Surf Forecasts:
South Padre Island surf forecast from 13 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 19 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period, E swell with 215 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 19 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period with E swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for South Padre Island this week:
The surf forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 19) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 7s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at South Padre Island in the next 16 days are 1.4m 7s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Sat 19th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sat 19th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Fri 18th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here.
It's going to be a quiet spell for South Padre Island. Looking over the next 16 days, there isn’t one session that really stands out. The story is mostly small, short-period windswell with onshore winds messing it up. The first bit of any real push doesn't show up until around Friday the 18th, and even then, it’s nothing flash. Let’s go through it.
There’s nothing worth paddling out for this Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. Just tiny 2ft to 3ft windswell with cross-onshore breezes making it lumpy. Water temp is a warm 85°, which is about where it should be for this time of year, so no complaints there.
The first real pulse of swell tries to show on Friday the 18th. The morning brings a 5ft swell from the east with a 7-second period and moderate energy (215), but the wind is straight onshore and there’s a risk of thunderstorms. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s borderline too small and messy.
Saturday the 19th morning is the best of a very average bunch. We get a little cleanup from a light NNW breeze that’s cross-offshore, with a 3ft swell from the east. The energy drops to 97, so it’s weak, and the period is still a short 7 seconds. The break is inconsistent at the best of times, so you’ll be waiting around. Crowds are possible, but I don’t think many will be out for this. It’s rideable but very ordinary.
After that, it’s back to tiny stuff – 1ft to 2ft – right through to the 28th, with mostly onshore wind. No second pulse to speak of. A long dry stretch, honestly.
If you absolutely have to get wet, early Saturday the 19th at South Padre Island is your only real window, and that’s if you’re a beginner on a longboard with zero expectations.
Stay tuned, things can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun morning, min 27°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 27°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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 4 | SE 4 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 4 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 4 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | E 5 | E 4 | E 5 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 12 | 17 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 47 | 40 | 23 | 39 | 12 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 49 | 181 | 215 | 181 | 131 | 97 | 93 | 73 |
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 | on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:41PM0.54m | 4:07AM0.48m | 8:16PM0.53m | 10:55PM0.54m | 2:15AM0.56m | 2:37AM0.57m | 2:55AM0.57m | 3:05AM0.57m | |||||||||||||
Low Tide | 11:06AM0.21m | 00:14AM0.44m | 11:49AM0.18m | 00:49AM0.49m | 12:35PM0.16m | 00:56AM0.53m | 1:27PM0.17m | 2:26PM0.18m | 3:34PM0.19m | 4:43PM0.19m | |||||||||||
 | |  | | | | | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — |
 | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 32 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 8 | SE 8 | — | SE 7 | — | — | ESE 6 | E 9 | E 9 | E 5 | E 9 | — | E 7 | — | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 |
| kJ | 8 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | 14 | — | — | 12 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 2 | — | 215 | — | 131 | 97 | 93 | 73 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 9 | S 6 | — | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 6 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 4 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 4 | SE 6 | — | E 5 | E 4 | — | E 6 | E 7 | — | E 7 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 12 | 17 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 47 | 40 | 23 | 39 | — | 19 | 20 | — | 49 | 181 | — | 181 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 974 | 1055 | 971 | 971 | 999 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1208 | 971 | 9 | 1059 | 971 | 0 | 1062 | 971 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Texas | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our South Padre Island surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest