Refugio State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s your local surf reporter Rusty checkin’ in. Let’s see what we’ve got cookin’ for our stretch of coast.

The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag here at Refugio State Beach (Refugio-State-Beach). We’re lookin’ at a few bright spots, but there’s also a fair bit of quieter, more marginal time. The water’s sittin’ at a warm 69°F, which is a solid 5°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a very unusual bump, so you might not even need a spring suit.

Alright, let’s get into the real action. The standout for the whole period is gonna be Thursday afternoon, the 27th of August. It’s not the biggest swell, but everything lines up right. We’ve got a solid 5 ft swell rollin’ in from the WNW, with a short period of 8 seconds. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, so the surface will be like a mirror. The energy is moderate (674), and for a beginner-friendly beach and point break like this, that’s a sweet spot for a fun, clean session. You’ll be able to pick off some nice waves without gettin’ smashed.

Before that, Wednesday the 26th is a bit of a write-off with cross-onshore winds and only knee-high waves. Thursday morning, the 27th, is glassy but a bit smaller at 4 ft from the S (period 12 seconds). Still, a good warm-up if you’re keen.

The next real highlight pops up way down the line, on Friday morning, the 4th of September. It’s a long way off, so keep an eye on the charts, but it’s promising. Heavy rain is forecast, but the wind is glassy from the east, and we’ll see a 3 ft swell from the SSW with a very long period of 17 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and it’ll be clean. The energy is moderate (680). For a point break, that long period can mean some really nice, lined-up waves, though it might close out on the beach section.

Between that Thursday the 27th highlight and the 4th of September, there’s a long, flat spell. We’re talkin’ a week of small, weak, and often onshore conditions. Don’t expect much except maybe a few knee-high ripples, mostly blown out by onshore winds. The energy drops way down into the low hundreds, so it’s gonna be a quiet time.

The last half of the second week, around the 8th and 9th of September, the swell tries to pick up again. Tuesday afternoon, the 8th, sees a 6 ft short-period WNW swell (7 seconds) – that’s a choppy, wind swell, and it’ll be cross-onshore, so not great for a paddle. Wednesday morning, the 9th, is glassy again with a 2 ft SSW groundswell (16 seconds), but it’s small. That’s a better bet for a clean, quiet session if you’ve got a log.

So, the bottom line: If you’re set on a paddle, Thursday afternoon the 27th of August is your best bet for clean, fun waves. The 4th of September is a promising long-range option. The rest of the time, you’ll be watchin’ the horizon.

Rusty.

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