South Padre Island Surf Break

Lat Long: 26.67° N 97.29° W

South Padre Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 pm 09 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's South Padre Island sea temperature is
29.1° C
0.4° 

South Padre Island surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


South Padre Island surf forecast from 10 Aug 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period, SE swell with 168 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 1.4m 7s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (CDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful10AM (Sat 15th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 7s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Well, I’ve had a proper look at what’s on offer for South Padre Island over the next couple of weeks, and I gotta be straight with you—it’s looking pretty grim for us paddle surfers. The whole 16-day stretch is a write-off for any decent waves. We’re looking at a long, flat gap from now, Sunday the 9th of August, all the way through to the end of the forecast period. There’s nothing that’s even close to being worth paddling out for.

We start off with Sunday morning, the 9th, and it’s tiny—only 1 ft of east swell with a short period of 5 seconds. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the ESE at 3 mph, but that’s about the only thing going for it. The energy is weak (8), and it’s labeled poor surf conditions. That’s the story for the whole run. Every single day, the swell is under 5 ft, most of it under 3 ft, and the period is usually short, around 5 to 6 seconds. That’s windswell, not groundswell. The wind is a constant cross-onshore, blowing from the SE or SSE at moderate to fresh speeds, keeping the surface chopped up and lumpy. The energy stays low, mostly in the double digits, with just a couple of days creeping into the 90s and one day, Saturday the 15th morning, hitting 253—but that’s still with a tiny 5 ft swell and a short 7-second period. The water temp is a warm 84° on Sunday the 9th, about normal for the time of year.

Bottom line: South Padre Island is a beach and jetty setup, and with these constant cross-onshore winds and tiny, weak swell, it’s honestly looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. For us wave hunters, it’s a blank run. This is a stretch that just doesn’t have any good surf options in the window. Forecasts can change, but right now, save the drive.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 27°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ESE on Sun morning, fresh winds from the SE by Mon afternoon).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 28°C on Wed morning). Mainly fresh winds.

Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
E
5
0.5
E
5
0.7
E
5
0.6
E
5
0.9
ESE
5
0.9
SE
5
0.7
ESE
5
0.9
SE
5
0.9
SE
4
0.9
SE
6
1.3
SE
5
1.1
SE
6
1.1
SE
6
1.2
SE
6
1
ESE
6
1
ESE
6
1.1
ESE
6
1
ESE
6
1.4
SE
7
1
ESE
7
0.9
ESE
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
7
13
29
21
39
33
22
31
32
54
96
95
98
109
68
80
90
68
168
91
72
Wind (km/h)
5
ESE
20
E
25
SSE
25
SSE
35
SE
25
SE
25
SE
30
SE
30
SSE
30
SSE
35
SE
30
SSE
30
SSE
30
SE
30
SSE
25
SSE
25
SE
35
SSE
25
SE
25
SE
30
SSE
Wind State
cross-on
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-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
5:03AM0.68m
5:36AM0.66m
6:01AM0.61m
1:39PM0.57m
6:16AM0.56m
3:13PM0.56m
6:22AM0.51m
4:38PM0.54m
6:20AM0.48m
6:05PM0.52m
Low Tide
7:23PM-0.01m
8:23PM-0.02m
9:19PM0.00m
10:26AM0.55m
10:12PM0.05m
10:40AM0.48m
11:01PM0.13m
11:12AM0.41m
11:47PM0.23m
11:53AM0.33m
00:26AM0.32m
clear
clear
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:56
6:58
6:58
6:58
6:58
7:00
7:00
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:10
8:09
8:08
8:07
8:07
8:07
8:06
 mm
1
1
Temp °C
28
29
28
29
28
28
28
29
28
28
28
28
28
29
28
28
29
28
29
28
28
Feels °C
33
30
29
29
27
29
30
30
30
29
27
29
29
30
29
29
31
29
30
29
29
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
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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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