Surf Forecasts:
Refugio State Beach surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 13s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 14s period, S swell with 715 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 12s. 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 1.4m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Refugio State Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've got the outlook for Refugio State Beach. Honestly, it's a bit of a slow start and a long wait for something decent. The water is sitting at 68°, which is much warmer than what we usually get this time of year.
Right now, the surf is pretty weak. We're looking at some small, short-period SSW swell, around 2 ft, with a cross-on breeze. The combined energy is only 299 (weak), and it's just not doing much for us. This flat, marginal stuff hangs around for a few days. The first real standout doesn't appear until Wednesday, the 26th of August. That morning, we see a bit of a bump with a 4 ft S swell, but the wind is cross-shore, so it's still a bit messy. The afternoon of the 26th is where it gets better: a 4 ft S swell, with a clean cross-off breeze from the NW. The combined energy jumps to 794 (moderate), and those conditions should clean things up nicely. It's still not perfect, but it's the best of the early run.
The next decent window shapes up on the 27th of August. Thursday morning has a 3 ft SSW swell with a light onshore breeze, but the energy is building (895). The afternoon gets a bit better with a 5 ft SSW swell, cross-shore wind, and a combined energy of 995 (moderate). Friday the 28th keeps the trend going with a 4 ft SSW swell on the morning glass-off, and the energy at 736. The real standout, though, looks like Saturday the 29th of August. The morning shows a 3 ft SSW swell, but the period is a solid 17 seconds, with a light onshore breeze. The combined energy is 863 (moderate). The afternoon is even better: a 3 ft SSW swell, 16-second period, and a near-calm onshore breeze. The energy hangs at 805. The long period means cleaner, more powerful lines, but it might be a bit too straight for the beach break, so keep an eye on the points.
Things start to get bigger as we head into September, but the quality stays marginal. The 3rd of September brings a 6 ft WNW swell, but the period is a short 9 seconds, so it'll be a bit lumpy. The 4th of September has a similar setup, with a 6 ft WNW swell. With the swell getting over 5 ft, it's getting a bit much for beginners, and the short period means it won't be the cleanest. For the more experienced crew, that 4th of September might offer some punchy, if not perfect, waves.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Sat afternoon, min 20°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 35°C on Tue afternoon, min 22°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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 | SW 18 | WNW 7 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 14 | S 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 183 | 183 | 134 | 101 | 99 | 68 | 95 | 71 | 120 | 128 | 112 | 163 | 165 | 140 | 175 | 167 | 132 | 298 | 401 | 684 | 572 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:22PM1.79m | 8:37AM1.33m | 5:31PM1.82m | 8:56AM1.39m | 6:30PM1.88m | 9:14AM1.44m | 7:18PM1.96m | 9:33AM1.49m | 7:58PM2.04m | 9:51AM1.53m | 8:35PM2.09m | 10:11AM1.59m | 9:11PM2.10m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:17AM1.24m | 00:44AM0.59m | 10:40AM1.31m | 1:35AM0.49m | 12:15PM1.30m | 2:14AM0.40m | 1:11PM1.24m | 2:47AM0.33m | 1:53PM1.16m | 3:16AM0.28m | 2:30PM1.07m | 3:43AM0.26m | 3:07PM0.99m | 4:09AM0.27m | |||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — |
 | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:34 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 31 | 25 | 30 | 31 | 23 | 31 | 33 | 24 | 30 | 32 | 25 | 32 | 34 | 25 | 33 | 35 | 25 | 34 | 36 | 26 |
Feels °C | 29 | 30 | 24 | 29 | 30 | 20 | 30 | 32 | 21 | 29 | 30 | 22 | 29 | 32 | 22 | 31 | 31 | 21 | 31 | 33 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 14 | S 13 |
| kJ | 183 | 183 | 134 | 101 | 99 | 68 | 95 | 71 | 120 | 123 | 67 | 163 | 165 | 140 | 175 | 167 | 132 | 298 | 401 | 684 | 572 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 10 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 13 | SW 15 |
| kJ | 60 | 79 | 79 | 47 | 49 | 48 | 21 | 28 | 59 | 65 | 112 | 157 | 152 | 69 | 89 | 87 | 125 | 159 | 203 | 55 | 75 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SSE 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | W 16 | W 15 | SSW 17 | W 13 | W 13 |
| kJ | 56 | 14 | 15 | 49 | 10 | 10 | 51 | 56 | 9 | 85 | 50 | 10 | 10 | 28 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 39 | 96 | 55 | 52 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | NW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 |
| kJ | 42 | 59 | 72 | 66 | 111 | 138 | 88 | 126 | 120 | 128 | 72 | 83 | 61 | 95 | 73 | 72 | 114 | 98 | 119 | 167 | 160 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 22 | 22 | 0 | 56 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 328 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 56 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 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.
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