Surf Forecasts:
Steamer Lane-The Slot surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period, WNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period, NW swell with 587 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 14s period with SW 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 (Aug 05) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 7s. 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 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sun 9th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Steamer Lane-The Slot over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what's cookin' at Steamer Lane – The Slot.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you. The first week and a half is a real struggle. We’re looking at a long, frustrating gap of tiny, weak surf. From Wednesday the 5th right through to the middle of the following week, we're stuck with waves barely pushing 2ft to 2ft. The energy is just not there, with combined swell energy readings sitting in the low hundreds (142-445). It’s mostly light onshore wind, making for crumbly, gutless little waves. This is not a time for the Lane; it’s a time to work on the tiki hut or wait for a better forecast. A few sessions on the 7th and 8th have a touch more energy (333-436) and some cleaner periods, but the size just isn't there to make it worthwhile.
Then things start to get a bit more interesting around Sunday the 9th. We see the swell jump to 5ft in the morning and 6ft in the afternoon, swinging from the WNW. The energy spikes hard (673-1087), and the period drops to a short, fat 9 seconds, so it’s gonna be a bit lumpy and disorganised. Still, with light winds, there could be a few rogue waves in the mix, but it’s marginal at best. The following days hover around 3ft to 4ft, with the same short-period, onshore wind pattern, so it’s not a time to get excited.
Now, the standout window is the weekend of the 16th and 17th. This is where we finally get a sniff of something good. On Sunday morning the 16th, we’ve got a clean 3ft swell from the SSW with a decent 16-second period and – get this – glassy conditions. That’s the key word right there. The Lane is going to be clean, smooth, and the sets will have some proper shape. The energy is solid (517). Then Monday morning the 17th is a repeat performance: 3ft from the SSW, 14-second period, and once again, glassy. The wind is so light it’s basically a whisper. This is the time to be out there. For a spot like this, getting glassy conditions is a major, major positive. Just be aware, the Lane can get crowded, so you’ll want to be early.
Looking further out, the second week fades back into a bit of a lull with small, onshore conditions, but those two mornings are the real deal for the forecast period.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | WNW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 72 | 72 | 95 | 84 | 84 | 80 | 139 | 210 | 159 | 318 | 232 | 291 | 378 | 587 | 293 | 325 | 248 | 180 | 221 | 192 | 273 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 3:50PM1.68m | 5:58AM0.94m | 4:42PM1.75m | 8:27AM1.04m | 5:42PM1.81m | 9:30AM1.17m | 6:48PM1.87m | 10:10AM1.27m | 7:53PM1.92m | 10:46AM1.34m | 8:53PM1.95m | 11:21AM1.38m | 9:49PM1.93m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:31AM0.66m | 11:01PM0.25m | 9:18AM0.85m | 00:16AM0.10m | 10:49AM1.00m | 1:23AM-0.06m | 12:33PM1.05m | 2:23AM-0.21m | 1:50PM1.01m | 3:15AM-0.32m | 2:52PM0.91m | 4:02AM-0.38m | 3:47PM0.78m | 4:45AM-0.38m | |||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |  | |
 | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:04 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 20 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 16 |
Feels °C | 17 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | SW 13 | WNW 8 | SW 13 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 |
| kJ | 39 | 43 | 54 | 41 | 84 | 27 | 84 | 210 | 159 | 82 | 74 | 193 | 378 | 319 | 293 | 325 | 248 | 180 | 221 | 192 | 154 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WNW 8 | SW 13 | SSW 19 | SW 13 | WNW 8 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 |
| kJ | 72 | 72 | 95 | 84 | 39 | 45 | 139 | 82 | 24 | 318 | 232 | 291 | 259 | 169 | 167 | 160 | 143 | 101 | 86 | 116 | 273 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | NW 10 | S 12 | SSW 20 | SSW 20 | SW 18 | WNW 8 | W 15 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 31 | 24 | 12 | 37 | 37 | 80 | 14 | 17 | 83 | 36 | 56 | 82 | 36 | 12 | 24 | 24 | 98 | 96 | 93 | 124 | 28 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | 587 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 104 | 37 | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 313 | 338 | 0 | 104 | 345 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 150 | 0 | 79 | 144 | 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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