Surf Forecasts:
Steamer Lane-The Slot surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 18s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 16s period, S swell with 923 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 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 Wednesday (Sep 02) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 13s. 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 1.4m 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 14s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Steamer Lane-The Slot over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, looking at the next 16 days for our local stretch. It’s a slow start, no doubt. The first real chance of a wave worth paddling for isn’t until Tuesday, September 8th, so you’ve got a solid week of flat or messy stuff to get through.
The real standout is that Tuesday the 8th morning. Steamer Lane-The Slot is waking up glassy—dead calm, zero wind. There’s a 4ft swell coming from the WNW with a short period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (354). It’s not huge, but with that glassy surface, the Lane will be clean and offering up some fun, reeling rights. Water temp is 59°, which is about average for this time of year. Keep in mind, this is an advanced reef break and it’s “often” crowded, so you’ll have company.
Wednesday morning the 9th gives you another shot, but it’s tiny. A 1ft swell from the SSW with a very long period of 19 seconds, also glassy. The energy is moderate (313). If you’ve got a longboard, you might find some long, drawn-out lines, but it’s small.
After that, it’s mostly a grind. There’s a bump in size on the 16th of September with a 5ft to 6ft WNW swell, but the period is short (8-9 seconds) and the wind is onshore. The energy is moderate to strong (687 on the afternoon), but the quality looks marginal. That’s a choppy, lumpy day for the experienced crew only, as it’s pushing into the “too big for beginners” territory.
Don’t waste your energy for the first week. The real highlight is that Tuesday the 8th morning window. After that, it’s about picking scraps. The Lane is a consistent spot, so it never stays flat for long, but this forecast is a test of patience. Stay keen.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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 | SSW 13 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 13 | SSW 17 | SSW 19 | SSW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 16 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | WNW 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 154 | 154 | 123 | 137 | 131 | 246 | 322 | 259 | 497 | 582 | 486 | 597 | 469 | 539 | 512 | 334 | 507 | 604 | 923 | 522 | 134 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | off | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | off | on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:39PM1.66m | 2:48AM1.11m | 2:19PM1.70m | 4:27AM1.04m | 3:09PM1.73m | 6:57AM1.08m | 4:13PM1.73m | 8:23AM1.19m | 5:26PM1.74m | 9:03AM1.28m | 6:42PM1.76m | 9:36AM1.35m | 7:51PM1.77m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:09PM0.20m | 7:19AM0.73m | 9:15PM0.16m | 7:56AM0.91m | 10:34PM0.12m | 9:05AM1.05m | 11:55PM0.04m | 11:23AM1.11m | 1:07AM-0.05m | 12:56PM1.02m | 2:06AM-0.14m | 2:02PM0.87m | 2:56AM-0.20m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:28 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 19 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 12 | SSW 19 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 16 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | WNW 7 |
| kJ | 154 | 154 | 96 | 93 | 131 | 146 | 322 | 141 | 223 | 280 | 242 | 597 | 469 | 539 | 512 | 334 | 507 | 604 | 923 | 522 | 134 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | SSE 11 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | WNW 9 | SSW 17 | S 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | WNW 10 | NW 10 | SSW 11 | WNW 9 | S 15 | SSW 14 | WNW 6 | NW 9 | SSW 14 | SSE 13 |
| kJ | 19 | 41 | 123 | 137 | 50 | 246 | 127 | 259 | 497 | 582 | 486 | 157 | 94 | 64 | 54 | 227 | 239 | 41 | 12 | 108 | 229 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | SW 18 | SSE 11 | NW 10 | SSW 16 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | S 11 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSE 14 | S 16 | WNW 9 | SW 11 | SSW 14 | SW 10 | SSW 19 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 46 | 81 | 40 | 24 | 103 | 64 | 65 | 121 | 150 | 85 | 116 | 121 | 111 | 69 | 84 | 54 | 29 | 239 | 15 | 35 | 105 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 4 | — | — | WNW 9 | — | — | WNW 4 | NW 6 | WNW 5 | NW 5 | — |
| kJ | — | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | 133 | — | — | 28 | 56 | 18 | 73 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 44 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 345 | 0 | 125 | 144 | 0 | 121 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 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.
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