Surf Forecasts:
Santa Clause surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period, SSW swell with 270 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Santa Clause this week:
The surf forecast for Santa Clause over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Santa Clause in the next 16 days are 0.7m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Santa Clause over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a good, hard look at what we've got on the menu for the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – it’s not looking like a classic stretch of waves. The swell energy is hovering in that weak to moderate range (values between 73 and 246), and the forecast is mostly a story of small, cleanish lines with a whole lot of “poor surf conditions” tagged on. It’s going to be a lean run.
First up, we’ve only got one spot to talk about: Santa Clause. The water’s sitting at a warm 70.9°F, which is a whopping 7.6°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual, almost like someone turned the thermostat up on the whole ocean.
The surf pattern is pretty flat-out monotonous. From Wednesday the 12th of August right through to the end of the forecast window on Thursday the 27th of August, the swell is tiny – mostly 1 ft to 2.3 ft from the SW to SSW. The period is long, often 14 to 18 seconds, which is proper groundswell energy, but the height just isn't there to make anything of it. You’ll see a bit more push on Saturday the 15th with a combined energy of 246, but it’s still only 2.3 ft and the direction is more SSW. The wind is mostly light and onshore or cross-onshore from the SW or WSW, keeping the surface a bit bumpy at 6 to 9 mph. It’s clean enough for a log, but the wave quality is marked as poor.
Truth is, there isn’t a single standout day in this entire 16-day window. It’s a long gap of low-quality, small surf. If you absolutely had to pick a session, the morning of Thursday the 27th of August offers the biggest energy reading (234) from a 1.3 ft, 18-second SSW groundswell with very light wind from the S at only 3 mph, making it glassy. That’s the closest we get to clean, but at 1.3 ft you’re fighting for a knee-high ripple. For the rest of it, the setup is so small and weak that it’s honestly more interesting for a paddle on a flat day than for surfing. Keep the board in the car and hope the next system delivers.
Stay patient.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed afternoon, min 18°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Mon afternoon, min 22°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | W 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 66 | 65 | 64 | 118 | 113 | 84 | 124 | 270 | 104 | 229 | 220 | 160 | 142 | 140 | 140 | 118 | 80 | 146 | 69 | 96 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | cross | on | on | cross-off | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 9:54PM2.39m | 11:15AM1.82m | 10:40PM2.25m | 11:49AM1.88m | 11:27PM2.04m | 12:23PM1.92m | 00:15AM1.80m | 12:57PM1.93m | 1:08AM1.56m | 1:34PM1.91m | 2:17AM1.35m | 2:16PM1.87m | 4:12AM1.22m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:46PM0.87m | 4:51AM0.04m | 4:37PM0.80m | 5:26AM0.18m | 5:28PM0.76m | 5:58AM0.37m | 6:22PM0.74m | 6:28AM0.58m | 7:20PM0.76m | 6:56AM0.79m | 8:29PM0.77m | 7:21AM0.98m | 9:53PM0.77m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:42 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 26 |
Feels °C | 25 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 |
| kJ | 66 | 65 | 64 | 118 | 113 | 84 | 124 | 270 | 104 | 229 | 220 | 160 | 142 | 41 | 35 | 47 | 66 | 66 | 69 | 96 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | W 9 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 19 | SSW 14 | W 5 | SW 14 | S 10 | W 5 | W 5 | S 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 23 | 13 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 71 | 82 | 10 | 47 | 8 | 21 | 13 | 9 | 140 | 140 | 118 | 80 | 146 | 68 | 81 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | S 11 | W 8 | W 5 | W 7 | W 7 | S 9 | S 11 | W 5 | W 10 | S 10 | S 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SW 13 | S 9 |
| kJ | 27 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 20 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 44 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | — | — | W 8 | — | — | W 7 | — | WNW 4 | W 5 | W 5 | W 5 | W 5 | W 6 | W 5 | W 5 | — | — | W 8 | — |
| kJ | 6 | — | — | 5 | — | — | 10 | — | 6 | 7 | 37 | 21 | 18 | 74 | 42 | 55 | — | — | 33 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 4 | 125 | 289 | 4 | 81 | 8 | 4 | 289 | 8 | 4 | 27 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 4 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Santa Clause Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Santa Clause provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Santa Clause can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Santa Clause 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 (Santa Clause) 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 Santa Clause 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.
Santa Clause is 12 km (7 miles) from the city of Santa Ana. If you plan a vacation in Santa Barbara, look for hotels and other accommodation in Santa Ana. Santa Ana has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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