Surf Forecasts:
Steamer Lane-The Slot surf forecast from 10 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 10 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 9s period, NW swell with 924 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 10 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s 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 (Jul 10) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 1.4m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Steamer Lane-The Slot in the next 16 days are 2.4m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) at 8AM. 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+) | 5AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Steamer Lane-The Slot over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here again, giving you the lowdown in feet and miles.
So, looking at the next 16 days, the first part of the run is a tough one. The swell is small and the wind is mostly cross-onshore or light onshore, which doesn't do the Lane any favors. We’ve got a solid week, from Friday the 10th through to Friday the 17th, where it’s just not doing much. You'll see 4 to 6ft at times, but it’s short-period wind swell, with periods around 8 to 9 seconds, and the energy is weak to moderate (between 416 and 784). It’s messy and the wind is just a little too on it.
Now, come Saturday the 18th, things start to change. The size drops right off to around 2 to 3ft, but the period jumps up to 17 to 18 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and with that long period, a reef like The Slot can really go off. The wind is light and variable, so there will be windows of clean, glassy conditions. The energy is still pretty modest (495 to 574), but it’ll wrap in nicely. Sunday the 19th afternoon looks decent too, with a bump in energy (743) and the wind dropping off.
But the real standout, the one you want to circle on the calendar, is Saturday July 25th. We’ve got a solid 7 to 8ft NW swell rolling in, with a period of 9 seconds. That’s a lot of juice, and the combined energy hits 1287, which is strong. This is going to be a serious, expert-level session. For Steamer Lane (The Slot), that west-northwest swell is coming in right on the optimum direction. The wind is forecast to be a light breeze, likely offshore or very light, and that will make for some epic, clean, grinding walls. It’s big, it’s powerful, and it’ll be a true test of skill. The water temp is about average for the time of year.
For the earlier swell on the 18th-20th, the crowds at Steamer Lane are *often* there, so you’ll want to be strategic. That long-period, smallish swell might break a little straight on the beach, but as a reef, The Slot will handle it beautifully.
The long-range call for the 25th is promising, but it’s still a couple of weeks out, so keep an eye on it. If it holds, that’s the day.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Tue afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thu 16 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 580 | 382 | 386 | 373 | 268 | 249 | 246 | 244 | 244 | 229 | 238 | 233 | 184 | 289 | 213 | 418 | 237 | 331 | 783 | 508 | 523 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:19AM1.04m | 7:05PM1.87m | 10:22AM1.17m | 8:01PM1.95m | 11:09AM1.26m | 8:57PM2.01m | 11:51AM1.33m | 9:52PM2.02m | 12:31PM1.37m | 10:45PM1.98m | 1:10PM1.40m | 11:37PM1.87m | 1:48PM1.42m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:40AM-0.05m | 12:31PM0.91m | 2:34AM-0.25m | 1:43PM0.98m | 3:26AM-0.41m | 2:47PM0.98m | 4:16AM-0.50m | 3:46PM0.93m | 5:03AM-0.54m | 4:42PM0.86m | 5:48AM-0.51m | 5:38PM0.79m | 6:32AM-0.41m | 6:37PM0.71m | |||||||
 | | |  | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — |
 | 8:30 | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:27 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 19 | 23 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 16 | 23 | 21 | 17 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 19 | 19 | 22 |
Feels °C | 16 | 18 | 22 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 15 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 13 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 12 | WNW 8 | SSW 18 | SSW 12 | WNW 9 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 324 | 382 | 256 | 197 | 149 | 249 | 207 | 244 | 244 | 228 | 238 | 184 | 184 | 161 | 85 | 237 | 120 | 30 | 435 | 125 | 122 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 20 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | W 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 14 | SW 18 | SW 13 | W 13 | SW 16 | WNW 19 | WNW 19 |
| kJ | 387 | 314 | 2 | 242 | 242 | 7 | 246 | 233 | 233 | 229 | 187 | 15 | 129 | 102 | 37 | 152 | 40 | 31 | 125 | 123 | 120 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 21 | — | W 18 | W 16 | SSW 18 | S 18 | W 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 20 | SW 19 | W 14 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | W 13 | SW 17 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 9 | — | 6 | 5 | 61 | 25 | 19 | 51 | 37 | 96 | 36 | 81 | 61 | 31 | 44 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 9 | — | NW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 |
| kJ | 580 | 381 | 386 | 373 | 268 | 183 | — | — | — | — | — | 233 | — | 289 | 213 | 418 | 237 | 331 | 783 | 508 | 523 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 313 | 0 | 0 | 345 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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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