Surf Forecasts:
Isla Vista surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 16s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 19s period, SSW swell with 212 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 18s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Isla Vista this week:
The surf forecast for Isla Vista over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.3m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 13s is also forecast. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 4s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Isla Vista in the next 16 days are 0.5m 19s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 11s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 1ft (0.3m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Isla Vista over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let's be real, I've looked over the next couple of weeks for Isla Vista, and it's a tough one. The overall pattern is pretty flat and uninspiring, with a persistent onshore or cross-onshore breeze messing up what little swell we get. We're looking at a long stretch of small, weak waves. The water is sitting at 70° – that's a solid 7° warmer than usual for this time of year, which is really unusual. It feels like bathwater, but the waves aren't matching the tropical feel.
The first real chance for anything rideable doesn't come until the 15th of August. That Saturday morning, we see a bump in the swell to 2ft from the SSW, with a period of 16 seconds. That's a decent long-period groundswell, and the combined energy is up to 338 (moderate). The wind is light onshore from the SW, so it's not going to be pristine, but it's the best looking set of the whole run. The break is a beach and reef setup, fairly exposed to the W, which is the optimum direction. The NE offshore wind is noted as the ideal, but we won't see that. This is for intermediates, but the small size keeps it manageable.
Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th are similar, with a 2ft SSW swell, but the winds are more cross-onshore, making it a bit choppier. The energy drops off through the week.
Then, on Tuesday the 18th of August, we get a single window of glassy conditions in the afternoon. The swell is small, only 1ft from the SSW, and the energy is 181 (moderate). The comment says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions," but for this stretch, glassy is a gold mine. If you can get out there on a longboard, that's your best bet for a clean, but tiny, wave.
Honestly, the standout here is the 15th of August. It's the biggest swell we see, and the energy is the highest. It's not perfect, but it's the most likely to offer a couple of fun, rideable waves. The rest of the period is a write-off until that one Tuesday afternoon glass-off. It's a pretty bleak run, but it won't stay poor forever.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sun morning, min 20°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 21°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SSW 18 | SW 19 | SSW 19 | S 18 | S 18 | SW 16 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 14 | SSW 14 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 44 | 63 | 94 | 143 | 98 | 97 | 65 | 125 | 125 | 121 | 153 | 105 | 102 | 96 | 87 | 123 | 121 | 109 | 173 | 125 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 4:08PM1.99m | 7:18AM1.23m | 5:17PM2.09m | 8:21AM1.34m | 6:24PM2.20m | 9:02AM1.44m | 7:24PM2.32m | 9:38AM1.53m | 8:19PM2.40m | 10:12AM1.62m | 9:09PM2.41m | 10:46AM1.71m | 9:58PM2.34m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:16AM0.50m | 10:00AM1.18m | 1:19AM0.30m | 11:40AM1.21m | 2:11AM0.13m | 12:58PM1.16m | 2:57AM0.01m | 2:01PM1.07m | 3:39AM-0.05m | 2:57PM0.96m | 4:19AM-0.04m | 3:49PM0.87m | 4:56AM0.04m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | 7:55 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 29 | 29 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 20 |
Feels °C | 27 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 23 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | W 4 | SW 13 | SSW 19 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 10 | W 9 | WNW 8 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | WNW 9 | SSW 16 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 44 | 9 | 43 | 143 | 75 | 75 | 65 | 125 | 125 | 121 | 153 | 105 | 54 | 42 | 23 | 123 | 121 | 28 | 173 | 125 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 18 | SW 12 | SSW 16 | W 4 | WNW 11 | WNW 5 | W 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 17 | WNW 9 | W 9 |
| kJ | 8 | 44 | 94 | 42 | 42 | 97 | 37 | 98 | 3 | 39 | 7 | 29 | 102 | 59 | 56 | 21 | 21 | 109 | 26 | 39 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | S 19 | W 8 | S 18 | WNW 4 | S 16 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | NW 11 | WNW 10 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | S 12 | WNW 10 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 11 |
| kJ | 37 | 63 | 66 | 6 | 98 | 3 | 46 | 37 | 12 | 11 | 29 | 9 | 97 | 96 | 87 | 25 | 10 | 27 | 28 | 21 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 4 | WNW 4 | — | WNW 3 | W 4 | — | W 4 | WNW 4 | — | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | — | — |
| kJ | 6 | 7 | — | 2 | 9 | — | 11 | 18 | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 220 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 52 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 2 | 0 | 150 | 2 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 Isla Vista 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 Isla Vista Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Isla Vista provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Isla Vista can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Isla Vista 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 (Isla Vista) 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 Isla Vista 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.
Isla Vista is 1 km (1 miles) from Isla Vista. If you plan a vacation in Santa Barbara, look for hotels and other accommodation in Isla Vista. Isla Vista has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
Nearest