
Surf Forecasts:
Depressions surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 17s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 14s period, SSW swell with 478 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 17s period with W 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 Saturday (Jul 18) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s 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 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab your board, let’s talk about Depressions. I’m Rusty, and I’m looking at the next two weeks. It’s not a classic run, with small waves and tricky wind, but there are a couple of sessions that could be real sweet.
The water is a warm 66°F, which is a solid 4°F warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s a nice touch, but it doesn’t make the waves any bigger.
We start on Friday the 17th with a 3ft swell from the WNW, but the period is a short 8 seconds, and the wind is straight onshore from the SW. It’s a washout. This sets the pattern for the next few days – small, weak, and messy. The combined wave energy is in the moderate range, like 354 (Friday) and 383 (Saturday), which is just not enough to get fired up.
Sunday the 19th has a bit more energy, hitting 492, but the swell is still only 2ft and the wind is cross-onshore. It’s all just mushy and marginal.
Now, here’s the first real highlight. Monday morning, the 20th of July. The wind goes glassy – dead calm from the SSW at just 3 mph. The swell is 3ft from the S, with a period of 13 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The energy is moderate at 443, but that clean, glassy surface is going to make those waves look a lot better. It’s the best morning of the first week. The crowd situation is “sometimes,” so you might have a few others out, but for a 3ft S swell with glass, it’s worth the paddle.
The rest of the week stays marginal. Tuesday the 21st has a 4ft SSW swell, but the wind is onshore, so it’s bumpy. The energy climbs to 499, but it doesn’t matter with that wind.
We then hit a dry spell. From Wednesday the 22nd through to Tuesday the 29th, the guidance is all “marginal” or “poor.” The swell is tiny, mostly 2ft to 3ft, and the wind is almost always onshore or cross-onshore. The energy numbers start to climb later in the week, hitting 649 on Friday the 24th and 877 on Saturday the 25th, but that’s from a long-period, small swell that’s just not going to break well.
Now, look ahead to the end of the month. Thursday the 30th of July afternoon is another standout. The wind goes glassy again, just 3 mph from the SSW. The swell is 4ft from the WNW, but with a short period of 9 seconds. The energy is moderate at 530, but that glassy surface will be the key. This is a good one for the evening session.
After that, it’s back to small, onshore slop through the 1st of August. The energy drops right off to 294, and the wind is onshore or cross-onshore.
So, the bottom line: the first two weeks are mostly a bust, but you have two clear windows of opportunity. Monday morning, July 20th is the best bet for the first week, with that glassy 3ft S swell. And Thursday afternoon, July 30th is your second chance, with glassy conditions and a 4ft WNW swell. Those are the calls.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Mon morning, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 21°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the W by Wed afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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 17 | W 17 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 26 | WNW 6 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
97 | 147 | 194 | 159 | 142 | 238 | 238 | 206 | 232 | 210 | 169 | 236 | 249 | 199 | 218 | 183 | 180 | 105 | 105 | 80 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 00:38AM1.94m | 2:10PM1.80m | 1:34AM1.67m | 2:53PM1.83m | 2:44AM1.43m | 3:39PM1.86m | 4:21AM1.26m | 4:27PM1.87m | 6:26AM1.22m | 5:17PM1.89m | 8:06AM1.27m | 6:06PM1.92m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:48PM0.96m | 7:27AM0.35m | 7:58PM0.95m | 8:04AM0.57m | 9:18PM0.91m | 8:40AM0.77m | 10:46PM0.83m | 9:19AM0.96m | 00:07AM0.71m | 10:07AM1.11m | 1:11AM0.58m | 11:12AM1.20m | 1:59AM0.47m | |||||||
— | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
8:10 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 25 |
Feels °C | 24 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 17 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | W 7 | WNW 5 | SW 17 | S 12 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 12 | SSE 13 | S 12 |
97 | 62 | 42 | 24 | 19 | 238 | 141 | 206 | 232 | 210 | 116 | 236 | 140 | 199 | 218 | 183 | 180 | 87 | 99 | 78 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | W 17 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | WNW 16 | S 12 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | S 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 9 | SW 8 | S 15 | SW 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 |
54 | 147 | 194 | 144 | 142 | 67 | 238 | 121 | 113 | 121 | 169 | 69 | 249 | 62 | 16 | 113 | 23 | 105 | 70 | 68 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 17 | WNW 16 | SW 18 | SSE 11 | W 6 | WNW 15 | W 4 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | S 16 | WNW 13 | S 16 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 14 | SW 18 | SW 26 | SW 18 |
50 | 77 | 146 | 159 | 39 | 21 | 91 | 10 | 69 | 69 | 40 | 127 | 34 | 77 | 11 | 10 | 104 | 13 | 105 | 49 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | WNW 7 | — | — | WNW 6 | — | — | WNW 8 | WNW 4 | WNW 3 | W 4 | W 3 | W 4 | W 4 | WNW 4 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 6 |
90 | 55 | — | 28 | — | — | 17 | — | — | 28 | 9 | 4 | 14 | 5 | 13 | 44 | 25 | 55 | 89 | 80 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 118 | 1 | 76 | 310 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 1 |
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.










