Surf Forecasts:
Refugio State Beach surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SSW swell with 928 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 18s period with SW 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 26) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 22s. Another secondary swell of 1.7m and 7s 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 1.3m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 01) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Refugio State Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for us at Refugio State Beach. We've got a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, but there's a definite window that's worth gettin' excited about. Water temp is runnin' much warmer than normal for this time of year, sittin' at 68°, so expect a pleasant swim.
The standout will be Sunday, July 26th. We're lookin' at a solid 3ft swell from the SSW, but the real magic is that long period groundswell at 19 seconds. That's gonna be a beautiful, clean, walled-up wave point and the NW wind in the afternoon will have it glassin' off. Combined swell energy is moderate (844) and the conditions will feel pure. This is the one to circle on your calendar. It's beginner friendly at that size and the crowd can be often, so be ready to share.
Monday, July 27th, kicks off with a 4ft SW swell, but a cross-on breeze puts a bit of a crinkle on the morning face, though the period is still a juicy 18 seconds. Afternoon drops to 3ft, but the clean lines from the long period will still be there. Tuesday, July 28th, sees the swell bump up to 4ft from the SSW with a 17-second period, and morning winds are glassy offshore from the SW. This is heavy energy with a combined swell energy of 1272. It's a touch bigger, but still a good ride. Wednesday through Friday hold similar 3ft to 4ft S/SW swells with morning offshores and short windows of cleaner afternoon wind.
Then we hit a flat spell. From Saturday, August 1st onward, things really drop off. Swell sizes shrink and periods shorten into the 8 to 12-second range with weak combined energy. By Monday, August 3rd, we're flat with barely a bump – 3ft on a short 8-second period and energy down to 182. That’s kite-surf territory, not paddle-surf. This quiet stretch lasts through the end of the forecast. There is a glimmer around Friday, August 7th with a 2ft, 19-second long period swell from the SSW, but it's tiny and marginal. The second week is a write-off for any quality sessions.
So, make your move on Sunday. That's the call.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 34°C on Sun afternoon, min 19°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Fri afternoon, min 18°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 19 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 13 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 546 | 559 | 614 | 743 | 455 | 608 | 742 | 928 | 552 | 545 | 481 | 318 | 706 | 687 | 678 | 599 | 572 | 600 | 439 | 389 | 339 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy | on | cross | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 10:06AM1.43m | 8:17PM2.10m | 10:32AM1.46m | 8:55PM2.15m | 10:58AM1.49m | 9:30PM2.17m | 11:24AM1.52m | 10:05PM2.15m | 11:50AM1.56m | 10:39PM2.08m | 12:16PM1.60m | 11:14PM1.97m | 12:42PM1.66m | 11:52PM1.81m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:01PM1.20m | 3:48AM0.23m | 2:40PM1.16m | 4:20AM0.20m | 3:18PM1.11m | 4:50AM0.19m | 3:55PM1.08m | 5:18AM0.22m | 4:34PM1.05m | 5:45AM0.28m | 5:17PM1.02m | 6:10AM0.38m | 6:03PM0.99m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — |
 | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 31 | 34 | 24 | 30 | 31 | 23 | 29 | 30 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 26 | 30 | 33 | 26 |
Feels °C | 29 | 32 | 21 | 28 | 29 | 20 | 27 | 29 | 22 | 27 | 28 | 24 | 28 | 29 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 25 | 29 | 32 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | WNW 8 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | WNW 8 | SSW 16 | S 15 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 13 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 546 | 559 | 614 | 743 | 455 | 608 | 185 | 928 | 552 | 181 | 481 | 447 | 706 | 687 | 678 | 599 | 572 | 600 | 439 | 389 | 294 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 10 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSE 15 | SSW 16 | SSE 14 | SSW 16 | WNW 8 | SSE 13 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 21 | WNW 8 | SW 19 | SW 19 |
| kJ | 46 | 23 | 23 | 47 | 169 | 10 | 742 | 377 | 237 | 545 | 223 | 318 | 164 | 17 | 141 | 157 | 116 | 9 | 146 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 10 | SW 12 | S 14 | S 10 | SSE 16 | S 9 | SSE 14 | SE 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | W 6 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 11 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 36 | 4 | 2 | 104 | 2 | 297 | 7 | 164 | 156 | 142 | 54 | 84 | 54 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 28 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 |
| kJ | 163 | 262 | 365 | 196 | 279 | 315 | 343 | 257 | 323 | — | 142 | 197 | — | 160 | 39 | — | 207 | 83 | 242 | 168 | 339 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 21 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 164 | 3 | 0 | 164 | 56 | 0 | 24 | 22 | 0 | 33 | 22 | 0 | 56 | 22 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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