Surf Forecasts:
Refugio State Beach surf forecast from 8 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 9s period, WNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 9s period, WNW swell with 723 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 8 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 17s period with SSW 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 Wednesday (Jul 08) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 17s. Another secondary swell of 1.4m and 8s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Refugio State Beach in the next 16 days are 2.1m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Wed 8th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Refugio State Beach over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here, giving you the lowdown. It’s a quiet stretch at Refugio State Beach over the next couple of weeks, but there is one little window that’ll get your blood pumping.
We kick off with a little pulse. Wednesday morning the 8th brings a long-period groundswell, 3.3 ft from the SSW with a 16-second period, pushing moderate wave energy (904). The wind is a light cross-shore, so it’s a bit bumpy, but that long period means the sets will have some grunt. The water temp is about average for this time of year.
The real standout, and the only time I’d really be stoked, is Thursday the 9th. In the afternoon, it goes glassy. Completely. That’s a straight-up win. Swell is a clean 5.6 ft from the WNW with a 9-second period, and the energy is solid at (813). It’s a beginner-friendly spot anyway, and with those conditions, it’ll be some of the best fun you’ll have all week. Just know the crowds are often here, so get out early if you want a wave to yourself.
After that, the lights go out. Friday the 10th drops off, and from Saturday the 11th all the way through to the 23rd, it’s a long, sorry run of nothing but tiny or messy surf. There’s a brief bump around the 15th with chest-high waves again, but the wind is onshore and it’s just not clean. You’ll be looking at a lot of knee-to-waist high slop. Honestly, from the 14th onwards, most days are scoring a flat zero for surf quality. The combined energies drop way off, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore or just messy.
For the later part of the run, around the 22nd and 23rd, the swell is tiny and the outlook shows poor conditions. Not worth wetting a wetsuit for. It’s a dry spell, plain and simple.
Best bet: Thursday the 9th afternoon. Glassy, clean, and fun sized. Don't sleep on it.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Mon afternoon, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tue 14 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 9 | SSW 15 | WNW 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | WNW 7 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 399 | 559 | 469 | 588 | 565 | 407 | 612 | 298 | 307 | 264 | 246 | 252 | 220 | 297 | 297 | 237 | 201 | 201 | 161 | 85 | 121 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 4:41AM1.25m | 4:53PM1.96m | 6:34AM1.23m | 5:43PM2.10m | 8:02AM1.29m | 6:36PM2.24m | 9:05AM1.38m | 7:30PM2.37m | 9:55AM1.45m | 8:24PM2.47m | 10:40AM1.52m | 9:16PM2.51m | 11:22AM1.58m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:17PM0.85m | 9:42AM0.92m | 00:28AM0.62m | 10:39AM1.03m | 1:27AM0.38m | 11:45AM1.11m | 2:20AM0.16m | 12:53PM1.13m | 3:10AM-0.01m | 1:55PM1.12m | 3:58AM-0.12m | 2:54PM1.08m | 4:43AM-0.15m | 3:51PM1.03m | |||||||
 | | |  | | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — |
 | 8:15 | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:13 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 29 | 32 | 21 | 30 | 31 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 19 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 22 | 28 | 30 |
Feels °C | 16 | 27 | 30 | 19 | 28 | 30 | 21 | 25 | 26 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 22 | 27 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | WNW 9 | SSW 16 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 9 | SSW 13 | WNW 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 399 | 559 | 412 | 417 | 359 | 322 | 333 | 213 | 180 | 134 | 96 | 76 | 220 | 297 | 297 | 101 | 201 | 90 | 161 | 85 | 121 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | S 19 | SSW 19 | S 19 | SSW 16 | S 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | WNW 15 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 140 | 66 | 37 | 7 | 412 | 2 | 392 | 298 | 246 | 242 | 246 | 252 | 64 | 86 | 90 | 207 | 82 | 201 | 96 | 42 | 111 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 17 | S 10 | S 16 | S 9 | S 11 | S 18 | S 18 | S 19 | S 19 | S 18 | SE 12 | W 17 | SW 21 | W 16 | SW 19 | S 12 | SW 19 | WNW 14 |
| kJ | 12 | 2 | 2 | 93 | 2 | 82 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 29 | 30 | 54 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 21 | 59 | 25 | 57 | 41 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 9 | — | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 9 | — | NW 9 | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | WNW 5 |
| kJ | 340 | 277 | 469 | 588 | 565 | 407 | 612 | — | 307 | 264 | — | — | — | — | — | 237 | — | 186 | 52 | 78 | 99 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 164 | 22 | 0 | 117 | 19 | 0 | 191 | 19 | 0 | 21 | 22 | 0 | 22 | 22 |
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.
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