Surf Forecasts:
South Padre Island surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 5s period, SE swell with 87 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for South Padre Island this week:
The most powerful waves expected at South Padre Island in the next 16 days are 1.3m 5s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 7PM. 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 | 7PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's be honest, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for the South Padre Island area. We've got a long stretch ahead with hardly anything to get excited about. The first real chance of a wave doesn't pop up until late August, and even then, it's nothing to write home about.
Looking at the whole picture, the wind is just not playing ball. It's stuck in that cross-onshore direction from the southeast for days on end, keeping everything chopped up and messy. Swell energy is mostly weak, and the period is short, so we're looking at small, weak, and wind-affected waves.
For the first week and a half, from August 15th through to the 25th, it's a total blank. The swell is tiny, often under 3 ft, and the wind is ruining any chance of a clean wave. The water temperature is sitting at a warm 84°, which is about average for this time of year, but you'll be doing more floating than surfing.
The only time we see a slight uptick is towards the very end of the month. On Thursday, August 27th, we finally get a brief moment of offshore wind in the morning. The swell is still small, around 2 ft from the SE with a period of 5 seconds, and the energy is barely registering. It's not going to be great, but with that clean wind, you might find a tiny, glassy wave at South Padre Island if you're desperate. The next morning on the 28th also has light winds, but again, the swell is tiny.
Honestly, the standouts in this forecast are none. If you have to paddle out, wait for one of those light wind mornings right at the end of the month. For everyone else, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the persistent cross-onshore wind and small surf. We'll just have to wait and see if the forecasts change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sat afternoon, min 27°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Sun night, fresh winds from the SE by Mon night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 27°C on Tue afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Tue night, strong winds from the SE by Thu afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SE 5 | SE 4 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 94 | 42 | 42 | 62 | 37 | 16 | 25 | 22 | 13 | 28 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 34 | 66 | 58 | 30 | 47 | 27 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:05PM0.52m | 6:11AM0.47m | 7:45PM0.49m | 5:55AM0.48m | 10:13PM0.49m | 5:28AM0.51m | 4:42AM0.54m | 4:07AM0.57m | 4:10AM0.58m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 00:26AM0.32m | 12:40PM0.27m | 00:57AM0.41m | 1:33PM0.22m | 00:54AM0.48m | 2:30PM0.20m | 3:32PM0.18m | 4:36PM0.17m | 5:37PM0.16m | |||||||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — |
 | 8:06 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 30 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | — | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 6 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | — | — | ESE 8 | — | — | E 10 | SE 9 | E 8 |
| kJ | 94 | — | 42 | 62 | 37 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 8 | 7 | — | — | 6 | — | — | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 10 | — | SE 6 | — | — | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | — | ESE 6 | — | — | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SE 5 | SE 4 |
| kJ | 62 | 42 | — | 40 | — | — | 25 | 22 | 13 | 28 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 34 | 66 | 58 | 30 | 47 | 27 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1077 | 971 | 974 | 1005 | 974 | 971 | 999 | 971 | 974 | 1063 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1073 | 971 |
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Information about the South Padre Island Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for South Padre Island provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at South Padre Island can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our South Padre Island 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 (South Padre Island) 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 South Padre Island 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.
South Padre Island is 66 km (41 miles) from Harlingen. If you plan a vacation in Texas, look for hotels and other accommodation in Harlingen. Harlingen has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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