
Surf Forecasts:
Steamer Lane-The Slot surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, NW swell with 585 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period with NW 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.5m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 16s 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 2.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) 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 15th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Steamer Lane-The Slot over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s chew the fat on what’s coming up for the next couple of weeks at Steamer Lane – The Slot. It’s a slow burner, but there’s a bit of a spark later on.
Right now, the water is a warm 61°F, which is about 5°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a real bonus, especially for a July morning. The swell energy is moderate (321), but the waves are only 4ft from the WNW with a short 8-second period, and the wind is a light cross-onshore, so it’s clean enough but nothing to write home about.
Over the next week or so, it’s pretty flat. From Wednesday, July 15, through to about Thursday, July 24, the surf is mostly marginal. Swell heights hover around 2ft to 6ft, but the quality is poor, with most days carrying a short period (8–10 seconds) and cross-onshore or cross winds. The best of that week is a brief moment on Tuesday, July 21 afternoon – the wind drops to glassy, the swell is 3ft from the SSW with a decent 15-second period, and the energy is moderate (484). It’s small, but for a reef like this, that long period groundswell will wrap in nicely, and with glassy conditions, it’ll be clean and smooth. Crowds are often here, so don’t expect to have it to yourself.
Now, the real standout is shaping up for the weekend of July 25–26. On Saturday, July 25, we’ve got a solid 5ft southerly swell (S) with a 15-second period and strong wave energy (1768). The wind is light and offshore (WSW) in the morning, and the direction is a good match for the optimum W here. This is a proper groundswell – long lines, plenty of push, and with that offshore wind, it’ll be cleaning up beautifully. Sunday, July 26, keeps the energy pumping (1431) with 5ft from the S, 13-second period, but the wind shifts to a light cross-onshore, so Saturday morning is your pick. It’s not too big for advanced surfers, but the 5ft is a bit much for beginners.
For the second week, the swell drops back a bit from Monday, July 27, with 3ft SSW swell, long periods (18 seconds), and light cross-onshore or cross winds. Clean, but nothing special. The energy stays moderate (around 600–800). No big standouts after that weekend.
So, here’s the deal: the first week is a bit of a dud with small, choppy surf. The real action is Saturday, July 25 morning – that’s your best chance for a solid, clean session at The Slot. It’s a bit far out, so keep an eye on it, but it’s the one to mark on the calendar.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | W 16 | SW 17 | WNW 16 | W 16 | SW 16 | SSW 17 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
142 | 267 | 527 | 323 | 374 | 585 | 428 | 217 | 190 | 309 | 263 | 177 | 216 | 386 | 350 | 268 | 314 | 326 | 256 | 334 | 256 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 1:10PM1.40m | 11:37PM1.87m | 1:48PM1.42m | 00:29AM1.70m | 2:25PM1.45m | 1:22AM1.49m | 3:02PM1.49m | 2:20AM1.26m | 3:39PM1.52m | 3:30AM1.06m | 4:16PM1.55m | 5:12AM0.93m | 4:56PM1.57m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:38PM0.79m | 6:32AM-0.41m | 6:37PM0.71m | 7:14AM-0.26m | 7:39PM0.64m | 7:55AM-0.06m | 8:46PM0.56m | 8:35AM0.17m | 9:59PM0.48m | 9:18AM0.41m | 11:12PM0.39m | 10:07AM0.63m | 00:22AM0.28m | ||||||||
6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 8:27 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 27 | 22 | 21 | 26 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 24 | 19 |
Feels °C | 22 | 25 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 23 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SSW 12 | WNW 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 17 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 16 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | SSW 17 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | WNW 6 |
109 | 50 | 287 | 125 | 122 | 331 | 237 | 215 | 107 | 88 | 263 | 61 | 95 | 386 | 350 | 268 | 260 | 273 | 256 | 334 | 52 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | W 13 | SW 16 | WNW 19 | WNW 19 | W 18 | W 17 | SW 14 | W 16 | SW 17 | SSW 18 | W 16 | SW 16 | S 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 15 |
39 | 55 | 125 | 123 | 120 | 169 | 151 | 74 | 190 | 309 | 211 | 177 | 216 | 199 | 278 | 261 | 314 | 326 | 101 | 82 | 256 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 13 | SW 17 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | W 12 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 15 | W 16 | SW 13 | SW 13 | W 15 | W 15 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | W 14 | WNW 9 | S 9 | WNW 13 | SSW 12 |
31 | 44 | 47 | 28 | 27 | 76 | 181 | 84 | 104 | 186 | 44 | 62 | 170 | 163 | 64 | 65 | 104 | 49 | 27 | 34 | 147 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | — | — | WNW 7 | NW 7 | — | WNW 8 | — | — | WNW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 4 | NW 6 |
142 | 267 | 527 | 323 | 374 | 585 | 428 | 217 | — | — | 86 | 122 | — | 111 | — | — | 67 | 123 | 44 | 34 | 106 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 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.










