
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 glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, NW swell with 634 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 14 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s period with WNW 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 (Jul 14) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 12s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 18s 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 2.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 10s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 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, looking at the next 16 days for your local patch. Honestly, it’s a weird one. The week ahead is a real struggle – we’ve got swell but it’s mostly messy and short-period, with only a couple of tiny windows where things clean up. The real standout is tucked way out in the second week, so you’ll need patience.
The first decent glimpse comes on Tuesday afternoon, 14 July. Steamer Lane-The Slot (reef) will see a small 3ft swell from the WNW, but the period is a short 8 seconds, so it’s not going to have much push. The wind goes glassy though, which is golden – that’s the main reason to even look. Combined energy is moderate at 309. The water is much warmer than normal for this time of year at 60°, which is a real treat. Crowds are often around here, so expect company.
Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th are a bit disappointing. The swell builds to 5ft–6ft from the WNW, but those 8-second periods mean it’s all windswell and the wind is cross or cross-onshore, so it’ll be bumpy. The energy ramps up (409 to 663), but the quality doesn’t match. Not worth getting excited about.
Friday the 17th morning shows a pulse of 6ft from the NW, still short period (8 secs), but the wind is offshore light. Combined energy is high at 978. It’s marginal though – the setup looks a bit more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the short period and beach-reef nature. Afternoon drops to 2ft with a long 17-second period, but that’s poor surf conditions.
From Saturday 18 July through to Thursday 24 July morning, it’s a long stretch of small, weak, and mostly poor surf. Swells hover around 2ft to 3ft, with periods from 14 to 18 seconds, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, and the energy is moderate (250–673). Surf quality is either marginal or poor. It’s a real gap – about 6 days of barely anything worth paddling out for.
Now, the true standout arrives on Friday afternoon, 24 July. The Slot (Steamer Lane) – it’s a 3ft swell from the S, with a 16-second period, and the wind goes glassy. Combined energy jumps to 934, which is strong. That’s the kind of combination that’ll have the reef working cleanly. Expect very good surf conditions. Crowds are often, but that’s the price for a gem like this.
Saturday 25 July morning has a bigger pulse: 3ft from the SSW with a very long 21-second period, and energy at 1283 (very strong). Wind is offshore light. That’s a groundswell, and at a reef setup like this, it’ll be powerful and clean. The afternoon of the 25th is still good: 4ft from the S, 16 seconds, glassy, energy 654.
Sunday 26 July through Monday 27 July sees more of the same small to modest S/SSW swells (3ft to 4ft), with periods from 12 to 20 seconds, but the wind turns cross-onshore, so the quality drops back to marginal. Energy is still moderate to strong (629–811). After Tuesday 28 July, it’s back to poor surf conditions through to the end of the forecast.
So, if you’re keen, pencil in Friday 24th July afternoon and Saturday 25th July. That’s your best bet. The rest is a grind.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 18 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | W 17 | W 16 | SW 17 | SSW 18 | W 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
102 | 106 | 204 | 142 | 260 | 527 | 331 | 394 | 634 | 439 | 215 | 190 | 309 | 214 | 177 | 284 | 439 | 271 | 258 | 318 | 318 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 12:31PM1.37m | 10:45PM1.98m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:42PM0.86m | 5:48AM-0.51m | 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 | ||||||||
5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 8:28 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 25 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 26 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 19 |
Feels °C | 22 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 23 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | SSW 12 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | WNW 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 17 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
82 | 85 | 117 | 109 | 50 | 287 | 125 | 122 | 400 | 243 | 215 | 113 | 95 | 74 | 39 | 284 | 439 | 271 | 193 | 318 | 318 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | W 14 | SW 18 | SW 12 | W 13 | SW 16 | WNW 19 | WNW 19 | WNW 18 | W 17 | SW 14 | W 16 | SW 17 | SSW 18 | W 16 | WNW 10 | W 15 | WNW 9 | SW 16 | S 12 | S 11 |
102 | 37 | 152 | 38 | 55 | 125 | 123 | 120 | 110 | 151 | 74 | 190 | 309 | 214 | 177 | 61 | 163 | 50 | 258 | 134 | 83 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 14 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | W 13 | SW 17 | SSW 12 | W 12 | W 12 | SW 15 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 15 | W 16 | W 16 | SW 16 | W 15 | S 11 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | NW 8 |
36 | 81 | 58 | 31 | 44 | 47 | 27 | 27 | 76 | 145 | 84 | 104 | 186 | 183 | 66 | 172 | 65 | 106 | 106 | 104 | 34 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 9 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 |
— | 106 | 204 | 142 | 260 | 527 | 331 | 394 | 634 | 439 | 188 | — | — | — | — | — | 71 | — | 27 | 61 | 80 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 104 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 175 | 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.










