Surf Forecasts:
South Padre Island surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period, SE swell with 128 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 (Aug 07) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 02) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, grab a coffee, because I’ve had a good look at the charts for South Padre Island, and honestly, it’s a tough one for us paddle surfers. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a flat spell, with no real standout days to get excited about. The surf is just not cooperating.
Let's start with the water. The sea temp is sitting at 83°, which is pretty much bang on average for the time of year, so you won't need a thick suit.
The first recommendation is for South Padre Island, a beach and jetty setup that's exposed to the swell. It's an inconsistent spot, so when it's flat, it's flat. From Saturday the 1st right through to Sunday the 16th, every single session is tagged as "poor surf conditions." The swell is tiny, mostly 1 ft to 4 ft, coming from the SE or ESE, and the period is short—between 4 and 7 seconds. That's windswell, not groundswell, so the waves will be weak and crumbly.
The real killer is the wind. It's almost always a cross or cross-onshore breeze, blowing between 6 and 25 mph. That's going to put a chop on the surface and make it messy. The combined energy of all swells is weak, sitting mostly under 100, with a couple of days hitting triple digits like 192 and 207 in the second week, but even then, the wind and conditions are still poor.
There are no real standouts here. The best you could hope for is a very small window on the morning of Friday the 14th of August, where the swell hits 4 ft from the ESE with a period of 7 seconds, and the wind is onshore at 12 mph. But even then, it's still rated as "poor surf conditions." For a beginner spot, the swell is small enough, but the wind is just wrong for any real quality.
Given the consistent lack of surf quality, strong wind, and the beach/reef setup, honestly, this looks more like a kite-surfing window than a paddle-surfing one. The wind is strong enough to get a kite up, but for us, it's a long wait.
It's a blank run, and for this area, that's not unusual. It tends not to stay poor for long, but right now, the forecasts are not our friend.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 27°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Sat afternoon, light winds from the E by Sun morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 27°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 6 | SE 4 | ESE 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 13 | 49 | 42 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 8 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 24 | 19 | 20 | 26 | 37 | 46 | 75 | 71 | 128 | 102 | 58 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 4:37PM0.46m | 6:52AM0.51m | 5:59PM0.45m | 6:50AM0.50m | 7:43PM0.44m | 6:45AM0.50m | 10:23PM0.46m | 6:30AM0.51m | 5:46AM0.54m | 3:30AM0.59m | 3:49AM0.65m | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 12:26PM0.42m | 11:41PM0.25m | 12:57PM0.37m | 00:09AM0.31m | 1:33PM0.31m | 00:36AM0.38m | 2:17PM0.26m | 00:51AM0.45m | 3:09PM0.20m | 4:09PM0.14m | 5:14PM0.08m | ||||||||||
 | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — |
 | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 30 | 28 | 29 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SE 5 | E 9 | E 10 | SE 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 8 | — | E 10 | — | — | SE 7 | SE 7 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 14 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | 2 | — | — | 128 | 102 | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | E 9 | SE 9 | E 9 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | — | ESE 5 | SE 6 | — | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 6 | SE 4 | ESE 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 |
| kJ | 13 | 49 | 42 | — | 18 | 18 | — | 17 | 17 | 11 | 24 | 19 | 20 | 26 | 37 | 46 | 75 | 71 | 64 | 73 | 58 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 974 | 1063 | 971 | 104 | 1003 | 971 | 1001 | 1077 | 971 | 974 | 1077 | 971 | 974 | 1187 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 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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