Surf Forecasts:
Steamer Lane-The Slot surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 18s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 18s period, SSW swell with 983 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Steamer Lane-The Slot this week:
The surf forecast for Steamer Lane-The Slot over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 1.4m and 7s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Steamer Lane-The Slot in the next 16 days are 1.3m 18s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) 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 0.4m 12s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Steamer Lane-The Slot over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey crew, Rusty checking in. Let's break down the two-week forecast for the Lane.
First thing, the water's 62°, which is a touch warmer than usual for now. You’ll be fine in a spring suit.
This Week
We get going early on Friday morning, August 28th. There's a 2-3 ft SSW swell rolling in with a long 17-second period – that's proper groundswell. The wind is a light offshore from the NNW, so it'll be glassy clean. The energy is moderate (622). It’s small but quality, and the Lane gets crowded often, so get your skates on.
Saturday the 29th brings a bit more size to around 4 ft, but that WSW wind is cross-on. The energy is strong (1169), but the wave face is going to be bumpy. Sunday is similar at 3-4 ft with an offshore wind, but it’s still not as clean as Friday morning. Both days are rideable for the experienced crew.
The Big Gap
From Monday the 31st through the first week of September, the swell just vanishes. We're looking at 1-2 ft waves with very weak energy. There are a couple of totally glassy mornings, like Wednesday the 2nd and Sunday the 6th of September, but the swell is barely a ripple at 1-2 ft. It’s going to be flat for the better part of a week.
The Long-Range Gold
The end of the forecast is the real story. Mark your calendar for Friday, September 11th. Both the morning and afternoon sessions are calling for glassy, dead-calm conditions. The swell is a consistent 2-3 ft from the SSW with a 15-second period. The energy builds to a solid 520. No wind at all – it's going to be perfect, rippable reef waves. That is the best session of the entire outlook.
The next day, Saturday the 12th, holds a similar 3 ft and light wind, but the Friday is the clear standout.
The Verdict
If you need a fix now, Friday morning the 28th is your best bet for clean waves. But the real one to aim for is Friday the 11th of September. It’s glassy, has that long-period groundswell, and the Lane will be on. Just expect a crowd for that one.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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 17 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 17 | S 13 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 336 | 387 | 486 | 823 | 505 | 688 | 554 | 411 | 400 | 325 | 226 | 154 | 154 | 116 | 96 | 137 | 119 | 204 | 322 | 402 | 486 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | on | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 11:54AM1.36m | 11:10PM1.51m | 12:15PM1.43m | 11:54PM1.42m | 12:38PM1.51m | 00:42AM1.32m | 1:06PM1.58m | 1:38AM1.21m | 1:39PM1.66m | 2:48AM1.11m | 2:19PM1.70m | 4:27AM1.04m | 3:09PM1.73m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:11PM0.53m | 5:28AM0.06m | 5:47PM0.43m | 5:53AM0.19m | 6:27PM0.33m | 6:20AM0.35m | 7:14PM0.25m | 6:48AM0.54m | 8:09PM0.20m | 7:19AM0.73m | 9:15PM0.16m | 7:56AM0.91m | 10:34PM0.12m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — |
 | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 26 | 21 | 19 | 24 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 24 | 18 |
Feels °C | 19 | 24 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | SSW 19 | WNW 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 17 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 18 |
| kJ | 108 | 387 | 96 | 823 | 505 | 165 | 170 | 128 | 138 | 153 | 89 | 44 | 154 | 116 | 96 | 137 | 119 | 163 | 251 | 239 | 486 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SW 14 | SSW 18 | WNW 8 | S 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | S 13 |
| kJ | 336 | 91 | 486 | 138 | 13 | 688 | 554 | 411 | 400 | 325 | 226 | 154 | 47 | 41 | 80 | 90 | 103 | 204 | 322 | 402 | 209 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | — | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 14 | S 13 | NW 8 | SW 18 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSW 20 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 11 | NW 11 |
| kJ | 58 | 31 | 27 | 15 | — | 6 | 6 | 2 | 18 | 17 | 69 | 86 | 20 | 50 | 40 | 34 | 39 | 54 | 30 | 56 | 117 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 | — | WNW 10 | NW 4 | — | — | WNW 3 | — |
| kJ | 178 | 127 | 144 | 193 | 169 | 276 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | — | 61 | 21 | — | — | 6 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 470 | 37 | 0 | 192 | 345 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 104 | 345 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Cruz | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Steamer Lane-The Slot surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Steamer Lane-The Slot Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Steamer Lane-The Slot provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Steamer Lane-The Slot can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Steamer Lane-The Slot 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 (Steamer Lane-The Slot) 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 Steamer Lane-The Slot 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.
Steamer Lane-The Slot is 3 km (2 miles) from Santa Cruz. If you plan a vacation in Santa Cruz, look for hotels and other accommodation in Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
Nearest