Refugio State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's cookin' at Refugio State Beach over the next couple of weeks. Right off the bat, I gotta say, we've got a bit of a slow start on our hands.

Honestly, the first week and a half is looking pretty flat and messy. From Sunday the 12th right through to around Friday the 18th, we’re stuck with weak, short-period leftover swell. Waves are gonna be small, mostly around 3ft to 3ft at best, but the wind’s almost always coming cross-onshore, putting a bit of a chop on it. It’s not a total washout, but you’re fighting for knee-high slop with light cross-breeze ripples. The combined swell energy is sitting in the low to moderate range (around 300-400), which tells you it's lacking any punch. There’s a little bump of energy on Wednesday the 15th afternoon with a 6ft NW windswell and a clean cross-offshore breeze, but the period is a poor 6 seconds – that's just wind-chop on a beach break, not real surf. Probably more interesting for the kite crew than us paddle surfers.

Then we hit a lull. From the 18th through to the 24th, the swell drops even further, down to 1ft to 3ft. There's a slight rise in period, with some 16 to 17-second groundswell showing, but it's just too small to do anything with. The combined energy numbers bounce around, but it’s all background noise.

Now, things start to look a bit more promising as we get into the second week. There’s a two-day window, Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th, that has my attention, though it's still well out there so keep that in mind.

The standout, by a long shot, is Sunday morning, July 26th. The forecast is calling for a glassy morning with offshore wind from the SW, which is just about perfect for Refugio's setup. The swell will be a clean 3ft from the SSW with a very long 19-second period. This is proper groundswell energy (841 combined energy), and when it lines up with the point, expect some of the best shape you'll see in this forecast. For the more advanced crew, the long period might make it a bit straight at the beach, but the point itself should handle it beautifully. The day before, Saturday the 25th, also has some potential with a rising swell and even stronger energy (over 1000), but it’s a bit more mixed with the onshore flow.

So, to sum it up: don't bother for the first ten days. Save your energy for that promising window starting Saturday the 25th, but keep your eyes peeled for that Sunday the 26th morning – that's the one with the real magic potential. Conditions are clean and the vibe could be special.

Rusty.

Read more