Galveston - Flagship Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks. Rusty here. Let’s be honest about what we’re looking at for the next couple of weeks.

It’s a pretty flat stretch overall. The first real suggestion isn’t until Saturday, July 11th, and even then, it’s a grind.

Galveston - Flagship Pier is the only spot in the mix, a beach/pier setup that’s wide open to the southeast. The water’s running at 87°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year.

Saturday afternoon kicks off with a tiny, glassy 2ft swell from the SSE, but it’s got a short period of just 5 seconds, so it’s weak and messy. The combined energy is a measly 17 (weak energy). There’s a risk of thunderstorms, and the surf conditions are just poor. Sunday morning is similar, with a 2ft SSE swell and a light cross-onshore breeze that’s making small wind ripples. The energy is still pathetic at 18.

For the next few days, we’re stuck with swells from 1ft to 2ft, mostly from the SSE or SE, with periods barely hitting 7 seconds. The wind is usually cross or cross-onshore, keeping things choppy and ugly. The combined energy stays in the low double digits, maxing out at 43 on Tuesday the 14th afternoon – still weak. On Wednesday the 15th, there’s a brief clean window with a cross-offshore wind in the afternoon, but the swell is only 1ft – not even worth paddling out for.

The week of the 16th to the 22nd is a total bust. Swells are tiny, periods are short, and the wind is almost always onshore or cross-shore, making for lumpy, choppy conditions. It honestly looks more like a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one.

The best chance for anything rideable comes late in the window. On Thursday, July 24th, we finally get a clean morning with a moderate offshore wind from the WNW and a 3ft swell from the SSW. The period is still short at 4 seconds, so it won’t have any power, but the combined energy is 26 – still weak, but it’s the highest we’ve seen during a clean wind window.

If you’re really jonesing, the morning of Saturday, July 26th might be your best bet. A 3ft S swell with a clean cross-offshore wind from the SW. The period is still only 4 seconds, so it’s weak, but it’s clean. The energy is 26.

Bottom line: there’s a big gap of flat, choppy junk from now until the 24th. A few clean windows might offer a knee-high slop for a longboard, but that’s about it. It’s a tough one.

Rusty.

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