Galveston Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you about Galveston – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and frustrating. The first real surf we can talk about is a tiny bump on Saturday morning, July 18th, but it’s nothing to get excited about. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak, and messy conditions.

The whole pattern is dominated by tiny swell from the south and southeast, with hardly any energy behind it. The combined swell energy is mostly in the single digits or low teens (weak). The water temp is around 86°, running about 0.9° warmer than normal for this time of year, so the water is nice and warm even if the waves aren't.

Let’s run through it. Starting Saturday morning, July 18th, we’ve got a 2ft swell from the south with a short period of 4 seconds – that’s just wind chop. The wind is a moderate cross-onshore from the SSW at 12 mph, making it choppy and poor. That afternoon, it’s even smaller at 2ft from the SSE. The whole weekend is a bust. Sunday, July 19th, offers nothing but tiny 1.0ft slop and cross-shore winds. The outlook is poor with zero scores.

The early part of the next week, Monday July 20th through Wednesday July 22nd, sees a few clean moments early in the mornings with light cross-offshore winds from the WNW, but the swell is only 0.7ft to 1.0ft – you’d be looking for knee-high dribbles. The combined energy is in the single digits (7 to 8). The afternoons get chopped up by southerly winds again.

We get a little more of the same Thursday and Friday, July 23rd and 24th, with those clean morning windows but the swell is still pathetic. This is a real dry spell, and there’s a gap of several days with absolutely nothing rideable. The consistency is listed as "inconsistent" which is being kind.

Moving into the second week, from Saturday, July 25th all the way through to the end of the month, it’s the same story: tiny, weak swell (0.7ft to 2ft), short periods, and mostly cross-onshore or onshore winds. The energy stays low (below 29). The only minor change is that by Tuesday, July 28th, the swell height stays small but the period stays short, so no quality.

The last few days of the forecast, August 1st and 2nd, see a slight uptick in swell. On Saturday morning, August 1st, we get a 2ft swell from the SE with a combined energy of 20 (still weak). The wind is still a moderate cross-onshore, and the wave comment is still "poor." The best-looking window in the whole 16 days is probably Sunday morning, August 2nd, with a 3ft SE swell and a gentle cross-onshore breeze, but it’s still short period (4 seconds) and the combined energy is only 25. It’s not a standout by any stretch.

The honest truth: There are no good surf options in this 16-day window for Galveston. The breakwater is exposed, but the swell direction from the south and southeast is not giving us any power. The lack of consistent swell and the persistent onshore winds mean this is a classic summer flat spell. For a break that’s already inconsistent, this blank run is pretty normal. The only thing worth mentioning is that if you’re desperate for a splash, the cleanest water will be early mornings when the wind is light and offshore, but you’ll be on a foamie for puddle waves. Don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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