Surf Forecasts:
Steamer Lane-The Slot surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, NW swell with 475 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 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 Monday (Aug 17) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m 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 1.9m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 11PM. 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+) | 8AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Steamer Lane-The Slot over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for Steamer Lane-The Slot. This is a reef setup that’s very consistent and advanced, so it’s a spot that can really deliver when the conditions line up. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.
The best action is on Monday morning, August 17th. We’ve got a clean 3ft SSW groundswell with a very long 15-second period, and the combined energy is moderate at 402. The wind is glassy, making for perfect, clean conditions. This is your standout window—the Slot will be rifling with that long-period groundswell wrapping in nicely.
Tuesday morning, August 18th, is also worth a mention. It’s smaller at 3ft but still a long 15-second period from the SSW, with glassy winds again. Combined energy is moderate at 337. It’s a solid second option but not quite as punchy as Monday morning.
After that, things get messy. From Monday afternoon right through to the end of the month, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, with a lot of short-period, weak windswell. The swells are under 5ft and often under 8 seconds, so it’s not going to be clean. The Slot is a reef, so it needs good wind to really shine. There’s a gap of several days here where the surf is just marginal to poor.
We do see a bit of a pulse in the last days of August and into September. Sunday morning, August 30th, shows a 4ft SSW groundswell with a 16-second period and moderate energy (899), but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s not clean. Monday morning, August 31st, has the biggest combined energy of the whole run at 1242 (strong) with a 4ft SSW groundswell, but again, onshore wind spoils it. That one is for experts only if they want to battle the wind; the size is manageable but the conditions won’t be fun.
For the long range, September 1st looks similar—marginal at best.
So, the takeaway: get out Monday morning, August 17th. That’s the standout. The rest of the 16-day window is mostly a write-off for clean, quality waves here. The Slot is a consistent spot, so it’s not unusual to have a quiet run, but this one’s a bit of a bummer after that first day.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 334 | 334 | 334 | 236 | 256 | 366 | 163 | 305 | 322 | 256 | 156 | 183 | 183 | 105 | 324 | 381 | 248 | 165 | 128 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 2:12AM1.19m | 2:31PM1.55m | 3:25AM1.04m | 3:05PM1.55m | 5:30AM0.98m | 3:45PM1.54m | 8:24AM1.07m | 4:35PM1.53m | 9:22AM1.18m | 5:34PM1.53m | 9:57AM1.25m | 6:37PM1.55m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:08PM0.37m | 7:49AM0.46m | 9:09PM0.35m | 8:26AM0.69m | 10:17PM0.34m | 9:12AM0.89m | 11:30PM0.31m | 10:39AM1.04m | 00:41AM0.26m | 12:15PM1.10m | 1:40AM0.19m | 1:24PM1.09m | 2:29AM0.11m | ||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — |
 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 23 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 18 |
Feels °C | 16 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | SSW 15 | WNW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 7 | WNW 11 | SSW 13 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 13 | WNW 8 |
| kJ | 334 | 334 | 334 | 236 | 256 | 366 | 101 | 86 | 322 | 120 | 156 | 183 | 111 | 90 | 99 | 232 | 128 | 65 | 128 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | W 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | W 12 | SSW 15 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 17 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 11 | 59 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 19 | 163 | 305 | 78 | 256 | 107 | 109 | 91 | 105 | 79 | 99 | 68 | 73 | 98 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | S 10 | SSW 10 | WNW 9 | W 13 | S 10 | SSW 17 | WNW 13 | S 22 | WNW 11 | SSW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | S 10 | SSW 18 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 17 | 9 | 9 | 26 | 3 | 2 | 95 | 59 | 9 | 102 | 36 | 15 | 183 | 81 | 2 | 30 | 34 | 20 | 29 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WNW 7 | NW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | — | — | WNW 7 | — | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | — |
| kJ | — | — | 34 | 63 | 51 | 149 | — | — | 111 | — | 114 | 131 | 171 | 86 | 324 | 381 | 248 | 165 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 326 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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.
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