Galveston - Flagship Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you right off the bat – we've got a solid 16-day window, but the swell is taking a full vacation for most of it. The first week and a half is a write-off for any real surfing, with tiny, weak waves and messy winds. The water is a warm 87°F which is a touch warmer than usual for September, so at least you won't need a wetsuit.

Looking at the entire run, we only have one spot that even gets a mention, and that's Galveston - Flagship Pier. This is a beach/pier setup that's fairly consistent, but don't get your hopes up. The swell is exposed to the SE, which is what we need, but the energy is just not there.

We start on Wednesday, September 9th with a tiny 0.7 ft swell from the ESE at a short 4 seconds. The combined energy is a measly 3 (weak), and it's glassy in the morning but turning onshore. This is pure flatness. This continues day after day. Thursday the 10th, Friday the 11th, Saturday the 12th, Sunday the 13th – all the same story. Swell barely breaks 2 ft, periods are a disappointing 4 to 5 seconds, and the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore. The wave comment for every single one of these days is "poor surf conditions." You're not missing a thing.

The combined energy does bump up to 27 by Monday the 14th, but it's still just a 3 ft swell from the SSE with a 5-second period. The wind is onshore. It's a consistent, weak, and messy pattern. We go through the whole second week like this. Tuesday the 15th, Wednesday the 16th, Thursday the 17th, Friday the 18th – all tiny, all poor.

Now, there's a glimmer of hope on the far horizon. On Saturday, September 19th, we finally see a change. The wind shifts to a clean offshore from the NW in the morning, and a cross-offshore from the N in the afternoon. It's a 2 ft swell from the NE with a 4-second period. The combined energy is still only 11 (weak), but it's clean. The "wave comment" is still "poor surf conditions," but for the first time, the wind state is "gentle offshore and clean." That's something. Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st see a similar pattern: clean, cross-offshore winds, but the swell collapses to just 0.3 ft from the SE with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is down to 4 or 5 (weak). It's a clean, flat lake.

The last few days from Tuesday the 22nd to Thursday the 24th are all the same – clean, cross-offshore winds, but a pathetic 0.3 ft to 0.7 ft swell. The wave energy is a 1 (weak) on the 24th. It's a complete bust.

Honestly, for a beach/pier spot like this, these conditions are more interesting for a kite surfer looking for flat water than a surfer. There isn't a single standout. The best of a bad lot is the clean window on Saturday, September 19th, but even then, you're chasing knee-high slop. It's a tough stretch.

Rusty.

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