Surf Forecasts:
Steamer Lane-The Slot surf forecast from 5 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 8 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, NW swell with 808 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 5 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 14s 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 (Jul 05) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 19s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 14s is also forecast. 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 2.3m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) 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+) | 5AM (Sun 5th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 8th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Steamer Lane-The Slot over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for Santa Cruz over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, the honest truth is that the first week and a half is going to be pretty flat and messy. We're looking at a lot of small, weak swell with onshore or cross-onshore winds that'll keep things choppy. There's a bit of a tease early on with some long-period groundswell from the SSW, but it's tiny, only around 2ft to 3ft, and the wind just isn't playing ball. The ocean is putting in some energy, with combined swell energy ranging from 428 to 1153 (moderate wave energy), but it's just not translating into anything you'd want to paddle out for. Honestly, you're better off waiting.
The real standout, and the only one I'm genuinely excited about, is a late burst of energy that arrives around Sunday, July 19th. The morning of the 19th is looking like the best call of the whole forecast. Steamer Lane-The Slot catches a 5ft swell from the WNW, and the key thing here is that it's going to be glassy. That means the faces will be clean and smooth. The swell period is a bit short at 8 seconds, so it won't be the most powerful or well-shaped wave, but with no wind and 5ft of swell at that reef, it'll be fun and accessible for advanced surfers. Combined swell energy is 582, which is moderate, but the clean conditions make it the best trade-off. Later that afternoon, the swell cranks up to 6ft from the WNW, but the onshore wind kicks in and the surf gets more disorganized. There’s also a Monday morning on the 20th with that same 6ft WNW swell and a 10-second period, but again, onshore wind. So Sunday morning is your window.
Before that, the only other flicker of hope is the afternoon of Monday, July 14th. We get a bump of 4ft from the WNW and the wind goes glassy again. The period is short at 9 seconds, so it'll be a bit weak, but a glassy session with any wave at The Lane is always worth a look. Don't sleep on that.
To sum it up: this is a mostly quiet run with a couple of glassy windows. The 14th afternoon is a sneaky good session, but the absolute standout is the morning of Sunday, July 19th. Set your alarm for that one.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Sat 11 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | NW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 140 | 273 | 273 | 174 | 407 | 226 | 544 | 332 | 454 | 596 | 681 | 597 | 808 | 766 | 402 | 783 | 435 | 381 | 381 | 249 | 249 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on |
High Tide | 1:32AM1.29m | 3:35PM1.37m | 2:29AM1.14m | 4:07PM1.45m | 3:43AM0.99m | 4:43PM1.56m | 5:25AM0.90m | 5:25PM1.66m | 7:37AM0.92m | 6:13PM1.77m | 9:19AM1.04m | 7:05PM1.87m | 10:22AM1.17m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:07PM0.84m | 8:10AM0.05m | 9:15PM0.73m | 8:44AM0.21m | 10:29PM0.58m | 9:23AM0.40m | 11:39PM0.38m | 10:11AM0.60m | 00:42AM0.16m | 11:15AM0.78m | 1:40AM-0.05m | 12:31PM0.91m | 2:34AM-0.25m | 1:43PM0.98m | |||||||
 |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — |
 | 8:30 | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:29 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 20 |
Feels °C | 13 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 21 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 20 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 16 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 15 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | SSW 15 |
| kJ | 82 | 86 | 84 | 86 | 407 | 226 | 544 | 273 | 454 | 596 | 681 | 597 | 449 | 449 | 402 | 435 | 435 | 256 | 381 | 249 | 249 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | WNW 8 | WNW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 19 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 19 | S 19 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | — | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 20 |
| kJ | 140 | 273 | 273 | 174 | 73 | 96 | 226 | 332 | 191 | 142 | 123 | 66 | 499 | 499 | — | 387 | 348 | 2 | 242 | 242 | 7 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 21 | SSW 21 | WNW 12 | S 8 | S 8 | WNW 10 | SSW 19 | — | SW 13 | — | — | — | — | S 11 | S 21 | — | W 18 |
| kJ | 124 | 69 | 99 | 101 | 260 | 178 | 77 | 5 | 1 | 42 | 123 | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 9 | — | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 9 | — | WNW 9 | — | — | WNW 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 92 | 103 | 286 | 98 | 150 | 226 | 294 | 808 | 766 | 397 | 783 | — | 381 | — | — | 232 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 125 | 0 | 150 | 125 |
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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