Surf Forecasts:
South Padre Island surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 5s period, SE swell with 55 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 1.1m 5s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Gutted, folks. I’ve stared at this forecast for South Padre Island until my eyes went square, and the news ain't good. We’ve got a solid 16-day window here, but it’s looking like a whole lot of flat, blown-out nothing. The swell window is just not lining up for us at all.
The first week is a write-off. From Tuesday the 18th through to the following Monday the 24th, the swell is tiny—mostly under 3ft—and it’s coming in with periods of 4-5 seconds, which is just chop. On top of that, the wind is cross-shore or cross-on from the southeast every single day, with speeds anywhere from 9 mph up to a gusty 25 mph. You’ll be fighting the surface texture more than riding any wave. There’s no energy at all, with the combined energy reading at 10 to 45. It’s a beach and jetty setup, so even the little bumps we get are going to be messy and lumpy. This is more of a kite-surfing kind of a scene than a paddle-surfing one, to be honest. The water temp is 84°, which is about normal for this time of year, but that’s the only thing that’s normal.
The second week doesn’t offer any real hope either. From Tuesday the 25th right through to Tuesday the 1st of September, it’s more of the same. The swell stays tiny and weak, with the energy values dropping down into single digits at times. The winds stay mostly cross-shore and cross-on, so everything is choppy. There’s a brief moment on the morning of Monday the 24th with a light cross-offshore breeze and a clean look, but the swell is still a pathetic 1ft with a 5-second period. Not even a longboard would be fun in that.
As we slide into the final days of the window on Wednesday the 2nd of September, it’s still a bust, just over a week away. The swell is a touch bigger at 3ft, but it’s still that short-period windswell, and the onshore winds keep it ragged. The energy is a moderate 33, but it doesn’t matter when the quality is so poor.
Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. This is a blank run. South Padre (South-Padre-Island) is just not offering up a single decent wave in this whole 16-day outlook. Everything is scoring zero. When the forecast is this consistently poor, it’s more normal for the area to just go flat than it is to see a dramatic change. But hey, that’s the coast for you. Forecasts have a way of changing, and it tends not to stay this bad for long. So keep your board waxed and your eyes on the charts. When it comes back, it’ll come back with a smile.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 27°C on Tue morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Fri afternoon, light winds from the SSE by Sat morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 5 | ESE 9 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 3 | SE 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 10 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 24 | 19 | 40 | 26 | 18 | 36 | 28 | 33 | 27 | 20 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 11 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | on | cross |
High Tide | 4:42AM0.54m | 4:07AM0.57m | 4:10AM0.58m | 4:21AM0.59m | 4:35AM0.59m | 4:47AM0.59m | |||||||||||||||
Low Tide | 2:30PM0.20m | 3:32PM0.18m | 4:36PM0.17m | 5:37PM0.16m | 6:31PM0.15m | 7:17PM0.14m | 7:59PM0.13m | ||||||||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — |
 | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:57 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 5 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | E 9 | SE 9 | — | E 9 | — | E 8 | SE 5 | — | ESE 6 | E 8 | E 8 | — | SE 5 | SE 7 | E 9 |
| kJ | 10 | 16 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 3 | — | 2 | — | 1 | 17 | — | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | 8 | 2 | 1 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | E 10 | — | — | — | E 10 | — | SE 7 | — | — | — | — | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | E 10 | E 8 | — |
| kJ | 8 | 7 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 10 | E 9 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ESE 3 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | — | ESE 3 | SE 4 |
| kJ | — | 7 | 10 | 6 | 21 | 24 | 19 | 40 | 26 | 18 | 36 | 28 | 33 | 27 | 20 | 9 | 10 | 11 | — | 7 | 11 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 974 | 1062 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1201 | 971 | 320 | 1062 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1201 | 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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