Surf Forecasts:
Galveston surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, ESE swell with 82 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Galveston this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Galveston in the next 16 days are 1.0m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 1PM. 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 | 1PM (Thu 17th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Galveston over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what the next couple of weeks look like for our local breaks.
The water temp is running about 87°F which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home for now.
Honestly, the outlook is a bit of a bummer. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing much to get excited about. There isn’t a single standout session in the entire 16-day window. The combined swell energy barely gets into double digits, hanging around the 10-20 range for most of it, which is real weak. The only little blip of energy comes on Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th, but even then, it’s nothing to write home about.
From Saturday the 12th all the way through to the end of the period on the 27th, every single report is marked as "poor surf conditions." That’s a solid two weeks of flat or near-flat dribble. The swell heights are tiny, mostly 0.3ft up to a maximum of 3ft and the period is short, hanging around the 4 to 6 second mark. That's all windswell, with no real punch. The wind adds to the misery – for the first week it’s mostly onshore or cross-onshore, with a moderate breeze keeping things choppy and messy.
There is one day that’s a little different. On Friday morning the 18th, we get a brief moment with the wind going glassy and clean, but the swell is still only 2ft from the SE with a short 6-second period and energy of just 28. It’s tiny and weak. The following Saturday morning the 19th flips to a gentle offshore breeze from the NNW, which would keep the surface clean, but the swell drops to a pathetic 1ft. It’s really only worth a bodysurf if you’re desperate.
For beginners, the swell never gets over 5ft, so there’s no danger of it being too big, but there’s also no real wave to learn on. The water's warm, but the surf quality is poor.
Given the lack of any real swell, the breakwater at Galveston isn't going to offer anything worth paddling out for.
Right, that’s the grim reality of it. Looks like the board stays in the car for a while.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 30°C on Sat morning, min 29°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 28°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Wed night, calm by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 5 | S 5 | S 6 | S 5 | S 5 | S 3 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 6 | SE 5 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 17 | 21 | 22 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 21 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 39 | 63 | 75 | 49 | 28 | 25 | 17 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 6:15PM0.48m | 5:39AM0.43m | 7:27PM0.48m | 5:43AM0.44m | 8:46PM0.48m | 5:29AM0.45m | 10:24PM0.48m | 4:15AM0.47m | 3:36AM0.50m | 3:51AM0.52m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 11:31AM0.17m | 00:04AM0.27m | 12:10PM0.12m | 00:40AM0.35m | 12:51PM0.09m | 1:11AM0.42m | 1:35PM0.08m | 1:22AM0.47m | 2:27PM0.08m | 3:29PM0.09m | 4:42PM0.10m | ||||||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | | | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — |
 | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — |
mm | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 |
Feels °C | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 9 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SSE 5 | SE 7 | — | SSE 5 | SE 8 | — | SE 8 | S 6 | — | — | — | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 6 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 2 | — | 9 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 49 | 28 | 25 | 17 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 9 | SE 10 | SE 9 | S 9 | — | SE 8 | SSE 7 | — | S 9 | — | — | — | S 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | 2 | 5 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 11 | SE 8 | — | SE 9 | — | SE 8 | — | — | — | S 11 | — | S 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 2 | 3 | — | 3 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | S 5 | S 6 | S 5 | S 5 | S 3 | — | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | — | SSE 5 | SE 6 | SE 5 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 17 | 21 | 22 | 11 | 8 | 6 | — | 9 | 21 | — | 10 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 39 | 63 | 75 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1335 | 1295 | 1307 | 1335 | 1295 | 1295 | 1335 | 1295 | 1330 | 1335 | 1437 | 1330 | 1335 | 1435 | 687 | 303 | 1596 | 577 | 1335 | 1307 | 1311 |
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.
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