Galveston - Flagship Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for the Galveston area over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with ya – it's a tough stretch. We're lookin' at a long, dry spell.

The water at the Flagship Pier is sittin' at 30°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that's a little somethin'.

Right from the get-go, from this Friday, the 24th of July, right through to the end of the month, it's pretty much a write-off. We're talking tiny, weak surf – barely 1 ft to 3 ft – with periods so short they're just wind slop. The winds are mostly cross or cross-onshore, chopping it all up. The energy is low, barely registering above single or low double digits (like 43 or 17), so don't be fooled.

The first few days of August aren't much better. A bit more size starts to show on the morning of Sunday, the 2nd of August, with 3 ft swell from the SSW, but it's a strong southerly wind that's gonna trash it by the afternoon, making it lumpy and ugly. Not worth paddlin' out for.

The first real glimmer of hope – and I use that word loosely – shows up on the morning of Monday, the 3rd of August. We finally get a 'surfable but very ordinary' tag. The swell is still only 3 ft from the south, but we get a light cross-offshore wind from the southwest. The energy is creeping up a bit to 55, and the morning session might hold a clean, peelable wave or two. South swells are fine for the exposed Galveston – Flagship Pier.

Tuesday, the 4th of August morning sees a little more size, 4 ft from the south, period bumping up to 6 seconds with a gentle cross-shore breeze. The energy is up to 89, so it's getting there. It's not gonna be pumping, but by this point, it's the best we've seen. Actually, the standout of the whole outlook, if you can call it that, is a brief window on the morning of Wednesday, the 5th of August. We've got a 3 ft SSE swell, but the wind is light from the southwest, barely a breath, creating a glassy, cross-shore condition. The energy is at 66, so there's a bit of push. It’ll be small but clean, and that's the best we're gonna get.

After that, we slide back into the same old story. The afternoon of the 5th sees a jump in energy to 183 (moderate), but the swell is 4 ft from the SSE with a strong cross-onshore wind. That kind of setup on a beach break like Flagship is gonna be a messy, blown-out, choppy mess. Honestly, that's probably more interesting for the kite surfers than anyone on a paddle board.

The long-range into the second week is a lot of the same – small, weak, and wind-affected. It's a flat and frustrating pattern, but for this area, it's not unusual to get a run like this. Forecasts can change, but for now, keep your gear in the shed and your expectations low.

Rusty.

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