
Surf Forecasts:
Refugio State Beach surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 9s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 9s period, WNW swell with 749 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s 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 Sunday (Jul 12) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 9s. 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 2.2m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 12th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Refugio State Beach over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you; the next couple of weeks at Refugio State Beach are looking pretty average. Let's break it down.
We kick off Sunday, July 12th, with tiny 1.0 ft swell from the SSW, but the wind is cross-on from the south at 3 mph. The water is sitting at a comfortable 62°, which is pretty normal for this time of year. The combined energy is weak, only 343, and the wave comment says "marginal." It’s not looking great for a paddle.
Monday and Tuesday, July 13th and 14th, stay small with that same 1.0 ft to 0.9 ft range, though Tuesday morning offers a little bump with a WNW swell at 1.0 ft and a period of 9 seconds. The energy is still weak, around 324.
Wednesday, July 15th, we see a bit more size – 2 ft from the WNW in the morning, with energy climbing to 432. Still, the wind is cross-on from the WSW at 3 mph. The afternoon gets interesting: the swell jumps to 2 ft from the WNW, the wind swings to a cross-off from the NW at 12 mph, and the energy goes up to 509. This is the cleanest it will be all week, but the period is short at 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit of a bumpy, close-out session. This is for experienced surfers only, as it's over 2 ft.
Thursday, July 16th, holds 2 ft from the WNW all day, with energy climbing to 733 by the afternoon. The wind is a cross-shore from the WNW at 9 mph, so it’s not going to be glassy, but it’s the most consistent size we have in the first week.
Then we hit a flat spell. From Friday, July 17th, through to Wednesday, July 22nd, the swell drops off to 0.5 ft to 1.0 ft. The energy is moderate, topping out around 520, but the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, and the wave comments are consistently "poor" or "marginal." It’s a full five days of pretty much nothing to get excited about.
Now, the real standout – and it’s a long way off – is Thursday, July 23rd. A solid S swell at 2 ft rolls in, with a period of 14 seconds. The combined energy shoots up to 1291, which is strong. The wind is light from the SSE at 6 mph, keeping it cross-on but clean. This is groundswell, so the long period means it will have good shape, but it might be a bit too straight for a beach break like Refugio. Still, this is the best chance of the whole outlook.
Friday, July 24th, is similar, with 2 ft from the S, energy around 1256, but the wind gets stronger from the WNW at 16 mph in the afternoon, messing it up.
The last few days, July 25th to 27th, drop back to smaller, weaker swell from the SW, with the energy fading from 891 to 323. The water temp anomaly is normal, but the surf is marginal to poor.
Overall, your best bet is Thursday, July 23rd, if you can wait that long. The rest of the period is a waiting game.
Stay patient,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Tue afternoon, min 18°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 34°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | WNW 9 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 17 | WNW 17 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
293 | 297 | 261 | 253 | 201 | 161 | 132 | 121 | 152 | 226 | 332 | 749 | 495 | 495 | 315 | 184 | 170 | 232 | 249 | 206 | 198 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:55AM1.45m | 8:24PM2.47m | 10:40AM1.52m | 9:16PM2.51m | 11:22AM1.58m | 10:07PM2.48m | 12:05PM1.64m | 10:57PM2.36m | 12:47PM1.69m | 11:47PM2.17m | 1:29PM1.75m | 00:39AM1.93m | 2:12PM1.80m | 1:36AM1.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:55PM1.12m | 3:58AM-0.12m | 2:54PM1.08m | 4:43AM-0.15m | 3:51PM1.03m | 5:28AM-0.12m | 4:47PM1.00m | 6:10AM-0.01m | 5:46PM0.98m | 6:50AM0.15m | 6:50PM0.97m | 7:29AM0.35m | 8:00PM0.95m | ||||||||
5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | |
— | 8:14 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 26 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 24 | 29 | 32 | 27 | 32 | 34 | 26 | 31 | 31 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 18 | 26 | 26 | 24 |
Feels °C | 24 | 26 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 24 | 28 | 29 | 23 | 31 | 32 | 22 | 29 | 30 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 19 | 26 | 25 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | WNW 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 |
293 | 297 | 261 | 253 | 201 | 161 | 65 | 121 | 95 | 64 | 93 | 90 | 89 | 88 | 315 | 184 | 119 | 86 | 222 | 366 | 345 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 9 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | WNW 20 | WNW 19 | SW 19 | WNW 18 | WNW 17 | WNW 17 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | WNW 16 |
46 | 32 | 58 | 41 | 46 | 39 | 85 | 111 | 152 | 107 | 49 | 28 | 75 | 123 | 177 | 180 | 170 | 232 | 249 | 203 | 198 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | W 17 | SW 21 | W 16 | SW 19 | SW 19 | WNW 15 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | W 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | WNW 19 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | WNW 16 | SW 18 | WNW 8 |
4 | 23 | 18 | 21 | 59 | 96 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 35 | 35 | 31 | 28 | 27 | 120 | 74 | 74 | 79 | 203 | 206 | 38 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | WNW 2 | WNW 4 | WNW 9 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | — | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 8 |
— | — | — | — | 1 | 8 | 132 | 61 | 143 | 226 | 332 | 749 | 495 | 495 | — | 7 | 12 | 1 | — | 23 | 13 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 19 | 22 | 0 | 155 | 22 | 0 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 56 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 19 | 19 | 246 | 22 | 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.










