
Surf Forecasts:
Refugio State Beach surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with 601 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s 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 Saturday (Aug 08) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 12s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s 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 1.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Refugio State Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks.
Alright, it's a quiet stretch ahead. The whole 16-day window is pretty tame, with nothing that gets the heart racing. The swell is small and the winds are mostly light, but the direction is rarely perfect. We're looking at a long run of marginal conditions, with a few sessions that might just be worth a paddle if you're desperate for a splash.
The pick of the bunch, if you can call it that, is Refugio State Beach. It’s a beach and point setup that's fairly consistent but it's often crowded, so don't expect to have it to yourself. The water temp is about average for this time of year.
Let's walk through it. Saturday the 8th kicks off with a tiny 2ft SSW swell, but with a super long 17-second period. That's a groundswell, which brings some energy (347 combined energy), but for a beach break that long period can make it break a bit straight. Morning is okay with a light offshore, but the surf is marginal. The afternoon turns cross-onshore and it's a write-off.
Sunday the 9th and Monday the 10th are more of the same: 2ft to 2ft SSW swell, period dropping from 15 to 13 seconds, and light onshore or cross-onshore winds. The wave energy is weak (230 to 283 combined energy). It's just not doing much.
Tuesday the 11th is a bust with poor surf. Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th don't get any better, with small 2ft to 2ft SSW swell and light cross-onshore winds. The energy is still weak.
Friday the 14th has a slight uptick in energy (487 combined energy) on a 2ft SSW swell with a 19-second period, but the wind is light cross-onshore, keeping it messy. Saturday the 15th shows a similar story with 3ft to 3ft SSW swell, but the afternoon gets a gentle breeze creating chop.
Now, Sunday the 16th of August is one of the few standouts. The swell is 3ft from the SSW, but the wind swings to a moderate offshore from the NW in the afternoon. That's "clean" conditions, which is a major positive. The period is 15 seconds, so it's a proper groundswell. The energy is moderate (391 combined energy). This is your best bet for a clean-ish wave, but it's still small.
Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th are back to marginal, with Tuesday afternoon seeing a weird spike to 5ft but from the WNW with a pathetic 6-second period. That's straight-up windswell with very low energy for its size, and it's not going to be fun.
The rest of the run through to the 23rd of August is just a repeat of the same: small swell, light winds, and marginal conditions. A few afternoons have a light cross-shore or cross-offshore breeze, which is better than onshore, but the swell is just too small to get excited about.
So, to wrap it up: the morning of Saturday the 8th is a maybe, but honestly, the only real time to consider is the afternoon of Sunday the 16th of August at Refugio State Beach, where you'll get clean but small 3ft SSW groundswell. Don't expect a classic, but it's the best of a quiet bunch.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Sat afternoon, min 20°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 17°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 20 | SSW 13 | S 13 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
270 | 267 | 226 | 288 | 193 | 188 | 215 | 161 | 101 | 137 | 85 | 154 | 207 | 133 | 208 | 206 | 201 | 245 | 232 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 8:23AM1.34m | 6:25PM2.20m | 9:04AM1.44m | 7:25PM2.31m | 9:40AM1.53m | 8:20PM2.39m | 10:14AM1.62m | 9:11PM2.40m | 10:48AM1.70m | 9:59PM2.34m | 11:22AM1.78m | 10:46PM2.20m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:20AM0.30m | 11:40AM1.21m | 2:12AM0.13m | 12:59PM1.16m | 2:58AM0.01m | 2:02PM1.07m | 3:41AM-0.05m | 2:58PM0.97m | 4:20AM-0.04m | 3:51PM0.87m | 4:57AM0.05m | 4:43PM0.80m | |||||||
— | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 27 | 30 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 26 | 28 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 18 |
Feels °C | 23 | 27 | 30 | 25 | 29 | 30 | 24 | 29 | 28 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 10 | SSW 13 | WNW 9 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
270 | 267 | 226 | 288 | 193 | 188 | 215 | 161 | 85 | 137 | 42 | 154 | 207 | 46 | 71 | 206 | 201 | 245 | 232 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | WNW 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SSW 13 | WNW 9 | S 13 | WNW 8 | SSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 |
65 | 56 | 56 | 83 | 19 | 76 | 73 | 63 | 101 | 55 | 85 | 41 | 47 | 133 | 208 | 67 | 40 | 55 | 43 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | W 13 | S 9 | WNW 8 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 14 | S 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SW 20 |
7 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 18 | 41 | 23 | 61 | 97 | 96 | 74 | 75 | 28 | 44 | 61 | 37 | 56 | 50 | 98 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
20 | 10 | 17 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 33 | 22 | 0 | 34 | 22 | 8 | 170 | 22 | 0 | 19 | 33 | 0 | 330 | 22 | 0 | 118 | 174 | 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.











