
Surf Forecasts:
Refugio State Beach surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 14s period, SSW swell with 800 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 17s period with WNW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Refugio State Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Refugio State Beach 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 0.5m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 15s. Another secondary swell of 1.0m and 8s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Refugio State Beach in the next 16 days are 1.4m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) 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 1.4m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Refugio State Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Refugio State Beach. We’re looking at a stretch of small, clean conditions, but honestly, it never really fires up big. The outlook is mostly marginal, so don’t expect any hero sessions.
The first bit of the week is a bit of a tease. Friday morning, July 17th, we’ve got tiny 2ft groundswell from the WNW with a very long 18-second period. The energy is moderate (489) and the water is feeling like a bath at 66°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. Winds are light cross-onshore, so it’s not clean, but it’s not terrible either. The afternoon sees the swell bump up to 4ft, but the period drops to 8 seconds, so it’s a weak, short-period windswell. Not really worth rushing out for.
The weekend stays pretty flat and messy. Saturday and Sunday both have onshore light breezes with swell around 2ft to 3ft. The energy is moderate (around 500-650), but the wave quality is listed as unknown or marginal. This is a beginner-friendly beach and point setup, so if you’re just learning, it might be okay, but advanced surfers will be bored.
Monday, July 20th, sees a slight bump to 4ft from the S, with a 13-second period. Still a light onshore wind, but the energy is climbing (739). However, the wave comment is still “marginal” – it’s just not coming together. The trend continues through Tuesday and Wednesday with similar small swell and light winds, but the energy is moderate to high (up to 886). The problem is the wind is never properly offshore, and the wave state is unknown or choppy.
Now, there’s a glimmer on Thursday, July 23rd. The afternoon brings a tiny 1ft groundswell from the SW, but the period jumps to a massive 26 seconds. The energy is moderate (485). Here’s the kicker: the wind turns light cross-offshore from the NW. That’s a clean wind for Refugio. This is the best looking window in the whole forecast. The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” It’s small, but for a point break, that long-period groundswell will wrap in and produce clean, lined-up waves. Beginners will be fine with the size, but that long period means the sets will be spread out, so bring some patience.
The last week of July and into August shows a bit more energy. We see several days with combined energy values over 1000 (strong energy), like July 24th morning (1206), July 25th morning (1234), and July 26th morning (1361). The swell holds around 3ft to 4ft, mainly from the SSW or S, with periods between 14 and 19 seconds. The wind is still light, but it’s mostly cross-on or onshore, so it’s never glassy. The wave comment stays “marginal” or “unknown.” The best call here is probably the morning of July 27th (Monday) or July 31st (Friday) – both have 5ft swell from the S with 15-second periods and light onshore winds. The energy is strong (1220-1382), but the wind direction is the weak link.
The real standout is that Thursday afternoon, July 23rd, with the 26-second period and clean cross-offshore wind. It’s the only session that feels like a proper surf window. The rest of the run is small, onshore, and marginal. It’s a bit of a bummer for a spot that can be fun, but forecasts can change. For now, keep your eyes on that Thursday.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Mon morning, min 18°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Tue afternoon, min 18°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
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 8 | WNW 17 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | S 14 | S 12 | S 12 | S 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 26 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
170 | 232 | 249 | 203 | 198 | 358 | 354 | 243 | 496 | 376 | 339 | 347 | 344 | 362 | 325 | 321 | 316 | 210 | 204 | 171 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:39AM1.93m | 2:12PM1.80m | 1:36AM1.67m | 2:55PM1.83m | 2:46AM1.43m | 3:41PM1.86m | 4:23AM1.26m | 4:28PM1.87m | 6:27AM1.22m | 5:18PM1.89m | 8:08AM1.27m | 6:07PM1.92m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:50PM0.97m | 7:29AM0.35m | 8:00PM0.95m | 8:06AM0.57m | 9:20PM0.91m | 8:42AM0.78m | 10:47PM0.83m | 9:21AM0.96m | 00:08AM0.71m | 10:09AM1.11m | 1:12AM0.58m | 11:13AM1.20m | 2:00AM0.47m | |||||||
— | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:08 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 22 | 25 | 27 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 25 | 30 | 32 | 23 |
Feels °C | 24 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 24 | 29 | 31 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 17 | WNW 17 | WNW 7 | WNW 16 | WNW 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 12 |
170 | 232 | 61 | 201 | 198 | 161 | 235 | 220 | 496 | 376 | 339 | 347 | 290 | 362 | 325 | 321 | 316 | 210 | 204 | 151 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 11 | SW 17 | SW 17 | S 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | S 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | SW 7 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSW 13 |
74 | 78 | 249 | 203 | 63 | 358 | 354 | 243 | 129 | 157 | 229 | 127 | 344 | 113 | 67 | 43 | 152 | 170 | 173 | 114 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | SSE 12 | SW 16 | WNW 7 | WNW 15 | SW 17 | WNW 9 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | SSW 17 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | SSE 14 | S 16 | SW 7 | SW 18 | SW 26 | SW 26 |
50 | 80 | 203 | 46 | 88 | 34 | 135 | 177 | 30 | 81 | 80 | 168 | 34 | 34 | 37 | 126 | 36 | 50 | 171 | 171 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | WNW 7 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 4 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 4 | NW 3 | W 4 | NW 3 | W 3 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | W 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 |
149 | 98 | — | 49 | 30 | — | 23 | 16 | — | 28 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 19 | 25 | 82 | 106 | 126 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 22 | 0 | 33 | 22 | 0 | 21 | 22 | 0 | 34 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 100 | 0 | 97 | 330 | 2 | 3 | 56 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Refugio State Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Refugio State Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Refugio State Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Refugio State Beach 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 (Refugio State Beach) 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 Refugio State Beach 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.
Refugio State Beach is 21 km (13 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.










