Refugio State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at what's coming up for Refugio State Beach.

First up, the water is sitting at 67°F right now, which is a solid 4°F warmer than usual for this time of year. That's noticeably warm, so you might not even need a full suit.

Honestly, the next week and a half is pretty grim. There's a big gap of poor to marginal conditions with very little to get excited about. From Friday the 21st through the end of the month, we've got tiny waves and mostly cross or cross-onshore winds. The swell is tiny, mostly around 2ft, and the energy is weak (239) at best. It's not worth paddling out for.

The first real glimmer of hope shows up on the morning of Sunday, August 23rd. The swell bumps up to 4ft from the WNW, but it's only got a short 8-second period, so it'll be a bit choppy and weak. The wind is light and offshore, which is a major plus for clean faces, but the overall energy is still only moderate (494). Conditions are marginal.

There's a small window on Tuesday afternoon, August 25th, where the wind shifts to a clean cross-offshore breeze from the NW. The swell is only 2ft from the S, but the energy is a bit better (429). It's still a marginal day, but the clean conditions will make it look better than it is.

The best call of the whole outlook is Wednesday morning, August 26th. The swell is 4ft from the S with a moderate period of 13 seconds, and the energy is solid (707). The wind is light and cross-shore, so the waves will be pretty clean. This is the standout for the period. The afternoon stays clean but with a stronger cross-offshore breeze.

After that, we get a few more days of similar, borderline stuff. Nothing huge, but the wind stays favorable at times. The swell tops out late in the month, with Sunday afternoon, August 30th, seeing 7ft from the WNW. That's a bigger swell, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it'll be a bit of a bumpy, closed-out mess. That's expert-only territory, and honestly, the north-west angle might not be the best for the point. The energy is high (788), but the quality is poor.

The first week of September is a repeat of the same story: small, weak swell and poor conditions. There's nothing else to recommend.

So, if you're itching for a paddle, the best bet is the morning of Wednesday, August 26th. It's not a world-class day, but it's the cleanest and most consistent option we've got on the books. The rest of the run is a write-off for anything decent.

Rusty.

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