Surf Forecasts:
South Padre Island surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period, SE swell with 135 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 1.2m 7s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 1PM. 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 | 1PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this is a tough stretch for South Padre Island. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a write-off for anyone looking for a decent paddle. The wind is locked in from the south-east, hammering the beach/jetty setup with a constant cross-onshore breeze. That’s gonna keep everything lumpy and choppy.
We start off on Wednesday the 15th. The swell is tiny, around 3ft from the SE with a short, weak period of 5 seconds. The energy is weak (44). It’s messy. Thursday the 16th offers a slight bump in height to 4ft and energy nudging into the moderate range (103), but that period is still a miserable 6 seconds and the wind hasn’t let up. It’s the same story day after day: a persistent cross-onshore wind, small swell, and poor surf conditions. The only real change is that the swell gets smaller as we go into the second week, dropping to barely 2ft by the 22nd and 23rd.
The water is sitting at a warm 82°, but that’s pretty average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The only break on offer is South Padre Island, and it’s an inconsistent spot, which makes sense given the lack of any real swell windows. Honestly, for the whole 16 days, there’s not a single standout. The best you could hope for is a knee-high dribbler on Thursday the 16th afternoon when the energy hits 103, but it’s still lumpy and cross-onshore. It’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one with these winds.
For the rest of July, right through to the 30th, it’s flat to tiny and messy. The period stays short, mostly 4–6 seconds, with the occasional weird 9-second spike on the 23rd and 24th, but that’s still tiny and cross-onshore. Forget about it. There’s a gap of no recommendations from the start, and it never really gets going.
This is a blank run. It’s the kind of stretch that’s more normal for the area when the summer pattern sets in. It won’t stay this poor forever, but for now, leave the boards in the car.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu morning. Warm (max 28°C on Wed morning, min 27°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sat morning, min 27°C on Sat morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 5 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 7 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 5 | SE 5 | SE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 42 | 69 | 68 | 72 | 103 | 77 | 85 | 85 | 78 | 88 | 109 | 63 | 74 | 88 | 53 | 38 | 29 | 26 | 19 | 29 | 26 |
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-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 1:17PM0.59m | 7:50AM0.60m | 3:32PM0.56m | 8:03AM0.54m | 5:14PM0.51m | 8:05AM0.50m | 7:03PM0.47m | 7:57AM0.48m | 9:22PM0.45m | 7:40AM0.49m | 7:08AM0.51m | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 12:43PM0.59m | 11:11PM0.01m | 12:23PM0.53m | 00:03AM0.10m | 12:55PM0.46m | 00:50AM0.20m | 1:42PM0.38m | 1:31AM0.31m | 2:37PM0.30m | 2:00AM0.41m | 3:35PM0.24m | 4:32PM0.20m | |||||||||
 | |  |  |  | | | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — |
 | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | ESE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 10 | — | — | E 10 | SE 7 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 2 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 2 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 9 | — | — | SE 5 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 5 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 7 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 5 | SE 5 | SE 6 |
| kJ | 42 | 69 | 68 | 72 | 103 | 77 | 85 | 85 | 78 | 88 | 109 | 63 | 74 | 88 | 53 | 38 | 29 | 26 | 19 | 29 | 26 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 974 | 1063 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1051 | 971 | 974 | 1051 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 991 | 971 | 974 | 999 | 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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