Surf Forecasts:
Isla Vista surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 13 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, WNW swell with 452 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period with SW 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 1.0m and 5s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Isla Vista in the next 16 days are 1.6m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Isla Vista over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming up for Isla Vista. I’ll be straight with you – this 16-day stretch is a tough one. We’ve got a long gap of nothing much at the start, so don’t be in a rush to grab your board just yet.
The first half of the forecast is a real grind. From Wednesday the 9th right through until around the middle of the month, we’re staring at a whole lot of small, weak, and messy conditions. The waves are tiny, mostly around 1 ft to 2 ft, with combined wave energy that’s moderate at best (199 to 410) but the quality is shot. The wind is nearly always on it or cross-on, and the swell periods are all over the place – we see a mix of short 7-second windswell and some long 17-to-19-second groundswell, but the poor surf conditions dominate. It’s not worth paddling out for any of it during that first week. There’s a gap of about six days with no real recommendations.
Things don’t get much better going into the second week. The surf stays marginal and inconsistent. Through the 16th to the 24th of September, we’re still looking at mostly poor surf conditions with heights struggling to get above 2 ft to 4 ft. The swell direction swings between SW and WNW, and the periods are a mix of short and mid-range, but the energy is low (182 to 336) and the wind is rarely clean. Every session has that light cross-onshore bump or a gentle breeze messing things up. It’s a frustrating stretch for anyone wanting a proper wave.
If I had to pick the least bad window, it would be the morning of Thursday the 10th of September. It’s still only a 2 ft SW swell, but the period is a decent 17 seconds and the wave energy is moderate (410). The wind is a light breeze from the SW, which is technically onshore, but it’s light enough that it *might* hold up. Realistically, it’s still a marginal call and only for the die-hards. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild to report.
Overall, this is a blank run. It’s one of those periods where the surf just doesn’t show up. For Isla Vista, that’s not unheard of. Keep an eye on it – forecasts can change, but right now, I’d leave the board in the car and find something else to do.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 35°C on Wed afternoon, min 20°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sat afternoon, min 19°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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 19 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 94 | 138 | 195 | 295 | 261 | 251 | 196 | 146 | 171 | 117 | 109 | 329 | 206 | 187 | 322 | 193 | 126 | 103 | 120 | 90 | 81 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 9:36AM1.79m | 9:03PM2.19m | 10:04AM1.88m | 9:50PM2.10m | 10:33AM1.95m | 10:35PM1.96m | 11:01AM2.00m | 11:21PM1.79m | 11:30AM2.01m | 00:10AM1.60m | 11:59AM1.98m | 1:05AM1.43m | 12:31PM1.92m | 2:21AM1.29m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:00PM0.78m | 3:45AM0.19m | 3:47PM0.66m | 4:17AM0.32m | 4:32PM0.57m | 4:46AM0.47m | 5:18PM0.52m | 5:14AM0.65m | 6:05PM0.52m | 5:39AM0.83m | 6:55PM0.55m | 6:02AM0.99m | 7:53PM0.61m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — |
 | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:08 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:06 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 34 | 35 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 23 | 25 | 28 | 21 | 25 | 26 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 20 |
Feels °C | 33 | 33 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 21 | 24 | 26 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | WNW 5 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 6 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | WNW 7 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | SW 17 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 |
| kJ | 41 | 138 | 195 | 37 | 261 | 251 | 31 | 146 | 171 | 117 | 102 | 96 | 46 | 45 | 322 | 193 | 107 | 103 | 120 | 90 | 81 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | SW 17 | SW 9 | WNW 12 | SW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 94 | 25 | 13 | 295 | 20 | 14 | 196 | 51 | 42 | 102 | 59 | 29 | 58 | 58 | 44 | 48 | 15 | 75 | 65 | 62 | 39 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 7 | W 18 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WSW 13 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | WSW 11 | SW 19 | SW 13 | S 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 20 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 56 | 31 | 28 | 28 | 11 | 5 | 24 | 12 | 9 | 35 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 56 | 27 | 1 | 15 | 14 | 69 | 13 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 7 | NW 5 | — | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 12 | 24 | 40 | — | 58 | 77 | 42 | 72 | 60 | — | 109 | 329 | 206 | 187 | 18 | — | 126 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 227 | 1 | 142 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 142 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 1 | 1 | 52 | 2 | 0 | 135 | 2 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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