Refugio State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Refugio State Beach. We’re looking at a stretch of small, clean conditions, but honestly, it never really fires up big. The outlook is mostly marginal, so don’t expect any hero sessions.

The first bit of the week is a bit of a tease. Friday morning, July 17th, we’ve got tiny 2ft groundswell from the WNW with a very long 18-second period. The energy is moderate (489) and the water is feeling like a bath at 66°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. Winds are light cross-onshore, so it’s not clean, but it’s not terrible either. The afternoon sees the swell bump up to 4ft, but the period drops to 8 seconds, so it’s a weak, short-period windswell. Not really worth rushing out for.

The weekend stays pretty flat and messy. Saturday and Sunday both have onshore light breezes with swell around 2ft to 3ft. The energy is moderate (around 500-650), but the wave quality is listed as unknown or marginal. This is a beginner-friendly beach and point setup, so if you’re just learning, it might be okay, but advanced surfers will be bored.

Monday, July 20th, sees a slight bump to 4ft from the S, with a 13-second period. Still a light onshore wind, but the energy is climbing (739). However, the wave comment is still “marginal” – it’s just not coming together. The trend continues through Tuesday and Wednesday with similar small swell and light winds, but the energy is moderate to high (up to 886). The problem is the wind is never properly offshore, and the wave state is unknown or choppy.

Now, there’s a glimmer on Thursday, July 23rd. The afternoon brings a tiny 1ft groundswell from the SW, but the period jumps to a massive 26 seconds. The energy is moderate (485). Here’s the kicker: the wind turns light cross-offshore from the NW. That’s a clean wind for Refugio. This is the best looking window in the whole forecast. The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” It’s small, but for a point break, that long-period groundswell will wrap in and produce clean, lined-up waves. Beginners will be fine with the size, but that long period means the sets will be spread out, so bring some patience.

The last week of July and into August shows a bit more energy. We see several days with combined energy values over 1000 (strong energy), like July 24th morning (1206), July 25th morning (1234), and July 26th morning (1361). The swell holds around 3ft to 4ft, mainly from the SSW or S, with periods between 14 and 19 seconds. The wind is still light, but it’s mostly cross-on or onshore, so it’s never glassy. The wave comment stays “marginal” or “unknown.” The best call here is probably the morning of July 27th (Monday) or July 31st (Friday) – both have 5ft swell from the S with 15-second periods and light onshore winds. The energy is strong (1220-1382), but the wind direction is the weak link.

The real standout is that Thursday afternoon, July 23rd, with the 26-second period and clean cross-offshore wind. It’s the only session that feels like a proper surf window. The rest of the run is small, onshore, and marginal. It’s a bit of a bummer for a spot that can be fun, but forecasts can change. For now, keep your eyes on that Thursday.

Rusty.

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