Galveston - Flagship Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's break down what we've got in the water for the next couple weeks.

I'll be honest with you, it's a tough stretch. We're looking at a full 16 days, but there's not a single red-letter day in the mix. The first chance to even think about paddling out is starting on the morning of August 19th, but it's weak, short-period swell from the South at only 2ft with a period of just 4 seconds. That's barely a bump, and the combined energy is a low 9. The water is about 88°, which is a touch warmer than normal. But with a moderate cross-onshore breeze, it's just choppy and flat.

The whole first week is the same story. Tiny swell, never getting above 2ft, and the period is stuck on 4 to 5 seconds. That's pure windswell, no power. We get a few clean windows with cross-off winds in the mornings, like August 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, and again on the morning of August 28th, but the swell is so small you'll be sitting on your board doing nothing. The combined energy finally cracks 30 late on the 27th, hitting 30, so still very weak. It's going to be a lot of waiting.

Now, there is a little something on the morning of August 28th. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the SSW with a 5-second period, and that combined energy jumps to 67. It's still short-period, but with a gentle cross-off wind WSW at 15 mph, conditions will be clean. But don't get too excited – it's the only slightly interesting moment in a long, flat spell. For Galveston – Flagship Pier (beach/pier), that's just how it goes sometimes. It can be fairly consistent, but when it's poor, it drags on.

The second week offers no hope. From August 29th all the way to September 3rd, we're back to tiny 1ft to 2ft junk with periods of 4 to 6 seconds. The energy stays in the low double digits, and the winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore. There is one clean moment on the morning of September 3rd with a light offshore from the NNW at 5 mph, but with a 1ft SE swell of 5 seconds, it's barely a ripple.

So, the bottom line is: if you're itching for a paddle, the cleanest window with the most juice is the morning of August 28th, but don't expect any push. For the rest, leave the board in the truck. The setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing with the constant onshore wind and weak swell. Don't lose all hope, though – forecasts can always change.

Rusty.

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