Surf Forecasts:
Galveston surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 4s period, SSW swell with 24 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 20) at 4AM. 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 | 4AM (Thu 20th 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 cut to the chase. Looking over the next couple of weeks, it’s flat. Plain and simple. There’s nothing good on the horizon for Galveston, and with how inconsistent this break can be, a total blank run isn't unusual.
From the start, we're looking at tiny swells and weak energy. The combined energy readings are in the single digits and low teens (like 18), which tells you just how little power is in the water. We're talking about knee-high slop at best, with waves in the 2 to 2 feet range. The swell periods are short, around 5 seconds, so there's no push or shape to them at all. The water is 87°F, which is a touch warmer than average, but that's about the only positive thing here.
The wind is working against us the whole time. Mostly cross-onshore and onshore from the south and southeast, chopping up an already weak, mushy swell. There are a couple of brief windows, like the mornings of the 16th and 17th, where a light offshore W to WNW wind could smooth things out a little. But it's still only around 2 feet of swell. Maybe a longboard and a lot of patience for a beginner, but not worth it for anyone else.
Moving through the week and into the next, the swell stays weak and the wind stays messy. Around the 23rd and 24th, we see a slight pulse of energy, with readings reaching 43, but it's still a weak to moderate bump and it's blown out by onshore winds. It's not going to change the game.
So, there you have it. No good surf options in this entire 16-day stretch. If things glass off for a morning, maybe, just maybe, you'll find a dribble, but don't hold your breath. Keep the board in the rack. Forecasts can change, so we keep an eye on it, but for now, it's a solid pass.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 27°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 27°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 5 | SSE 5 | SE 6 | SSE 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 5 | SE 5 | S 4 | SSW 4 | S 3 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 14 | 17 | 22 | 11 | 16 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 16 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 7:05PM0.39m | 7:19AM0.38m | 8:33PM0.37m | 7:27AM0.37m | 10:17PM0.37m | 7:19AM0.38m | 5:17AM0.41m | 4:30AM0.45m | 4:51AM0.47m | ||||||||||||
Low Tide | 12:54PM0.17m | 1:04AM0.16m | 1:42PM0.11m | 1:39AM0.26m | 2:32PM0.07m | 2:04AM0.34m | 3:27PM0.04m | 4:29PM0.03m | 5:36PM0.02m | 6:41PM0.01m | |||||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — |
 | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
Feels °C | 33 | 31 | 29 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 33 | 31 | 29 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 5 | SSW 5 | SE 6 | SSE 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 5 | — | SE 5 | SSW 4 | SE 7 | SE 6 | S 4 | SE 7 | SSE 6 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 6 | S 4 | SE 8 | S 8 |
| kJ | 14 | 4 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 8 | 11 | — | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 1 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | S 8 | SSW 5 | SSW 4 | — | — | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 5 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 6 | — | SE 8 | S 8 | SE 7 | — | SE 5 | SE 5 | — |
| kJ | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 7 | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | — | SSE 6 | SSE 3 | — | SE 5 | S 4 | SSW 4 | S 3 | S 4 | SW 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | — | S 4 | S 4 |
| kJ | — | 17 | 22 | — | 12 | 4 | — | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | — | 10 | 16 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1335 | 1435 | 1311 | 1311 | 1311 | 1330 | 1335 | 1349 | 1307 | 1295 | 1295 | 1295 | 797 | 1403 | 1330 | 1335 | 1311 | 1330 | 1311 | 1311 | 1330 |
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Galveston surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
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