Surf Forecasts:
Depressions surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period, WNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period, SW swell with 312 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 15s 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 5s 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 0.7m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with ya – it’s a pretty bleak run for Depressions right now. We’re looking at a long 16-day window, but honestly, it’s not comin’ to life. There’s a real gap of poor conditions stretching from the start all the way through to the end of the first week, with nothing worth paddling out for.
The water temperature is sitting at 69° – that’s 6° warmer than usual for this time of year, which is very unusual, so you might wanna leave the 4/3 at home if you’re gonna even bother having a look.
From the 22nd of August through to the 25th, we’ve got tiny, junky swell. Heights are barely 1 ft to 3 ft, and the wind is cross-on or onshore from the WSW or SW. It’s basically blown-out slop. The combined swell energy is weak-to-moderate (229 to 266), but it just doesn’t matter with that wind direction trashing what little shape there is.
Then from the 26th of August onward, things get weirder. We get a bit more energy – up to 405 and 378 (moderate wave energy) on the Wednesday morning and afternoon – with some SSE swell and a 12-second period, and light offshore SSW winds on the morning. That’s the first time you’ll see a score of 1 out of 10 – marginal at best. But it’s still only 2 ft to 3 ft of swell. By the afternoon the wind swings to SW and goes cross-on, so that window closes fast. The next few days stay poor or marginal, with the 28th afternoon showing 4 ft WNW swell, but only an 8-second period, so it’s weak and crumbly with light onshore wind.
The weekend of the 29th-30th has a bit more size – 6 ft WNW swell on the Saturday and Sunday afternoons, but it’s cross-on with a short 6-second period and a 9-12 mph breeze. Combine that with the beach setup and it’s gonna be a chopped-up mess – honestly, that’s looking more like a kite session than a surf.
The first few days of September aren’t much better. The 4th of September Friday morning has some energy (588), with an 18-second long-period groundswell from SW, and light offshore SW wind at 6 mph. The height is only 2 ft, but that long period means it could have some push and shape for a point break or reef. For a spot like Depressions that’s a beach break, the long period might cause it to break too straight, but it’s about the best we’ve got in the whole forecast. The wind stays good on the Friday afternoon too, but the swell drops to 3 ft.
The 6th of September Sunday morning sees 3 ft from SSW, 14-second period, light offshore SW wind – again, marginal. The combined energy (466) is moderate, but it’s still small.
So what’s the standout? Honestly, it’s a toss-up between Wednesday the 26th of August morning and Friday the 4th of September morning. Friday the 4th has that long 18-second groundswell with an offshore wind, which is rare in this outlook, so I’d say that’s the one to keep an eye on if you can wait. The Wednesday the 26th morning has similar conditions but with a shorter period. Both are pretty small though, so keep expectations in check.
I’m Rusty, signing off. Hope the next one’s better.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Tue morning, min 23°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 35°C on Tue afternoon, min 25°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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 10 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
131 | 71 | 89 | 79 | 112 | 109 | 98 | 135 | 132 | 91 | 99 | 155 | 198 | 142 | 121 | 119 | 164 | 122 | 176 | 246 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 6:29PM1.88m | 9:13AM1.44m | 7:17PM1.97m | 9:31AM1.49m | 7:57PM2.04m | 9:50AM1.54m | 8:34PM2.09m | 10:09AM1.59m | 9:10PM2.11m | 10:30AM1.66m | 9:45PM2.07m | 10:51AM1.73m | 10:22PM1.99m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:13AM0.40m | 1:10PM1.24m | 2:46AM0.33m | 1:52PM1.16m | 3:15AM0.27m | 2:29PM1.07m | 3:42AM0.25m | 3:05PM0.98m | 4:07AM0.27m | 3:43PM0.89m | 4:32AM0.32m | 4:22PM0.81m | 4:56AM0.41m | |||||||
— | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 32 | 35 | 30 | 34 | 32 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 27 |
Feels °C | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 32 | 27 | 33 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | WNW 7 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | W 5 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | S 10 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | S 9 | SW 18 |
41 | 71 | 55 | 57 | 112 | 17 | 98 | 135 | 132 | 91 | 99 | 155 | 94 | 28 | 90 | 75 | 164 | 122 | 27 | 246 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | WNW 8 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SW 14 | S 10 | S 9 | W 10 | S 18 |
43 | 12 | 89 | 79 | 65 | 109 | 29 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 89 | 122 | 198 | 142 | 121 | 73 | 70 | 43 | 33 | 152 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | W 14 | SW 16 | WNW 8 | SW 14 | W 11 | SW 14 | W 10 | SW 16 | S 9 |
14 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 38 | 37 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 29 | 23 | 37 | 86 | 62 | 54 | 22 | 65 | 33 | 69 | 26 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 5 | — | W 7 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | — | NW 5 | — | WNW 8 | ESE 2 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 5 |
131 | 48 | — | 51 | 33 | 24 | 29 | 38 | 39 | 91 | 90 | 91 | — | 67 | — | 119 | 1 | — | 176 | 93 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 42 | 25 | 0 | 149 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 20 | 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.











