| kJ | — | 119 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 165 | — | 87 | 67 | 71 | — | 197 | — | 248 | 232 | 130 | 165 | 39 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 142 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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