Galveston Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about the surf outlook for Galveston over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you from the start – it's a pretty grim outlook for paddling. We’re looking at a long stretch of weak, short-period windswell with mostly onshore winds. There's a gap of surfable conditions at the very beginning of the period, with the first useful waves not showing up until around Wednesday the 22nd of July.

For the next week and a half, from now through July 21st, forget it. The swell is tiny, mostly around 2 ft from the SSE, and the period is a junkie 4 to 7 seconds. The combined energy is weak, barely reaching 80 at the end of this dry spell. Winds are onshore or cross-onshore, making it choppy. Yep, you guessed it – "poor surf conditions" is the name of the game day after day. No recommendations here whatsoever. If you're a kite surfer, this onshore wind setup might look interesting, but for a paddle surfer, this is a total blank run.

Now, things perk up just slightly for the morning of Wednesday the 22nd. That’s your best bet by far. We finally get a glassy morning, which is a major positive for a breakwater spot like Galveston. The swell bumps up to 3 ft from the SSW. The period is still short at 5 seconds, and the wave energy is still weak at 48, but it’s the only time the conditions are described as "surfable." It won't be pumping, but with clean, glassy conditions, there’ll be a few little crumbly ones to ride. Keep in mind that Galveston breaks inconsistently, so you’ll be doing a fair bit of waiting. Crowds are possible, but with such tiny surf, it shouldn't be too bad.

After that, it slides back into poor conditions. Thursday the 23rd gets a bit more height at 3 ft, but the onshore wind returns and chops it up. Friday the 24th morning looks clean with a cross-offshore wind and swell at 4 ft, giving the combined energy a nudge up to 80 – the best we see in the whole 16-day window. It's the strongest pulse, and with clean conditions, it might be worth a look, but the short 6-second period will keep the waves weak and mushy. It's still far from a standout, but it’s the second-best option after that glassy Wednesday morning.

So, to wrap it up: the first 12 days are a waste of time. Your one real shot at a decent session is the morning of Wednesday the 22nd of July for some clean, small waves. Friday morning the 24th could be worth a look too for the biggest, cleanest swell of the period. Just don't expect any barrels. Water temp is 87°, which is a touch warmer than normal for July.

Stay tuned, forecasts can change.

- Rusty

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