
Surf Forecasts:
Isla Vista surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 17s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 14s period, SSW swell with 478 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 17s period with WNW 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 (Jul 17) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 5s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s 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 1.1m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 2PM. 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 12s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Isla Vista over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's talk about what's on offer at Isla Vista over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the surf is looking pretty marginal for the most part. We’ve got a 16-day window, but the first solid entry isn’t until the afternoon of the 30th of July. Before that, we’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak, and often messy conditions. The water temp is sitting at 66° right now, which is a solid 4° above what we’d normally expect for this time of year, so it’s feeling much warmer than usual – no need for a thick wetsuit.
The first real standout is the afternoon of Thursday, 30th July. The wind is set to go glassy, which is a massive positive. We’ll see a 4ft swell wrapping in from the WNW with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 381. It’s not a massive day, but with the wind dropping off completely, it’s going to be clean and fun. This is the best you’re going to see in the whole outlook.
The other moment that catches my eye is the Saturday morning, 25th July. The swell is only 2ft, but it’s coming from the SSW with a very long period of 21 seconds. That long period groundswell will push the energy up to 877 (strong), and it’s arriving with a light onshore breeze. Those long-period swells can be a bit tricky at a beach and reef setup like Isla Vista – they can break a bit straight – but that kind of energy on a small wave usually means some nice, lined-up walls. It’s a promising call, but as a long-range forecast, it’s less certain.
Honestly, for the first 13 days of the forecast, the waves are tiny, often under 3ft, with onshore winds and weak energy. It’s a lot of “marginal” and “poor” conditions. The swell direction is all over the place, and the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore. The best bet is to wait for that glassy window on the 30th, or keep an eye on that long-period blip on the 25th. For now, the board’s staying in the car.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Mon morning, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 21°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the W by Wed afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 17 | W 17 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 26 | WNW 6 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
97 | 147 | 194 | 159 | 142 | 238 | 238 | 206 | 232 | 210 | 169 | 236 | 249 | 199 | 218 | 183 | 180 | 105 | 105 | 80 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 00:38AM1.94m | 2:10PM1.80m | 1:34AM1.67m | 2:53PM1.83m | 2:44AM1.43m | 3:39PM1.86m | 4:21AM1.26m | 4:27PM1.87m | 6:26AM1.22m | 5:17PM1.89m | 8:06AM1.27m | 6:06PM1.92m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:48PM0.96m | 7:27AM0.35m | 7:58PM0.95m | 8:04AM0.57m | 9:18PM0.91m | 8:40AM0.77m | 10:46PM0.83m | 9:19AM0.96m | 00:07AM0.71m | 10:07AM1.11m | 1:11AM0.58m | 11:12AM1.20m | 1:59AM0.47m | |||||||
— | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
8:10 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 26 |
Feels °C | 24 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 17 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | W 7 | WNW 5 | SW 17 | S 12 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 12 | SSE 13 | S 12 |
97 | 62 | 42 | 24 | 19 | 238 | 141 | 206 | 232 | 210 | 116 | 236 | 140 | 199 | 218 | 183 | 180 | 87 | 99 | 78 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | W 17 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | WNW 16 | S 12 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | S 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 9 | SW 8 | S 15 | SW 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 |
54 | 147 | 194 | 144 | 142 | 67 | 238 | 121 | 113 | 121 | 169 | 69 | 249 | 62 | 16 | 113 | 23 | 105 | 70 | 68 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 17 | WNW 16 | SW 18 | SSE 11 | W 6 | WNW 15 | W 4 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | S 16 | WNW 13 | S 16 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 14 | SW 18 | SW 26 | SW 18 |
50 | 77 | 146 | 159 | 39 | 21 | 91 | 10 | 69 | 69 | 40 | 127 | 34 | 77 | 11 | 10 | 104 | 13 | 105 | 49 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | WNW 7 | — | — | WNW 6 | — | — | WNW 8 | WNW 4 | WNW 3 | W 4 | W 3 | W 4 | W 4 | WNW 4 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 6 |
90 | 55 | — | 28 | — | — | 17 | — | — | 28 | 9 | 4 | 14 | 5 | 13 | 44 | 25 | 55 | 89 | 80 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 53 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 74 | 2 | 1 | 311 | 311 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
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.
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.










