
Surf Forecasts:
Galveston surf forecast from 29 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 5s period, S swell with 43 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Galveston this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Galveston in the next 16 days are 1.0m 5s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 02) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Galveston over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s chat about the next 16 days for the Galveston coastline. I’ll level with ya – there’s nothing good on the menu. Not a single surf session that I’d bother waxing up for. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly trash, and the conditions are a mess from start to finish. This blank stretch runs from now, through the end of July, and all the way to the 12th of August. That’s a long, quiet period.
The only break we’re looking at is Galveston, a breakwater spot that’s inconsistent and rarely delivers. For the first few days – Tuesday the 28th of July through to Friday the 1st of August – the swell height is barely 2 ft to 3 ft, coming from the south or southwest, with periods as short as 4 seconds. That’s windswell, not groundswell. The combined energy is weak, mostly in the 12 to 22 range. Winds are a moderate to fresh breeze out of the south or southwest, cross-on or straight onshore. The water temp is sitting at a warm 87°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but you won’t be worrying about that when you’re staring at flat, choppy water.
From Saturday the 1st of August onward, it stays rough. Swell stays under 3 ft, period rarely gets past 5 seconds, and the energy figures stay in the weak teens to low thirties. There’s a brief moment on the morning of Monday the 3rd where we get a light cross-offshore breeze from the west at 6 mph, and the report calls it clean – but with only 2 ft of weak south swell and a 5-second period, “clean” just means you’ll have a nice view of the flat horizon. Still not worth it.
The second week, from the 5th of August onward, the swell drops even more – we’re talking 0.7 ft to 1 ft at times. The wind stays mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the combined energy dips into single digits (6 to 11). That’s as dead as it gets. The last few days, the 11th and 12th of August, see the swell just barely nudge up to 3 ft from the south-southeast with a period of 6 seconds and energy creeping up to 43 – still far too weak and short-period to do anything with, especially with a moderate cross-onshore breeze ruining any chance of a clean face.
If you’re a paddler, this 16-day outlook is a washout. For this area, a blank run like this isn’t a surprise – Galveston is an inconsistent spot that rarely fires, so when the swell is this small and the wind is this poor, you just have to roll with it. If you’re into kite surfing, the stronger south winds on the afternoons of the 1st and 2nd of August might catch your eye, but for a surfboard? Forget it. Forecasts can change, but as it stands, there’s nothing to chase.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 28°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 30°C on Sat morning, min 26°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Sat afternoon, light winds from the W by Mon morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 5 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | SW 4 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | SSE 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 4 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
10 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 43 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 17 | 12 | 15 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:55AM0.43m | 2:34PM0.39m | 7:11AM0.42m | 3:34PM0.37m | 7:27AM0.41m | 4:38PM0.36m | 7:42AM0.40m | 5:52PM0.34m | 7:52AM0.38m | 7:20PM0.32m | 7:57AM0.37m | 9:06PM0.31m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:32PM-0.08m | 11:32AM0.38m | 11:02PM-0.07m | 11:52AM0.35m | 11:31PM-0.04m | 12:22PM0.31m | 00:01AM0.01m | 12:57PM0.27m | 00:32AM0.07m | 1:35PM0.20m | 1:05AM0.15m | 2:18PM0.14m | 1:37AM0.23m | |||||||
— | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
8:14 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:08 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 |
Feels °C | 31 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 31 | 28 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 5 | SE 8 | S 7 | S 4 | — | S 7 | S 4 | S 8 | — | S 5 | S 5 | SSE 5 | S 5 | SE 9 | SE 8 |
2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 6 | — | 1 | 10 | 1 | — | 18 | 13 | 5 | 17 | 3 | 3 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SE 8 | — | SE 7 | SE 8 | — | SE 7 | — | — | SE 6 | — | — | S 9 | — | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 6 |
— | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 9 | — | SE 9 | SSE 9 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 3 | 8 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 5 | S 4 | — | S 5 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | SW 4 | S 4 | S 5 | — | — | S 3 | SW 4 | S 5 | S 4 |
10 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 14 | — | 12 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 43 | — | — | 5 | 10 | 12 | 15 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1435 | 1330 | 1335 | 1437 | 1330 | 1335 | 1437 | 1330 | 1335 | 1437 | 1330 | 1311 | 1391 | 1307 | 1311 | 1311 | 1311 | 1335 | 1435 | 1330 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Texas | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Galveston Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Galveston provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Galveston can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Galveston surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Galveston) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Galveston may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Galveston is 3 km (2 miles) from Galveston. If you plan a vacation in Texas, look for hotels and other accommodation in Galveston. Galveston has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










