
Surf Forecasts:
Galveston surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 4s period, SSE swell with 27 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Galveston this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Galveston in the next 16 days are 0.8m 4s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 4s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Galveston over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this is a tough one for the Galveston area. The whole 16-day stretch is looking pretty bleak for any decent surf. We’ve got a run of flat, weak conditions that’s basically a bust for paddle surfing.
The problem is tiny, short-period windswell. From now through the whole period, the swell height barely touches 3 ft, with periods hanging around 4 to 7 seconds. That’s just not enough to form anything rideable. The combined energy is weak, rarely cracking three digits, sitting mostly in the 10 to 44 range – that’s barely a ripple. For a stretch of 16 days, there’s no standout window, no day to circle on the calendar. It’s a long, empty gap.
The water temperature is running at 87°F with a 2°F anomaly, so it’s a touch warmer than usual for this time of year at Galveston.
Friday afternoon, August 7th, kicks it off with a tiny 1 ft SE swell and a cross-on wind. Not worth paddling out. Saturday morning, August 8th, sees a brief moment of glassy conditions with that same 1 ft swell, but it’s still too weak to do anything with. The wind might be clean, but there's no power behind it.
The rest of the first week through the second week is a write-off: onshore winds, cross-on breezes, and that same weak, choppy slop. The combined energy does climb a bit around August 14th and 16th, hitting 44 and 37, but that’s still weak for the area, and the swell is too short-period to be any good.
Even the final few days, like the morning of August 22nd with a light cross-offshore wind, it’s attached to a pathetic 1 ft SSW swell. It’ll be clean, but flat. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the consistent onshore wind and the lack of any real swell.
So, the honest truth: there’s nothing to get excited about here. The forecast can change, but right now, it’s a total blank run. Don’t hold your breath.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Warm (max 29°C on Fri afternoon, min 28°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Mon afternoon, min 28°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | S 5 | SE 6 | SSE 4 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 20 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 20 | 27 | 16 | 20 | 25 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 5:13AM0.50m | 5:19AM0.52m | 5:39AM0.52m | 5:59AM0.49m | 1:36PM0.46m | 6:17AM0.46m | 3:08PM0.45m | 6:34AM0.43m | 4:28PM0.43m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 6:14PM-0.13m | 7:19PM-0.17m | 8:21PM-0.20m | 9:18PM-0.20m | 10:29AM0.44m | 10:10PM-0.17m | 10:49AM0.38m | 10:58PM-0.11m | 11:25AM0.31m | 11:43PM-0.03m | ||||||||||
— | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | |
8:06 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | S 6 | SE 4 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 5 | — | — | SE 5 | — | S 8 | S 10 | S 8 | S 10 | S 9 | SE 5 | SE 10 | SE 6 | SE 6 | — |
2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 20 | — | — | 18 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 15 | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 8 | SE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 8 | — | — |
1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | S 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | SE 4 | — | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | — | SSE 5 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | S 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 4 |
5 | 6 | — | 8 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 17 | — | 15 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 20 | 27 | 16 | 20 | 25 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1435 | 1322 | 1374 | 1295 | 1295 | 1335 | 1296 | 1295 | 1335 | 1329 | 1330 | 1335 | 1439 | 1330 | 1335 | 1452 | 1330 | 1335 | 1364 | 1330 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Texas | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











