Surf Forecasts:
Steamer Lane-The Slot surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 14s period, S swell with 526 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 15s 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 9s 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 1.2m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Steamer Lane-The Slot over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk about the next 16 days. The first real winner is Thursday, September 10th, in the morning. That’s the one to circle. Steamer Lane-The Slot will have a 3ft swell from the SSW, with a long period of 17 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The combined energy is 832 (moderate). The wind is glassy, so the surface will be butter smooth. The water’s about 61°, which is a degree above normal for this time of year – a little warmer than you’d expect.
Before that, the early part of the week is pretty quiet. Sunday the 6th morning has a 3ft swell from the SSW, but the onshore wind and iffy conditions make it a pass. Monday and Tuesday are similar – small, bumpy, not much to get excited about.
Wednesday the 9th of September morning is a sneaky good one. The swell is only 1ft from the SSW, but the period is a very long 19 seconds, and the glassy wind will make it look like a lake. The energy is low (389), so it’s not powerful, but for a clean, small wave on a point break, it’s a nice little session.
After Thursday’s gem, the pattern shifts. Friday the 11th is still rideable with 3ft from the SSW, but the wind turns cross-onshore, so it’s not as clean. The weekend of the 12th and 13th sees a change to a NW swell, with heights building to 5ft-6ft, but the period drops to 8 seconds – short period windswell, messy. The wind is cross to cross-onshore, so it’ll be choppy.
The second week (from the 14th) is dominated by a persistent NW windswell. Heights are around 4ft to 5ft, periods mostly 8 to 10 seconds. Monday the 14th morning has a glassy start with 5ft from the WNW, combined energy 465 (moderate), so it’s a decent session if you’re keen, but it’s not the quality of that Thursday. After that, the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore most of the time, and the energy fades. By the 19th and 20th, the swell drops to 2ft-2ft, and the long-period groundswell returns (18 seconds), but the onshore wind spoils it.
The bottom line: Thursday the 10th morning is the standout. The Monday the 14th morning is a backup for a clean, moderate wave. The rest is mostly small, short-period, or wind-affected. The Lane is a reef, so it handles the groundswell well, but it can get a bit straight with that long-period stuff. When it’s glassy, it’s a beauty.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 14 | S 13 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | NW 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 405 | 301 | 305 | 426 | 503 | 290 | 198 | 319 | 209 | 148 | 309 | 267 | 453 | 437 | 430 | 425 | 331 | 309 | 273 | 254 | 418 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | cross | glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 9:03AM1.28m | 6:42PM1.76m | 9:36AM1.35m | 7:51PM1.77m | 10:09AM1.41m | 8:53PM1.76m | 10:40AM1.46m | 9:49PM1.71m | 11:09AM1.50m | 10:42PM1.62m | 11:37AM1.54m | 11:33PM1.51m | 12:04PM1.56m | 00:23AM1.38m | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:56PM1.02m | 2:06AM-0.14m | 2:02PM0.87m | 2:56AM-0.20m | 2:57PM0.69m | 3:39AM-0.20m | 3:46PM0.51m | 4:18AM-0.13m | 4:32PM0.36m | 4:54AM-0.02m | 5:17PM0.24m | 5:28AM0.15m | 6:01PM0.17m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — |
 | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 23 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 17 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 29 | 32 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 22 | 23 | 26 | 19 | 20 | 24 | 18 |
Feels °C | 18 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 28 | 30 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 13 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 17 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | WNW 8 | SW 14 | WNW 8 |
| kJ | 405 | 301 | 305 | 426 | 503 | 290 | 169 | 319 | 209 | 138 | 96 | 267 | 233 | 190 | 430 | 425 | 331 | 309 | 140 | 211 | 254 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | WNW 7 | SW 9 | WNW 7 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | S 9 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | NW 10 | WNW 10 | SSW 14 | WSW 13 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 181 | 179 | 229 | 61 | 13 | 34 | 198 | 39 | 28 | 148 | 309 | 64 | 453 | 437 | 86 | 37 | 48 | 64 | 268 | 35 | 131 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 15 | SW 11 | NW 6 | SSW 14 | SSW 19 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | WNW 7 | WNW 12 | NW 12 | NW 11 | NW 11 | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | WSW 13 | S 10 | WSW 12 |
| kJ | 4 | 57 | 42 | 178 | 37 | 123 | 52 | 80 | 69 | 103 | 62 | 21 | 96 | 68 | 57 | 55 | 20 | 8 | 18 | 7 | 14 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | WNW 4 | NW 6 | — | WNW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 4 | — | WNW 4 | WNW 3 | NW 10 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 |
| kJ | 84 | 31 | 66 | — | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 57 | 50 | 8 | — | 4 | 4 | 139 | 273 | 254 | 418 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 121 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 83 | 144 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Cruz | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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