Surf Forecasts:
Steamer Lane-The Slot surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period, SSW swell with 620 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 11 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s 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 Tuesday (Aug 11) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m 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 1.1m 16s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Tue 11th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Steamer Lane-The Slot over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming up for the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it's a pretty quiet stretch. The water's sitting at 61°F which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that's a nice little bonus for the session.
The first real chance to get wet comes Tuesday morning, August 11th. Steamer Lane-The Slot is a reef break that's very consistent and fairly exposed, and it's an advanced spot so you'll want your wits about you. We've got a 3ft swell from the WNW with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is moderate at 344. The wind is light and offshore from the SW, which is a major positive – it'll keep things clean. The swell's a bit short period though, so don't expect much push. Scores are low, but it's the best of a pretty average bunch.
The rest of the week is a real struggle. The swell drops off and the wind switches to cross-onshore, messing up the surface. Thursday morning the 13th has a tiny 2ft swell from the SSW with a long 16-second period, but the energy is still weak at 334 and the conditions are just marginal. The long period groundswell could make things a bit fat at the Slot, but it's a reef so it should still wrap in okay.
Friday the 14th through to the 18th of August is all small stuff – nothing over 4ft, and the wind is almost always cross-onshore. The combined energy gets up to 690 on Sunday the 16th morning, but that's still moderate and the waves are just poor. It's a long stretch of marginal surf, to be honest.
The second week doesn't offer much more. By the 23rd of August, Sunday afternoon, we get a bit of a tease – glassy conditions with a 2ft swell from the SSW, but that's just not enough to get excited about. It's surfable, but very ordinary. The long period stuff (18-19 seconds) keeps coming through, but without any size, it's just not doing anything.
Honestly, mate, there's no standout period here. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a bust. The spot's consistent, but the swell just isn't showing up. Forecasts can change, but as it stands, you're better off waiting for the next proper swell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 18 | WNW 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | WNW 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 165 | 154 | 273 | 222 | 177 | 226 | 176 | 212 | 209 | 142 | 254 | 356 | 512 | 376 | 620 | 512 | 461 | 437 | 330 | 330 | 236 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 11:21AM1.38m | 9:49PM1.93m | 11:54AM1.42m | 10:41PM1.85m | 12:27PM1.46m | 11:32PM1.72m | 12:58PM1.49m | 00:22AM1.55m | 1:29PM1.52m | 1:14AM1.37m | 1:59PM1.54m | 2:12AM1.19m | 2:31PM1.55m | 3:25AM1.04m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:47PM0.78m | 4:45AM-0.38m | 4:38PM0.65m | 5:25AM-0.30m | 5:30PM0.54m | 6:03AM-0.17m | 6:21PM0.45m | 6:39AM0.01m | 7:13PM0.39m | 7:14AM0.23m | 8:08PM0.37m | 7:49AM0.46m | 9:09PM0.35m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — |
 | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:57 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 22 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 19 |
Feels °C | 17 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 165 | 154 | 151 | 222 | 177 | 153 | 176 | 185 | 113 | 81 | 62 | 186 | 512 | 376 | 620 | 512 | 461 | 437 | 330 | 330 | 236 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | WNW 7 | SSW 13 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | S 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | SW 11 | SW 10 |
| kJ | 86 | 116 | 273 | 119 | 175 | 226 | 164 | 212 | 209 | 142 | 140 | 356 | 26 | 120 | 83 | 57 | 8 | 46 | 28 | 57 | 35 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | WNW 7 | WNW 10 | S 9 | S 12 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | SW 11 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 |
| kJ | 93 | 124 | 28 | 28 | 98 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 125 | 254 | 40 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 18 | 19 | 9 | 29 | 27 | 26 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 10 | — | — | WNW 10 | — | — | WNW 3 | NW 3 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 78 | — | — | 55 | — | — | 3 | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 79 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 144 | 1 | 41 | 37 | 0 | 104 | 5 | 0 | 104 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Cruz | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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