Galveston - Flagship Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I’ve got to be straight with you – the whole 16-day window is a flat spell. There’s nothing that qualifies as a good surf option. The swell is tiny, the period is short, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, making a mess of what little ripple there is. This is one of those stretches where you’re better off checking the kiteboarding forecast or just taking a break.

The first few days are a write-off. Tuesday the 1st starts with a risk of thunderstorms and a 1ft swell from the ESE with a period of 5 seconds, so no energy to speak of. The combined energy is only 10, which is barely a ripple. Wind is cross-off in the morning, but the swell is just too small to do anything with. The water temperature is about average for the time of year at Galveston - Flagship Pier.

Through the rest of the first week, it’s the same story. Swell never gets above 2ft, period stays around 4 to 5 seconds, and the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore. The combined energy readings are all in the single digits or low teens. It’s clean on a couple of mornings, like Sunday the 6th with a light cross-off breeze, but the swell is a pathetic 1ft. You’d be floating around out there.

Heading into the second week, there’s a very slight bump. Around Thursday the 10th, the swell height edges up to 3ft from the SSE, with a period of 5 seconds. The combined energy climbs to 36 and 46, but that’s still weak. The wind is a moderate cross-onshore, so it’s choppy. This is not a call to get excited.

The best of a bad lot might be the morning of Saturday the 12th, where the swell is 3ft from the SSE, period 6 seconds, giving a combined energy of 76. That’s the highest reading in the whole outlook, but it’s still only moderate-weak energy. The wind is cross-on from the SSE at 12 mph, so it’s going to be bumpy. Not a standout, just the least bad.

The very end of the outlook, on Wednesday the 16th, shows a clean morning with a 3ft swell from the SSE, period 5 seconds, and a light offshore wind from the NW. The combined energy is 44. It’s clean, but the swell is small and short-period. It’s a window for a longboard or a SUP if you’re desperate, but it’s not a surfer’s swell.

Bottom line: no standouts here. The whole 16 days is a gap of flat, poor-quality surf. That’s not unusual for this area when the wind and swell aren’t lining up. Keep an eye on the charts – it tends not to stay this quiet forever.

Rusty.

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