Packery Channel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this is a tough one for the Texas coast. We’re looking at a 16-day stretch from the 12th of August all the way through to the 27th, and honestly, the surf gods aren’t smiling on us. The whole period is a write-off for any decent paddle surfing. There’s not a single session that’s worth getting excited about. The wind is mostly a problem, and the swell just doesn’t have the juice. It’s a long, flat spell.

Let’s start with the only spot on the cards: Packery Channel. This breakwater is a beginner-friendly spot, and it’s fairly consistent, but that doesn’t mean much when the conditions are this poor. The water temp is sitting at a warm 84°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t be cold.

From Wednesday afternoon the 12th, right through the rest of August, it’s a story of small, weak swell and onshore wind. The first few days have a tiny 3ft to 4ft SSE swell, but the period is a short, weak 5 to 6 seconds. The combined wave energy is pathetic, sitting between 47 and 87 (weak energy). On top of that, we’ve got a fresh cross-onshore wind blowing at 20 to 22 mph, making it lumpy and choppy. The surf reports all say the same thing: “poor surf conditions.” This is more of a kite-surfing breeze than a wave for a surfboard.

Moving into the weekend of the 15th and 16th, the swell ticks up just a hair to 4ft on Saturday morning, and the energy climbs to 126 (moderate), but the wind is still cross-onshore, ruining any shape. By Sunday morning, the wind drops to a light breeze, and we get an onshore flow, but the swell is back down to 3ft with a 6-second period. It’s just too weak to do anything with.

The second week is even more bleak. From the 17th all the way through the 27th, the swell rarely gets above 3ft, and the period stays short. The combined energy is mostly in the teens, twenties, or low thirties. The only slight glimmer comes on Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th in the mornings, when we get a clean, cross-offshore wind from the north and southwest. But the swell is a pathetic 3ft and 2ft, with a 6-second period. It’s clean, but it’s flat. You’d be lucky to find a ripple.

Bottom line: there’s nothing here. Save your petrol and your energy. This is a dead run for the Texas coast, which is normal for this time of year. Let’s hope the long-range charts show something better down the line, but for now, we’re taking a break.

Rusty.

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