Galveston Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and shabby for Galveston. There’s no real swell on the horizon, and the winds are mostly going to be messing things up anyway. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak surf, so don’t get your hopes up for any heroics. It’s a waiting game, pure and simple.

We kick things off this Monday, the 17th, and honestly, it’s not much to write home about. There’s a tiny southeast swell running at 1ft with a short, weak 5-second period. The wave energy is pathetic, sitting at 7. The morning has a light WNW cross-off breeze which will keep things clean, but with waves that small, it’s a lake. Afternoon brings a sea breeze from the SSE at 12 mph, putting it straight onshore, so it’ll be a mess. This is a pattern we’re going to see for days.

The next week is a blur of poor conditions. Tuesday the 18th sees a drop to 1ft from the SSW, and the onshores kick in harder in the afternoon. By Wednesday and Thursday, the 19th and 20th, the wind is mostly cross-shore or on, and the swell stays tiny, between 1ft and 2ft. The energy is still in the single digits, like 7 to 19. This is not surfable, it’s just chop.

Friday the 21st offers a tiny glimmer, with the swell bumping up to 2ft from the SSW, and the energy reading 37, which is the strongest we’ll see for a while. But the morning SW wind is cross-on, and by afternoon a fresh 19 mph S breeze turns it into a lumpy, blown-out mess. It’s a tease, and not a good one.

The weekend from the 22nd to the 24th keeps the pattern of 1ft to 2ft surf with persistent onshore and cross-shore winds. The energy is back down to the teens and single digits. It’s flat, it’s choppy, it’s just not worth paddling out.

We go into the last week of August with more of the same. The 25th, 26th, and 27th are all in that 1ft to 2ft range, with the occasional cleaner morning. The morning of the 26th and 27th have a light W cross-off breeze, which will make the water look glassy, but with waves that small, you’ll be bobbing around more than riding. The energy is weak, scoring between 4 and 12.

The 28th and 29th see the swell fade even more, down to 0.7ft and 1ft. There’s a risk of a t-storm on the 28th morning, but also a clean NW wind. But again, it’s about as flat as it gets.

We hit rock bottom on the 30th, with a 0.3ft, 8-second swell. That's just a ripple.

Now, here’s the only thing that could be interesting: Monday, the 31st of August, and into Tuesday, the 1st of September. We see the swell nudge up to 2ft on the Monday morning, with a clean, slight offshore W wind. The energy is 23, which is something. It’s not big, but it might be clean and rideable on a high tide. The swell is from the SE, which is the right direction for this breakwater. Then by Tuesday the 1st, it’s up to 3ft from the ESE with an energy of 25. It’s not big, but it's the best we see in this whole window. The problem is, the afternoons are still going to be onshore slop. The morning of the 1st has a light S wind, creating a slight cross-on condition, but it could still be the most promising session of the stretch.

So, here’s the deal. For the next week and a half, you’re better off finding something else to do. This is a classic summer flat spell. The only real window to keep an eye on is that last day of August and the first of September. It’s still going to be small, but with any luck, the clean morning conditions will make it worth a paddle. It’s a long-range call, so don’t book the day off work yet. But it’s the only thing on the menu that’s not a total disappointment.

Rusty, out.

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