Surf Forecasts:
Refugio State Beach surf forecast from 15 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 15 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period, WNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period, WNW swell with 386 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 15 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period with WNW 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 Tuesday (Sep 15) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 17s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Refugio State Beach in the next 16 days are 1.6m 9s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy 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 (Sep 19) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Refugio State Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Refugio State Beach (Santa Barbara) – Alright, let’s be straight with you. The first week here is pretty grim. From the 14th through the 19th, we’re looking at tiny, weak swell – mostly under 1.2m – with onshore and cross-onshore winds messing things up. The period is all over the place, and that 17-second groundswell on the 16th is just too straight for this beach-and-point setup. It’ll break lumpy and close out. Water temp is 21°, which is 4° warmer than normal – that’s a big warm-water anomaly, and you’ll feel it.
The 20th is where it gets a bit more interesting – Sunday morning goes glassy with a light west wind, swell at 0.8m from the SW, period 18 seconds, energy building to 694. That long period might make it a bit lining at the beach, but it’s clean and there’s a little push. The afternoon holds at 715 energy, still clean. It’s small, but it’s surfable, and for beginners this is the safest window of the whole run.
Then it’s a long dry stretch – the 21st through the 28th are all poor or marginal at best. Swell stays under 0.9m, periods drop, and the wind keeps flipping between onshore and cross-on. There’s a glassy morning on the 27th, but the swell is only 0.7m, so it’s barely a ripple. Don’t bother.
Finally, the standout – the 29th. Tuesday morning is glassy, dead calm, and the swell jumps to 1.7m from the WNW with an 8-second period. Energy is 840 – that’s strong for this spot. The afternoon holds it at 1.7m, period 9, energy 692, still glassy. This is the day. It’s short-period wind swell, so it’ll be peaky and fun, not too heavy, and with clean conditions it’s going to be proper. The crowd will be out – this place is often busy – but on a day like that, it’s worth the fight. Just be aware that 1.7m is more than a metre and a half, so it’s pushing past beginner territory; if you’re learning, get out early or sit this one out.
So the deal is: one truly good day, and it’s at the tail end of the window. The rest is a grind. Save your energy for that final Tuesday.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Thu afternoon, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 386 | 203 | 125 | 162 | 264 | 188 | 223 | 217 | 144 | 188 | 236 | 236 | 179 | 252 | 304 | 255 | 375 | 370 | 358 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | off | on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:08AM1.43m | 12:33PM1.92m | 2:25AM1.29m | 1:10PM1.84m | 5:07AM1.24m | 3:17PM1.71m | 8:18AM1.41m | 4:47PM1.71m | 8:19AM1.46m | 5:57PM1.77m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 6:04AM1.00m | 7:56PM0.61m | 6:22AM1.13m | 9:10PM0.65m | 6:04AM1.24m | 10:40PM0.66m | 11:58PM0.60m | 10:40AM1.39m | 00:52AM0.53m | 12:13PM1.32m | 1:31AM0.46m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — |
 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:04 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 23 | 24 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 22 | 25 | 17 | 25 | 26 | 18 | 27 | 29 | 20 | 25 | 27 | 16 |
Feels °C | 19 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 15 | 24 | 24 | 16 | 25 | 28 | 18 | 24 | 26 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 |
| kJ | 199 | 203 | 125 | 96 | 51 | 50 | 223 | 217 | 144 | 188 | 236 | 236 | 99 | 252 | 304 | 255 | 375 | 370 | 358 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 104 | 125 | 87 | 88 | 264 | 188 | 45 | 35 | 117 | 140 | 118 | 102 | 179 | 68 | 56 | 50 | 48 | 49 | 55 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SW 20 | SW 21 | SSE 9 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 14 | SW 12 | S 13 |
| kJ | 23 | 14 | 77 | 73 | 8 | 16 | 65 | 71 | 16 | 37 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 6 | 14 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | ESE 3 | — | NW 8 | — | WNW 2 | — | — | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 |
| kJ | 386 | 4 | — | 162 | — | 1 | — | — | 35 | 37 | 28 | 74 | 80 | 118 | 119 | 193 | 208 | 207 | 196 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 19 | 170 | 0 | 117 | 22 | 0 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 170 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Refugio State Beach surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest