
Surf Forecasts:
Depressions surf forecast from 10 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 11 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, SSW swell with 334 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 10 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 19s period with SW 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 Monday (Aug 10) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 19s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s 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 0.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 19s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Tue 11th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Depressions over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let's get into it. The outlook for Depressions is a real quiet one, I gotta be honest with ya. We're looking at a stretch of small, weak surf that's mostly not going to be worth paddling out for. The coming days are dominated by small swells, and the only real standout window is a very small one on Tuesday morning.
The whole forecast period is a tough one. There's a long gap of days where the surf is just too poor to recommend. The first real flicker of life, and I mean a tiny flicker, comes on Tuesday morning, August 11th. We've got a glassy morning with a slight offshore from the SSW, and that's a major positive for clean conditions. The swell is tiny though, only 1 ft from the SSW, but with a long period of 14 seconds. That long period (groundswell) will give the little waves some shape, but it also means long lulls between sets. The combined energy is weak at 145, so you'll be sitting out there waiting. For a complete beginner, this is about as mellow and forgiving as it gets, though the water temp is about average for this time of year.
After that Tuesday morning window, we slide back into a long run of poor conditions. A few mornings on the 15th and 16th show up as marginal, but with onshore wind and weak, messy energy (combined energy around 316-346), it's nothing to get excited about. The only thing worth noting is a shift in the wind later in the second week. Around the 18th of August, the swell tries to pick up a bit, hitting 3 ft on Tuesday morning from the WNW, but the period drops right off to a short 8 seconds. That's windswell, and it won't have much push. By the afternoon, it's 5 ft but with a tiny 6-second period – that's pure chop and whitewash. For a break like Depressions, a beach setup, this kind of short-period, onshore swell is messy and unappealing. It might look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing at that point.
Honestly, for a surfer, there's very little on the table here. The standout is that Tuesday morning (August 11th) session, but only if you're a beginner looking for a clean, safe paddle on tiny waves. For anyone looking for something with a bit of push, it's a blank run. That's just the way it goes in this area sometimes; forecasts can change, but right now, it's a waiting game.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Mon afternoon, min 17°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sat afternoon, min 18°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 14 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
105 | 102 | 96 | 79 | 123 | 152 | 109 | 173 | 125 | 122 | 160 | 154 | 104 | 180 | 240 | 232 | 229 | 318 | 306 | 272 | 186 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | cross |
High Tide | 9:38AM1.53m | 8:19PM2.40m | 10:12AM1.62m | 9:09PM2.41m | 10:46AM1.71m | 9:58PM2.34m | 11:20AM1.78m | 10:45PM2.20m | 11:54AM1.84m | 11:32PM2.00m | 12:29PM1.88m | 00:20AM1.77m | 1:03PM1.89m | 1:15AM1.53m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:01PM1.07m | 3:39AM-0.05m | 2:57PM0.96m | 4:19AM-0.04m | 3:49PM0.87m | 4:56AM0.04m | 4:41PM0.80m | 5:30AM0.19m | 5:33PM0.75m | 6:03AM0.37m | 6:28PM0.74m | 6:34AM0.58m | 7:27PM0.75m | ||||||||
6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 27 | 22 | 25 | 27 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 25 | 26 | 22 |
Feels °C | 26 | 27 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
105 | 102 | 59 | 79 | 123 | 152 | 109 | 173 | 125 | 122 | 160 | 154 | 104 | 180 | 240 | 232 | 229 | 318 | 306 | 272 | 186 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 10 | WNW 10 | S 10 | SW 10 |
20 | 32 | 29 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 41 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 140 | 100 | 62 | 61 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 17 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 20 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 14 | SSE 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 20 | SW 18 | S 9 | S 9 | WNW 4 | SSE 10 | WNW 10 | S 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 |
38 | 97 | 96 | 51 | 33 | 14 | 27 | 28 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 75 | 87 | 16 | 16 | 5 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 8 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | W 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | W 4 | WNW 4 | W 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | W 5 | WNW 5 |
— | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 32 | 8 | 6 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 53 | 49 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 310 | 1 | 0 | 221 | 1 | 0 | 310 | 1 | 0 | 149 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 149 | 1 | 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.











