Refugio State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get stuck into this one.

Alright, so we're looking at a pretty quiet stretch ahead for Refugio State Beach (California). The water's running at 69°F and that's a massive 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year, so you'll be real comfy in boardies, but the ocean's feeling a bit sleepy.

The first bit of any real rideable push comes on Saturday the 1st of August. We've got a 4ft swell from the WNW, but the period's short at 8 seconds, so don't expect much grunt. It's rocking a combined wave energy of 321 (moderate energy), but the wind is cross-on from the WSW at 6 mph, which is putting a bit of a wrinkle on the surface. It's going to feel marginal and a bit frustrating.

Sunday the 2nd of August actually brings a step up early on. The morning sees 5ft from the WNW with a 9-second period and energy jumping to 762. That's a more solid bump, but the wind is still cross-on from the SW at 6 mph. It's not the cleanest, but it'll have a bit more push. The afternoon settles back to 5ft with the same wind issue, so the morning is the better half of that day.

Monday the 3rd of August morning brings a bit of hope with 4ft from the WNW and a 9-second period. The wind is actually onshore from the SW at 6 mph, which is rare in this whole forecast. A straight onshore wind for Refugio is tricky - it means the point might get a bit of shelter but the beachbreak will be bumpy. Energy is 305 (moderate). The afternoon turns cross-on again, so the morning's your only real chance that day.

From Tuesday the 4th of August onwards, it gets properly grim. We drop into the 3ft range, the period jumps to 13-19 seconds, and the wind just keeps coming from the wrong side. The wave energy stays in the 122 - 386 range through to the 15th, which is all weak to moderate. The swell direction swings to the SW and SSW, which isn't the optimum for this spot.

There's a long, drawn-out period of pretty poor surf from the 4th through the 16th. For a beach and point setup like Refugio, that long-period swell (15-19 seconds) tends to break too straight for the beach, and even the point won't see much because the size is so small. The winds are light, but they're consistently cross-on or cross. If you're desperate for a paddle, you might find something knee-high on the 7th of August morning with a 2ft swell and a 19-second period, but the energy is only 366, so it'll be slow and a bit weird.

Honestly, your best bet in this whole 16-day window is the morning of Sunday the 2nd of August. That 5ft swell from the WNW is the biggest we see, and the 9-second period has enough juice for a fun log or a mid-length. It's not a standout by any means, but it's the only day that even has a pulse. Crowds are likely at Refugio, and when the surf's this flat everywhere else, they'll be sitting right here for that little bump. Fingers crossed it cleans up, but for now, you might want to grab a longboard and be patient.

Rusty.

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