
Surf Forecasts:
Depressions surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with glassy 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★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s 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 Tuesday (Aug 04) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s 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 0.5m 19s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 13s |
| 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
Alright, let’s get into it. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – the next couple of weeks at Depressions are looking pretty flat and frustrating. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak swell and less-than-ideal wind angles lining up, so don’t expect any hero moments just yet.
The first real chance of anything worth paddling out for won’t arrive until the afternoon of Monday the 10th of August. Even then, it’s only marginal – a 2ft SSW swell with a period of 13 seconds, giving us a moderate combined energy of 287. The wind is light and offshore from the SW, so it’ll be clean, but the size is tiny. It’s really just a novelty session for a longboard or a foiler.
We get another small window on Friday the 14th of August in the morning. That 1ft SSW swell has a nice long period of 19 seconds, which is proper groundswell energy, but it’s not enough to make the break really fire. The combined energy is 298 – still moderate – and the offshore light breeze from the SW will keep it glassy. Just don’t expect much push.
The most promising of a pretty average bunch comes on Saturday the 15th of August. The morning shows a 2ft SSW swell, 16-second period, and combined energy climbing to 340. That’s the biggest we’ll see all outlook. The wind is light from the SSW, keeping it clean. The afternoon gets a bit more energy (421) but a few clouds roll in and the wind shifts a touch. Still, this is the standout. Swell direction is SSW, which is a fair match for the break’s optimum WSW direction, so it’s not a perfect angle but it’ll wrap in okay. You’ll need a longboard or a fish, but you might get a few fun ones.
For the rest of the run, from the 4th of August right through to the 19th, we’re facing a gap of days with nothing but poor surf conditions. The swell stays below 2ft, periods are inconsistent, and the energy is mostly weak. The wind is often onshore or cross-onshore, especially from the WSW, which messes up the already small waves. Beginners might find it too small rather than too big, but honestly, there’s nothing here to get excited about.
Depressions itself is a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent spot that’s fairly exposed to swell, but even with that, the lack of size and poor wind alignment means the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on most days. Crowds are sometimes an issue, but with this forecast, you’ll likely have the place to yourself.
So, to sum it up: the best on offer is the afternoon of the 15th of August. It’s not a standout by any stretch, but it’s the cleanest and biggest we’ll see. Everything else is a flat spell. Keep your expectations low, and maybe dust off the kite gear.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Thu afternoon, min 20°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 21°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 9 | W 9 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 18 | SW 19 | SSW 19 | SW 17 | S 18 | SW 16 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 14 | SSW 14 | SW 20 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
66 | 76 | 99 | 51 | 31 | 56 | 45 | 44 | 63 | 94 | 143 | 75 | 97 | 65 | 125 | 125 | 121 | 153 | 105 | 102 | 58 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 2:17PM1.85m | 2:54AM1.26m | 3:07PM1.92m | 5:09AM1.17m | 4:08PM1.99m | 7:18AM1.23m | 5:17PM2.09m | 8:21AM1.34m | 6:24PM2.20m | 9:02AM1.44m | 7:24PM2.32m | 9:38AM1.53m | 8:19PM2.40m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:22PM0.82m | 7:54AM0.94m | 10:54PM0.69m | 8:38AM1.08m | 00:16AM0.50m | 10:00AM1.18m | 1:19AM0.30m | 11:40AM1.21m | 2:11AM0.13m | 12:58PM1.16m | 2:57AM0.01m | 2:01PM1.07m | 3:39AM-0.05m | ||||||||
6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | 7:58 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 24 | 28 | 29 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 22 |
Feels °C | 25 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 22 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 24 | 29 | 30 | 25 | 29 | 30 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | SSW 12 | SW 14 | W 8 | SW 14 | W 5 | SW 13 | SW 13 | W 4 | SW 13 | SSW 19 | WNW 4 | SW 17 | SW 16 | W 4 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 14 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 6 |
18 | 29 | 99 | 33 | 31 | 22 | 45 | 44 | 9 | 43 | 143 | 5 | 75 | 65 | 10 | 125 | 121 | 153 | 71 | 72 | 17 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | SW 15 | WNW 8 | SW 14 | SSW 11 | SW 13 | W 4 | WNW 9 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 17 | S 18 | SW 12 | S 16 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 |
21 | 34 | 13 | 51 | 13 | 56 | 6 | 28 | 44 | 94 | 42 | 75 | 97 | 37 | 125 | 15 | 18 | 64 | 105 | 102 | 58 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | S 9 | W 16 | SSW 11 | S 12 | NW 8 | SSW 20 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | W 5 | W 5 | SW 13 | SW 12 | S 16 | SW 16 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 20 | SW 20 | NW 9 |
28 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 37 | 37 | 63 | 4 | 4 | 42 | 36 | 46 | 122 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 38 | 97 | 21 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 4 | — | W 8 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 9 | WNW 4 | — | WNW 8 | — | WNW 4 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
66 | 76 | 18 | — | 29 | 17 | — | 33 | 11 | — | 14 | — | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 54 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 149 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 10 | 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.











