Galveston Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I gotta be straight with you—this outlook for Galveston is a tough one. We’re looking at a long, long stretch of pretty ordinary surf, and honestly, there’s not a single standout session in the whole 16-day run. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the conditions just aren’t cooperating for anything worth paddling out for. Let’s walk through it.

The first day, Sunday the 26th, kicks off with a risk of thunderstorms in the morning and a light cross-onshore breeze. Swell is a pathetic 1 ft from the SSE, with a short period of 5 seconds. The combined wave energy is weak (8). Water temp is 86°, which is about average for this time of year. It’s a poor scene—small, choppy, and not surfable. That afternoon clears up but the onshore wind picks up to 12 mph, still no go.

Monday the 27th through to Saturday the 3rd of August is more of the same. Swell height barely nudges past 2 ft, periods are short (4-5 seconds), and winds are either moderate cross-shore or cross-onshore. The combined energy stays low, between 10 and 38. Every session is rated “poor surf conditions.” There’s just no juice.

Sunday the 4th of August shows a slight bump in energy—combined energy hits 163 in the afternoon with a 3 ft SSE swell and a 6-second period—but the wind is onshore at 19 mph, making it messy and unsurfable. It’s still a dud.

Monday the 5th of August morning is almost there: a light cross-offshore wind from the NW at 6 mph, with a 3 ft SSE swell and a 6-second period. The combined energy is 47, and the comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s the only session in the whole window that’s even close to rideable, but it’s tiny and weak. Definitely not a standout.

From Tuesday the 6th of August onward, we’re back to flat or near-flat. Swell drops to 2-2 ft, periods are 5-6 seconds, and winds are onshore or cross-onshore. The combined energy is between 20 and 30. No luck.

There’s a gap of nearly two weeks where there’s no real surf on offer. The only faint glimmer is that Monday the 5th morning, but it’s still below average. For such a long dry spell, it’s a bummer. Galveston is a breakwater spot, exposed to the SSE swell, but it’s inconsistent and rarely breaks well. When it’s this flat and windy, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

That’s about all I’ve got. Hang in there, mates. Forecasts can change.

- Rusty

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