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Refugio
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
0Poor out of 100 for your dates
Every day scores the same
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 562kJ
- Wind
- NNW 6 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 559kJ
- Wind
- N 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 349kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 scrumbling
- Energy
- 198kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 352kJ
- Wind
- NNE 1 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 399kJ
- Wind
- SSE 1 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 365kJ
- Wind
- E 3 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 257, fair
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 50, too big
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 80, too big
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 3–12 ftof swell
- Water 16 °C3/2 wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 57, fair | 3 ft16 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 360kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 2 knots | 20°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 562kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 6 knots | 20°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft10 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 559kJ | wind from the north, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, too big | 5 ft9 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 349kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots | 23°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft8 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 198kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft10 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 352kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 1 knot | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 399kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 1 knot | 26°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 365kJ | wind from the east, 3 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 5 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 538kJ | wind from the south, 1 knot | 22°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:53 +0.4 mLow 10:06 −0.1 mHigh 15:40 +0.6 mLow 22:43 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:33 +0.6 mLow 11:24 −0.3 mHigh 17:02 +0.5 mLow 23:33 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 06:08 +0.7 mLow 12:22 −0.5 mHigh 18:11 +0.5 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Refugio on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Refugio
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Live webcam
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Live webcam
In Goleta, the nearest town, 22 km away
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More surf near here
5 places
- El Capitan 3.9 km away
- ED's 7.7 km away
- Naples 10.8 km away
- Seals 11.9 km away
- Driftwoods 13.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Refugio
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (186°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (6°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 25). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 13°C in March, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 18°C in September, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Goleta. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
Water about 16°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,090–US$1,990 each
about US$1,090–US$1,990 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to SBA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$255–US$529 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$47–US$80 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,090–US$1,990 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 35 min by car · 18 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Isla Vista its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Goleta on Booking.com
about 40 min by car · 15 places to stay
- Beds in Santa Barbara on Booking.com
about 1h by car · 93 places to stay
Nearest beds: Goleta, 22 km (about 40 min by car)
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 7h 05m
About 7h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SBA, direct, then 40 min by road
Flights ORD → SBA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.