Surf Forecasts:
Steamer Lane-The Slot surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 9s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period, NW swell with 993 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s 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 Thursday (Jul 30) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 15s. Another secondary swell of 1.4m and 8s 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 2.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 13s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 1st Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Steamer Lane-The Slot over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta level with ya, the next couple of weeks are lookin’ pretty grim. We’ve got a real flat spell on the horizon.
The first note-worthy surf we see kicks off on Thursday, July 30th, but honestly, it’s nothing to get excited about. We’re looking at a weak, long-period swell out of the SSW. The wave heights are small, barely 3 ft, with a period around 16 seconds. This is proper groundswell, which at a spot like Steamer Lane means it could be wrapping in nicely, but there’s just not enough size to make it worth the paddle. The combined energy is moderate (774), but the morning has a light cross-onshore breeze that’ll put a bit of a crinkle on it. Water temps are sitting at a pleasant 60°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year – a nice little bonus if you’re in a wettie.
Thursday afternoon doesn’t get any better; the swell drops a hair and the wind goes cross-shore. By Friday the 31st, we’re dropping even more. Friday afternoon does go glassy for a few hours, which is beautiful for a paddle, but the surf is just too small and weak. Saturday the 1st of August shows a bit more energy, with a 6 ft swell, but it’s short-period windswell at 8 seconds and from the NW. The afternoon session goes glassy, which will help the shape, but that short period is just gonna make for a fat, gutless wave. There’s a window on Saturday afternoon that could be a fun little grovel on a longboard if you’re desperate for a saltwater fix.
The standouts? Mate, there aren’t any. This is a tough run. For the next week and a half, the swell energy just keeps dropping off a cliff. We go from weak, marginal levels down to poor, tiny surf from Tuesday the 4th of August right through to the end of the forecast. Mostly onshore winds and small, weak swell. It’s going to be a long, flat run.
Honestly, for the next 16 days, the best bet is probably Friday afternoon, July 31st, when it goes glassy, or Saturday afternoon, August 1st, when the swell is a bit bigger but still on the weak side. If you have a foamy or a big log, you might get a few 3 ft to 3 ft dribblers. Otherwise, it’s a good time to wax your boards and wait for a proper swell.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°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 Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SSW 15 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 14 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 527 | 402 | 408 | 218 | 276 | 328 | 362 | 381 | 993 | 586 | 625 | 665 | 678 | 437 | 363 | 280 | 222 | 160 | 119 | 96 | 108 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 12:58PM1.27m | 11:17PM1.59m | 1:17PM1.30m | 11:56PM1.50m | 1:39PM1.36m | 00:38AM1.39m | 2:04PM1.43m | 1:28AM1.25m | 2:33PM1.52m | 2:28AM1.11m | 3:08PM1.60m | 3:51AM0.99m | 3:50PM1.68m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:30PM0.83m | 6:07AM-0.12m | 6:06PM0.76m | 6:32AM-0.04m | 6:49PM0.67m | 6:58AM0.09m | 7:38PM0.59m | 7:26AM0.26m | 8:37PM0.49m | 7:57AM0.45m | 9:45PM0.38m | 8:31AM0.66m | 11:01PM0.25m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 24 | 18 | 20 | 24 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 18 |
Feels °C | 19 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | WNW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | S 13 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SW 14 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 |
| kJ | 527 | 402 | 232 | 218 | 276 | 178 | 220 | 89 | 573 | 586 | 46 | 665 | 678 | 437 | 363 | 280 | 222 | 160 | 119 | 96 | 108 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | SSE 15 | SSW 15 | S 13 | SSE 12 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 14 | S 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 2 | 21 | 305 | 86 | 49 | 229 | 89 | 48 | 101 | 102 | 52 | 44 | 44 | 42 | 37 | 61 | 36 | 54 | 53 | 52 | 97 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | SW 15 | SSE 13 | SW 15 | — | W 21 | SSW 14 | S 10 | SW 14 | S 10 | SW 18 | SSW 10 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 13 | S 12 |
| kJ | 2 | 76 | 59 | 104 | — | 9 | 82 | 18 | 53 | 17 | 49 | 22 | 51 | 65 | 41 | 37 | 35 | 12 | 12 | 31 | 12 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | — | WNW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 243 | 274 | 408 | 197 | 250 | 328 | 362 | 381 | 993 | — | 625 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 338 | 0 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 104 | 37 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Cruz | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Steamer Lane-The Slot surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest