South Padre Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you about South Padre Island. I’ve had a good look at the charts, and to be honest, it’s a pretty grim 16-day stretch ahead. The good news is, there’s no swell to speak of for most of it, so you won’t be missing much. The bad news is, there’s no swell to speak of for most of it.

The first recommendation doesn’t pop up until Saturday the 25th of July, and even then it’s a struggle. We’ve got a gap of a few days of totally flat or near-flat, junk conditions before that. The water temperature is sitting around 83°F on the 22nd, which is about average for the time of year, so at least a dip will be warm.

The highlight—if you can call it that—is a brief window on Saturday morning, the 25th of July. South Padre Island (beach/jetty) will see a tiny 4ft swell from the SE, but it’s a short period windswell at 6 seconds, so it’s going to be weak and crumbly. The combined energy is only moderate (121), and the wind is a moderate cross-onshore breeze creating choppy conditions. It’s close to being the best on offer purely because everything else is worse. The break is inconsistent, so don’t expect much. This is a beginner-level spot, and the 4ft is fine for a learner, but the wind and chop won’t do it any favours. Crowds are possible here sometimes.

The rest of the outlook is a catalogue of poor surf. Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd are flat with junk wind. From the 24th right through to the 6th of August, we’re locked into a pattern of onshore and cross-onshore winds, mainly from the SE and SSE, blowing between 12 and 28 mph. The swell never gets above 4ft, and when it does nudge up on the 28th of July afternoon (4ft SE), it’s a 5-second period and a fresh cross-onshore, making it a lumpy, messy wall. The wave energy peaks at 127 on the 4th of August afternoon, but still with a fresh cross-onshore wind and a poor surf rating.

There is nothing in this 16-day window that qualifies as a standout. It’s all poor surf conditions across the board. For a beach/jetty setup like this, with the constant wind and weak swell, honestly, this looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddler. The long-range stuff around the 4th and 5th of August shows a little more energy, but with the same crappy wind, it’s not worth getting excited about. Forecasts can change, but right now, leave the boards at home.

Rusty.

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