Surf Forecasts:
Refugio State Beach surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with 601 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s period with SW 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 Wednesday (Aug 12) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. 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 1.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Refugio State Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's talk about Refugio State Beach. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty slim. The swell is tiny, just knee to waist-high slop, and the wind keeps blowing it out. The water is warm, about 70°F, which is nearly 7°F warmer than it should be for this time of year.
We start on Wednesday, 12 August, and it's a rough one. The swell is a weak 2ft from the SW, with a super long 16-second period, so it's a groundswell. The energy is low (193), and the wind is light but onshore, making for poor, bumpy conditions. Not a day to bother.
Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th are more of the same. The swell bumps up to 2ft and 2ft, still from the SW, with that long period. The wind stays light but onshore or cross-onshore, so the surf is marginal and messy. The energy picks up a bit on Friday afternoon to 561, but the wind ruins it.
The weekend (Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th) sees a little more size, with the swell hitting 3ft on Saturday afternoon. The period is still long (15-16 seconds), and the energy is moderate (470-559). But again, the wind is cross-onshore, so it's not clean. The conditions are poor.
The only real highlight of the whole forecast is the morning of Wednesday, 19 August. The wind finally goes offshore from the NW, and the swell is a clean 3ft from the SSW with a 15-second period. The energy is strong (515) and the conditions are clean. This is the best bet. The waves will be small, but they'll be well-shaped with that long period, and the glassy morning will make for a fun session. Just know that Refugio is a popular spot and it's often busy, so you'll have company.
After that, the wind goes back to onshore and cross-shore, and the swell stays small. The morning of Thursday the 27th has a little pulse of energy (415) with a 2ft, 18-second swell, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it's not clean.
Honestly, if you're a beginner, the swell never gets above 3ft, so it's never too big, but the wind is the problem. For everyone else, that Wednesday the 19th is your only real window. The rest is a long stretch of tiny, choppy conditions. It's a tough outlook.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Fri afternoon, min 15°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Mon afternoon, min 17°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | WNW 7 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 133 | 208 | 206 | 201 | 245 | 232 | 199 | 280 | 276 | 407 | 532 | 519 | 414 | 372 | 330 | 268 | 264 | 264 | 229 | 220 | 239 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 10:48AM1.70m | 9:59PM2.34m | 11:22AM1.78m | 10:46PM2.20m | 11:56AM1.84m | 11:33PM2.00m | 12:31PM1.88m | 00:22AM1.76m | 1:05PM1.89m | 1:17AM1.53m | 1:42PM1.88m | 2:28AM1.33m | 2:24PM1.84m | 4:24AM1.21m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:51PM0.87m | 4:57AM0.05m | 4:43PM0.80m | 5:32AM0.19m | 5:35PM0.76m | 6:05AM0.37m | 6:30PM0.74m | 6:36AM0.58m | 7:29PM0.75m | 7:04AM0.78m | 8:38PM0.76m | 7:30AM0.97m | 10:01PM0.74m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — |
 | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 23 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 22 | 24 | 19 | 25 | 27 | 20 | 27 | 29 | 22 | 28 | 32 | 22 | 31 | 33 | 24 |
Feels °C | 23 | 23 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 22 | 24 | 19 | 24 | 26 | 19 | 26 | 27 | 20 | 26 | 30 | 19 | 29 | 31 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 133 | 208 | 206 | 201 | 245 | 232 | 169 | 214 | 272 | 407 | 532 | 519 | 414 | 372 | 330 | 268 | 264 | 264 | 229 | 118 | 239 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 13 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 17 | WNW 15 |
| kJ | 32 | 45 | 40 | 38 | 36 | 35 | 37 | 280 | 276 | 44 | 21 | 19 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 66 | 157 | 21 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SW 13 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 19 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | NW 13 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | S 10 | NW 12 | S 10 | S 18 | SW 9 | S 10 | S 9 | SW 19 |
| kJ | 46 | 61 | 37 | 37 | 33 | 31 | 199 | 36 | 37 | 20 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 15 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 4 | NW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | NW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 31 | 24 | 18 | 69 | 48 | 36 | 92 | 115 | 103 | 162 | 216 | 165 | 220 | 226 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 293 | 22 | 0 | 118 | 56 | 0 | 33 | 22 | 0 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 56 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 0 |
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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