
Surf Forecasts:
Refugio State Beach surf forecast from 3 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 8 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 18s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 8s period, WNW swell with 769 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 2 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 15s 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 Thursday (Jul 02) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 18s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 9s 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 2.4m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 07) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Thu 2nd Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 8th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 9th Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Refugio State Beach over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's coming down the pike for our local stretch over the next couple of weeks. We're talking Refugio State Beach, a beach and point setup that's fairly consistent.
Right off the bat, the water is sitting at 61°F, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.
The first few days are a bit of a write-off, to be honest. Thursday the 2nd through Sunday the 6th are looking pretty poor. The swell is tiny, mostly around 1ft to 3ft from the SSW, and the wind is just a mess of cross-onshore and onshore breezes, leaving it choppy and messy. For a spot like this, that's just not worth paddling out for. The wave energy is weak, coming in under 500, so there's just no grunt in the water. The best you can hope for in that stretch is a marginal session on Friday morning or Saturday morning, but honestly, don't get your hopes up.
We start seeing a little more promise around Monday the 6th and Tuesday the 7th. The swell bumps up a touch to 2ft - 3ft, but the cross-onshore wind is still a problem. The wave energy is building, hitting the 500 to 700 range, but the quality just isn't there. It's still marginal at best.
Now, hold on to your board. Things start to get interesting on Wednesday the 8th. That morning we see a 3ft SSW swell with a light cross-onshore breeze, and the energy is jumping to 1191. But the real standout comes that afternoon. We've got a clean, cross-offshore wind blowing from the NW at 12 mph, pushing a 3ft SSW swell. That's a solid trade-off: the wind is working with us, and the energy is still high at 840. It's gonna be clean, which is a major positive. That Wednesday afternoon is looking like the best bet of the first week.
Thursday the 9th is another day to circle on the calendar. The morning is still cross-onshore, but then the afternoon hits. We get a 8ft swell from the WNW, but here's the thing: the period is short at 8 seconds. That means it's a wind swell, but the energy is at 962. The wind goes cross-offshore from the NW at 9 mph, creating clean conditions. That kind of size with offshore wind at Refugio is a special thing, but that 8ft is getting up there, so it'll be for the more experienced crew. It's a clean, punchy wave, but keep your wits about you.
After that peak, the surf settles back down for the second week. Friday the 10th brings a 5ft WNW swell, but the wind is cross-onshore again, so the quality dips. Through the weekend and into the middle of the next week, we're back to small, marginal conditions with SSW swells around 2ft to 3ft and onshore winds. It's a bit of a flat spell, honestly. The energy drops back into the 200s and 400s. There are a few windows with 3ft to 4ft WNW swells around the 14th and 15th, but the wind is never quite right, so it's all marginal at best.
If I had to pick the one true standout, it's Thursday the 9th afternoon. That's the biggest, cleanest swell of the entire run. For a more consistent but smaller wave, Wednesday the 8th afternoon is your safest bet with that clean, offshore wind. The rest is a waiting game.
Stay safe out there.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sat afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thu 2 | Friday 3 | Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 20 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | WNW 9 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
243 | 142 | 288 | 223 | 138 | 186 | 148 | 140 | 273 | 207 | 195 | 261 | 259 | 336 | 559 | 491 | 399 | 559 | 412 | 659 | 412 | |
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-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on |
High Tide | 11:29PM2.00m | 1:51PM1.51m | 00:05AM1.88m | 2:24PM1.56m | 00:45AM1.72m | 2:56PM1.63m | 1:38AM1.54m | 3:30PM1.73m | 2:54AM1.37m | 4:09PM1.84m | 4:41AM1.25m | 4:53PM1.96m | 6:34AM1.23m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:24PM1.20m | 6:56AM0.33m | 6:13PM1.21m | 7:26AM0.42m | 7:13PM1.20m | 7:55AM0.53m | 8:27PM1.15m | 8:25AM0.65m | 9:52PM1.04m | 8:59AM0.78m | 11:17PM0.85m | 9:42AM0.92m | 00:28AM0.62m | 10:39AM1.03m | |||||||
— | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | |
8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | 8:15 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 20 | 24 | 26 | 21 | 25 | 28 | 20 | 26 | 29 | 21 | 27 | 30 | 21 | 29 |
Feels °C | 19 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 17 | 24 | 27 | 18 | 26 | 28 | 18 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
243 | 142 | 288 | 223 | 138 | 186 | 140 | 138 | 273 | 207 | 195 | 261 | 171 | 322 | 559 | 491 | 399 | 559 | 412 | 417 | 412 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | S 11 | WNW 8 | S 11 | S 10 | WNW 8 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 21 | SSW 20 | SSW 20 | WNW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 19 | S 19 | S 11 |
106 | 21 | 72 | 20 | 18 | 37 | 148 | 140 | 68 | 99 | 107 | 180 | 259 | 336 | 55 | 142 | 140 | 343 | 37 | 7 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | SSW 18 | S 11 | SSW 21 | SSW 21 | SSW 19 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 22 | NW 13 | SSW 12 | SE 10 | S 10 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 19 | S 9 | SSW 16 | S 11 |
21 | 31 | 21 | 44 | 44 | 148 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 181 | 44 | 48 | 4 | 2 | 24 | 2 | 66 | 2 | 175 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 4 | WNW 8 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | NW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 |
100 | 90 | 132 | 65 | 75 | 69 | 62 | 13 | 54 | 33 | 44 | 30 | 109 | 138 | 113 | 226 | 237 | 223 | 389 | 659 | 379 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 22 | 0 | 33 | 22 | 0 | 478 | 22 | 0 | 170 | 22 | 0 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 21 | 0 | 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.











