Refugio State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into what’s happening at Refugio State Beach for the next couple of weeks.

The outlook is a bit of a mixed bag. The first several days have some small swell, but the conditions are often marginal. The real standout energy comes in a pulse around the end of July and into early August, but even then, the wind isn’t perfect. The water is much warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 69°F, which is a big anomaly (7°F warmer than usual) – so you’ll be comfortable in a shorty or even trunks.

We start off on Friday morning, July 24th with a small 2ft swell from the southwest, but it's accompanied by a light breeze that's onshore. The wave energy is moderate (1055), but honestly, it’s not looking great. The 'marginal' tag hangs over this whole first week. Saturday morning, the 25th, sees a slightly better 3ft from the southwest, but the wind is cross-onshore, creating ripples. The energy bumps up a bit (1199), but it’s still not clean.

Sunday the 26th is similar, with 3ft from the SSW, but the wind goes gusty cross-shore in the afternoon, adding chop. Monday morning, the 27th, the swell nudges up to 4ft from the southwest with light offshore wind, and energy is over 1000 (1006). That’s your best window of the first week, but it’s still a marginal call. The period is 18 seconds, a nice long groundswell, but at a beach and point setup like Refugio, those long-period swells can sometimes straighten out a bit. Still, a light offshore makes it the pick of the bunch for a few small, clean waves.

Tuesday the 28th shows a morning 4ft from the SSW with a light offshore – that’s a decent combo, and the energy is strong (1534). The period has dropped to 17 seconds, so it’s still a groundswell. If you can get out before the wind shifts, that Tuesday morning is the best of the early run.

The swell drops off again through the 29th and 30th, with heights under 3ft and energy fading. The forecasts really slide into “poor” conditions on the 30th, so don’t bother.

Friday, July 31st, we see a new pulse. The morning has 5ft swell from the south with a light offshore wind. That’s the biggest swell of the entire outlook, and with energy at 1338, it’s got some punch. The period is 15 seconds, still a solid groundswell. This is the standout for the more experienced crew – 5ft starts to get a bit too big for beginners. The wind is light and offshore, so the waves will be clean. The afternoon goes cross-onshore, so hit the early session.

Saturday, August 1st, the same 5ft south swell continues, but the wind is cross-onshore again. The energy is still strong (1059-1273). It’s still a decent wave, but not as clean as Friday morning. This is the best weekend option. After that, the swell begins to fade quickly.

Sunday, August 2nd, the swell has dropped to 4ft from the south, and the period crashes to 12 seconds. The wind goes cross-shore in the afternoon with a bit of chop. The energy is moderate (622). It’s on the way down.

From Monday, August 3rd, things get really small and weak. Swell heights drop below 3ft, and the conditions are mostly “poor” or “marginal” with energy readings under 500. For the rest of the week and into the second week (August 5th to 8th), the swell is tiny – 1ft to 2ft – and the energy is low (147 to 197). The period is short to moderate. It’s a flat spell. There’s a gap of about 5 days with no real surf, from the 3rd to the 8th.

So, for the best surf: Friday morning, July 31st is the main event – 5ft south swell, light offshore, good energy. Tuesday morning, July 28th is a solid runner-up for a smaller, cleaner session. After that, you’re looking at a long stretch of flatness.

Rusty, signing off.

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