
Surf Forecasts:
Hobe Sound/The Refuge surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 8s period, ENE swell with 35 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Hobe Sound/The Refuge this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Hobe Sound/The Refuge in the next 16 days are 0.5m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Hobe Sound/The Refuge over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, I’m Rusty, and I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. The next 16 days at Hobe Sound/The Refuge (beach and reef) are looking flat as a pancake. There’s a big dry spell from now until the start of August with nothing worth paddling for. The swell is tiny, the period is short, and the energy is weak. It’s a tough one.
Right now, on Wednesday the 22nd, we’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the SE, but with a cross-on wind and a period of just 4 seconds, it’s choppy and messy – not a fun time. The water’s at 85°, which is about average for this time of year.
Moving through the end of July, the swell stays pathetic. Thursday morning the 23rd has a 2ft E swell, but it’s onshore, and the combined energy is a measly 11 – that’s weak. The wind flips around, but it’s always cross-on or onshore, keeping the surface lumpy. Friday and Saturday are more of the same – tiny 1ft to 1ft stuff from the ENE, periods around 8 seconds, but the wind is never clean. The energy hovers in the teens to low 30s – not enough to get excited about.
Here’s a small glimmer: Sunday morning the 26th, the wind goes cross-offshore from the WSW at 6 mph, and the surf stays clean, but we’re still looking at a 1ft ENE swell. It’s surfable for a log, but nothing to write home about. The energy is just 24. Monday the 27th morning has offshore wind from the W at 9 mph, making for clean conditions, but again, the swell is only 1ft with a period of 8 seconds. It’s a glassy surface, but the wave is barely there.
The rest of the week into August is a desert. The swell drops to 0.7ft or 0.3ft, with periods of 8 to 9 seconds. The energy crashes into single digits – 3, 4, 8, 10 – it’s a ghost town. Even when the wind is offshore or light, like on the 30th, 31st, and 1st of August, there’s just no height to work with. You’d be paddling for nothing.
Finally, on Sunday the 2nd of August afternoon, we get a tiny bump: a 2ft SE swell with a 4-second period, but it’s short period windswell. The wind is offshore from the WSW at 9 mph, so it’s clean, but the energy is only 22, and the period is terrible. It’s still marginal. Monday the 3rd has similar 2ft SE swell, again with offshore or light wind, but the energy is just 18. The best we can say is the conditions are clean, but the waves are small and weak.
The last few days, from the 4th to the 6th of August, show a slight uptick to 3ft on the 6th, but it’s from the ESE with a 4-second period and cross-on wind – not great. The energy is still only 27.
Honestly, there’s no standout session here. The best on offer is probably Sunday the 2nd or Monday the 3rd of August, with a clean 2ft windswell. It’s tiny, but if you’re on a longboard, you might get a few soft, mushy rides. The water’s warm, the wind is light, but don’t expect any power. For the rest, it’s a waiting game. This is a classic summer flat spell for Hobe Sound – it happens, and forecasts can change, but right now, it’s pretty grim.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Warm (max 30°C on Wed afternoon, min 28°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 32mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 32°C on Sun afternoon, min 26°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 4 | E 4 | E 4 | E 4 | E 4 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
14 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 35 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:07PM0.83m | 3:08AM0.80m | 4:04PM0.81m | 4:04AM0.78m | 5:01PM0.81m | 5:00AM0.78m | 5:54PM0.83m | 5:53AM0.80m | 6:42PM0.86m | 6:41AM0.83m | 7:26PM0.90m | 7:26AM0.85m | 8:06PM0.94m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:29PM0.21m | 9:53AM0.07m | 10:23PM0.23m | 10:45AM0.08m | 11:15PM0.23m | 11:35AM0.07m | 00:03AM0.22m | 12:21PM0.05m | 00:49AM0.20m | 1:04PM0.03m | 1:32AM0.18m | 1:44PM0.01m | 2:11AM0.15m | |||||||
— | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
8:14 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 3 | — | 5 | 10 | — | 1 | 6 | — | 2 | 7 | 1 | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 29 |
Feels °C | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 28 | 32 | 35 | 34 | 32 | 35 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | SSE 4 | SSE 5 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 4 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | S 4 |
1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 35 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 9 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 4 | SSE 4 | E 7 | SE 4 | SSE 3 | N 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 8 | E 8 | — | — | SE 8 | E 8 | — | — | — | E 7 | E 7 | — | E 7 | — | — | N 6 | S 3 | E 8 | NNE 6 |
2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | E 4 | E 4 | E 4 | E 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SSE 4 | S 4 | S 3 | SSE 3 | SSW 4 | — | SSE 3 | — | — | SSE 3 | — |
14 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | 3 | — | — | 3 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1079 | 238 | 238 | 380 | 308 | 380 | 800 | 184 | 87 | 402 | 92 | 92 | 321 | 92 | 402 | 321 | 875 | 402 | 301 | 817 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Florida | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Hobe Sound/The Refuge Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Hobe Sound/The Refuge provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Hobe Sound/The Refuge can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Hobe Sound/The Refuge 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 (Hobe Sound/The Refuge) 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 Hobe Sound/The Refuge 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.
Hobe Sound/The Refuge is 14 km (9 miles) from Palm City. If you plan a vacation in South Florida, look for hotels and other accommodation in Palm City. Palm City has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










