Sunday, August 16, 2026 | 7:56 PM PDT
The latest primary spectral band data from CDIP Station 071, located at Harvest Buoy off Point Conception, indicates significant swell energy measuring 5.2 ft at 17 seconds from a south-southwest direction of 202°. Because the Santa Barbara Channel and Channel Islands block most direct south-southwest energy, only a fraction wraps into the Rincon point lineup. As a result, the calculated current surf size at Rincon is ankle-to-knee high, averaging 1 to 2 ft on sets. Overall surf quality is poor to fair, as light afternoon chop and heavy shadowing limit wave shape and consistency despite the clean groundswell period detected offshore.
Weather across the East Santa Barbara Channel features current air temperatures hovering around 66°F near the coast under clear to partly cloudy skies. Wind speeds are currently blow-out westerly at 10 to 20 knots with local gusts up to 25 knots under an active Small Craft Advisory. For the remainder of the evening, winds will stay elevated out of the west at 15 to 25 knots before gradually shifting northwest after midnight, with offshore ocean seas ranging from 3 to 5 ft and localized coastal water temperatures around 68°F.
Tide levels for the local region show a low tide of 1.3 ft recorded earlier at 6:19 PM, with water levels currently rising toward a high tide late tonight. Surfers can expect a moderate tide push continuing through late evening as water levels crest overnight.
Surrounding coastal buoys show secondary and regional swell characteristics. The East Santa Barbara Buoy records a primary swell height of 1.6 ft at 17 seconds from the west-southwest at 238°. Topanga Nearshore registers a swell of 2.6 ft at 15 seconds from 204°, while the West Santa Barbara Buoy reports an offshore swell reading of 3.9 ft at 17 seconds from 168°.