Surf Forecasts:
Refugio State Beach surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 13s period, S swell with 694 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 13s period with SSW 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 13s period. 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 1.4m 13s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Refugio State Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s chew the fat on Refugio State Beach for a bit. The next two weeks are looking pretty sad, to be honest. We’ve got a long dry spell from right now all the way to the morning of Saturday, September 7th. That’s a solid week of poor options, so don’t rush to wax up. You’re really waiting until that first proper Monday to even think about it.
So, the closest thing to a standout in this whole 16-day window, and I mean this as a consolation prize, is that late period on Monday, September 7th. The morning is cloudy, with a 5ft S swell and a period of 13 seconds. The energy reading is a moderate 890, not bad, and the wind is a faint 5 km/h from the SSE, so the water will have some ripples but it’s not a total disaster. The real bright spot is Monday afternoon. Heavy rain, sure, but the wind switches to a light offshore from the NE at just 5 km/h. That’s going to glass things right up, and you get a 4ft S swell to work with. The energy drops to 658, but that clean face will make it rideable. With the swell direction coming from the S, it’s not the perfect W that this spot loves, but it’ll wrap in okay. It’s a beach and point setup, so expect some kinda shape. There will be crowds often, so plan on sharing.
The water is currently 71°F, which is a whopping 7°F warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s very unusual, so leave the thick rubber at home.
After that Monday, the wheels come off again. Tuesday, September 8th, looks messy with strong ESE winds at 35 km/h chopping up a 4ft S swell. The rest of that week and into the next is just tiny, weak energy all under 3ft and mostly from the SW. The period on the 9th and 10th gets long (19 seconds) but the swell height is only 2ft to 3ft, so it’s going to be a long-period dribble. That’s the kind of day you want a log and low expectations. Nothing else is worth getting wet for.
If you want the best of a bad bunch, it’s that Monday afternoon, the 7th of September. The only other flicker is the Wednesday morning of the 2nd of September, where you get a 2ft S swell with a very clean cross-offshore wind from the NW. Energy is moderate at 303. It’s tiny, but it might be the cleanest tiny wave in the whole run. After that, settle in for a lot of flat spells.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Thu afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | S 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 13 | S 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 207 | 154 | 114 | 96 | 109 | 166 | 173 | 252 | 152 | 399 | 497 | 443 | 559 | 441 | 499 | 439 | 287 | 334 | 434 | 622 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | off | on | on | cross |
High Tide | 00:39AM1.51m | 12:44PM1.96m | 1:48AM1.33m | 1:27PM1.97m | 3:39AM1.21m | 2:26PM1.96m | 6:25AM1.24m | 3:45PM1.97m | 7:36AM1.36m | 5:09PM2.02m | 8:09AM1.46m | 6:22PM2.11m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:44PM0.65m | 6:10AM0.83m | 7:48PM0.63m | 6:36AM0.98m | 9:08PM0.60m | 7:06AM1.11m | 10:42PM0.52m | 8:03AM1.24m | 00:03AM0.40m | 10:26AM1.29m | 1:05AM0.26m | 12:08PM1.23m | 1:54AM0.16m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — |
 | 7:28 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — | — | 7:20 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 17 | 23 | 26 | 17 | 24 | 27 | 18 | 25 | 27 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 19 | 25 | 26 | 21 |
Feels °C | 24 | 15 | 22 | 24 | 14 | 21 | 22 | 15 | 24 | 24 | 17 | 23 | 24 | 16 | 22 | 23 | 17 | 24 | 25 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 14 |
| kJ | 207 | 154 | 114 | 96 | 64 | 166 | 173 | 147 | 128 | 399 | 497 | 443 | 559 | 441 | 499 | 439 | 361 | 350 | 434 | 622 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 15 | S 10 | SSW 11 | WNW 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | WNW 6 | SSE 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 10 |
| kJ | 117 | 98 | 59 | 58 | 50 | 132 | 129 | 252 | 115 | 52 | 65 | 65 | 57 | 70 | 43 | 247 | 287 | 334 | 186 | 15 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 10 | S 8 | W 12 | SSW 20 | SSW 12 | S 13 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SW 11 | S 13 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | NW 9 | NW 15 |
| kJ | 10 | 10 | 50 | 50 | 109 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 152 | 14 | 53 | 38 | 38 | 60 | 90 | 31 | 30 | 21 | 22 | 8 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 5 | NW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | NW 4 | NW 4 | WNW 5 | NW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | NW 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | — | WNW 6 | — | — | WNW 6 | NW 6 |
| kJ | 48 | 46 | 26 | 74 | 40 | 21 | 88 | 56 | 54 | 129 | 53 | 20 | 92 | 110 | — | 51 | — | — | 36 | 54 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 22 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 97 | 2 | 22 | 97 | 0 | 163 | 3 | 0 | 117 | 22 | 0 | 34 | 22 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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