Galveston - Flagship Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's cooking in the Galveston area.

Honestly, looking at the next 16 days from Wednesday, July 22nd all the way through to Thursday, August 6th, it’s a quiet stretch for Galveston – Flagship Pier. There’s pretty much nothing on the table that’s worth getting excited about. The whole period is a flat spell with tiny, weak waves and tricky wind.

Water temp is sitting at 86°, which is about normal for the time of year, so at least a dip will feel good.

We kick off Wednesday morning, July 22nd, with a tiny 1.0 ft swell from the SSW and a weak 4-second period. The combined energy is only a measly 6, so there’s no power in the water. The wind is offshore from the WNW at 12 mph, which would make for clean conditions, but there’s just not enough wave to push a flea around. It’s a morning for a paddle, not a proper surf. That afternoon the wind swings to a cross-shore SSW at 16 mph, and the swell barely bumps up to 1 ft – still absolute junk.

Thursday the 23rd sees a slight bump to 2 ft in the morning with a clean cross-offshore wind from the north at 19 mph, but the period is still a short 6 seconds and the energy is just 30. That afternoon things get ugly: a near gale from the SSW at 34 mph blows the 3 ft swell to pieces. It’s a write-off.

Friday the 24th, Saturday the 25th, and Sunday the 26th are all the same sad story. Tiny surf, mostly in the 1 ft to 2 ft range, with side-shore or onshore winds. The best you get is a bit of clean morning glass on Saturday the 25th with a light breeze, but the swell is too small to care about.

The pattern continues through the entire first week of August. A few mornings show a clean cross-offshore wind from the WSW, like on Sunday, August 2nd and Monday, August 3rd, with the swell finally reaching 3 ft. The energy climbs to 38 and 40 respectively, which is still weak. The period is a short 5 seconds, so it’s just windswell – weak, crumbly, and unorganized. It’s not terrible for a beginner to get wet in, but for anyone else, it’s a tough call.

Tuesday, August 4th through Thursday, August 6th stay in the same rut: 2 ft to 3 ft surf, often with a cross-chop or lumpy onshore wind.

There are no standout days. No solid groundswell. The best of a bad bunch would be the mornings of Sunday, August 2nd, and Monday, August 3rd, with the 3 ft swell and a clean cross-offshore breeze. If you’re desperate, you might get a few knee-high peelers, but that’s the absolute ceiling. The whole setup is more interesting for a kite than a paddle.

Rusty.

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