Surf Forecasts:
Isla Vista surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s period, S swell with 366 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 15s 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 5s 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 1.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 14s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Isla Vista over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight up – the next 16 days are a bit of a grind for Isla Vista. The forecast is mostly about waiting for the ocean to sort itself out. There’s a big gap of nothing much to get excited about right now.
We’ve got a long stretch where the conditions just aren’t coming together. From now through the end of August, the surf is small and the winds are mostly cross-onshore. The wave energy is weak, often sitting under 200 (moderate energy at best). There are a few pulses of swell, like the afternoon of Tuesday the 25th with a 5ft WNW windswell (energy at 260), but that short period of 6 seconds will have it closing out fast and choppy under a cross-onshore breeze. Honestly, it’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one for most of this period.
The water temperature right now is 69°, which is over 5° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual and feels like bathwater.
We finally get a real standout on Monday the 31st of August. The afternoon session at Isla Vista is the one to circle. The swell is a mix, pushing 6ft from the WNW, but the key here is the wind goes glassy with a light SSE air. That’s a huge positive – glassy conditions on a beach and reef setup like Isla Vista can make even a so-so swell look good. The wave energy is solid at 311 (moderate to strong). This is the only time in the whole forecast the conditions are described as “expect good surf conditions”. That’s your window.
After that, we roll into the first week of September with some promising long-range signals. The mornings of Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th show a solid groundswell building, with a 5ft WNW swell and energy readings over 1000 (strong to very strong energy). The period is around 9 seconds, which is decent. The morning winds are light and onshore, so not perfect, but the size is there. This is a promising run, but it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it. It could get real good or the winds could mess it up.
Bottom line: most of this stretch is a write-off for quality waves. The only true standout is the afternoon of Monday the 31st of August with that glassy window and chest-high swell. If you can, that’s your best bet.
Stay tuned, forecasts change. This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Mon afternoon, min 24°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 35°C on Wed morning, min 26°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 13 | SW 17 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | S 15 | WNW 6 | S 14 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 56 | 45 | 71 | 89 | 79 | 112 | 109 | 98 | 135 | 132 | 115 | 111 | 157 | 172 | 361 | 184 | 137 | 81 | 122 | 56 | 246 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 8:55AM1.39m | 6:29PM1.88m | 9:13AM1.44m | 7:17PM1.97m | 9:31AM1.49m | 7:57PM2.04m | 9:50AM1.54m | 8:34PM2.09m | 10:09AM1.59m | 9:10PM2.11m | 10:30AM1.66m | 9:45PM2.07m | 10:51AM1.73m | 10:22PM1.99m | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:14PM1.30m | 2:13AM0.40m | 1:10PM1.24m | 2:46AM0.33m | 1:52PM1.16m | 3:15AM0.27m | 2:29PM1.07m | 3:42AM0.25m | 3:05PM0.98m | 4:07AM0.27m | 3:43PM0.89m | 4:32AM0.32m | 4:22PM0.81m | 4:56AM0.41m | |||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — |
 | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 34 | 29 | 35 | 33 | 30 | 33 | 33 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 29 |
Feels °C | 28 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 32 | 25 | 33 | 32 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 28 | 32 | 33 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | WNW 5 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 12 | S 12 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 |
| kJ | 29 | 41 | 26 | 55 | 57 | 112 | 24 | 98 | 135 | 132 | 91 | 89 | 157 | 400 | 361 | 184 | 137 | 51 | 122 | 56 | 82 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | WNW 10 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SE 11 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | WNW 8 | SW 14 | S 11 | S 10 | W 10 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 56 | 18 | 71 | 89 | 79 | 65 | 109 | 28 | 55 | 55 | 54 | 31 | 89 | 87 | 75 | 45 | 74 | 81 | 51 | 33 | 246 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | SW 17 | SSW 19 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | S 12 | SSE 10 | W 13 | W 12 | SW 15 | W 11 | SW 14 | SW 16 | S 9 | S 18 |
| kJ | 37 | 43 | 37 | 16 | 17 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 28 | 40 | 55 | 28 | 75 | 22 | 66 | 69 | 23 | 152 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 5 | — | W 7 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | — | W 5 | WNW 5 |
| kJ | 23 | 45 | 37 | — | 51 | 32 | — | 31 | 33 | 36 | 115 | 111 | 94 | 172 | 64 | 17 | 75 | 71 | — | 25 | 37 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 150 | 2 | 0 | 311 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 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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