South Padre Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real. I’m looking at the charts for South Padre Island, and the honest truth is, this stretch is looking pretty flat. We’ve got a 16-day window ahead of us, but it’s gonna be a tough one. There’s a big dry spell here, and it doesn’t really look like we get any proper surf until the second week, and even then, it’s not going to set the world on fire.

The first real bit of swell we see starts to show up around Sunday the 13th of September. Up until then, it’s a whole lot of nothing. Days and days of tiny, weak, choppy junk. You’ll be staring at a lake. From the 4th of September all the way through to the morning of the 13th, we're talking about a solid 9-day gap with nothing worth paddling out for. The wind is mostly cross-onshore or cross, and the swell heights barely hit 3 ft, with periods that are short and weak. The combined energy is just in the double digits (15 to 85) – that’s weak sauce.

So, what’s the best we’ve got? It’s not much, but there’s a slight bump on the afternoon of the 13th of September. The swell pushes up to about 4 ft from the ESE, with a period of 5 seconds. That’s short period, so it’s gonna be a bit crumbly, but it’s the biggest we’ll see. The wind is a cross-onshore from the SE at 15 mph, so it’s gonna be choppy and a bit messy. This is at South Padre Island (beach/jetty setup). The water temp is sitting at 84°F right now, which is about average for the time of year.

The rest of the following week just keeps the same story. The swell stays small, around 3 ft to 4 ft, with periods that never get above 6 seconds, and the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore. The energy is still weak, peaking at 77 on that Sunday the 13th. It’s just not gonna be a clean wave. For a beginner, the swell is small enough to be safe, but the chop will make it frustrating. For anyone else, it’s a bit of a wait and see.

Honestly, if you’re a kite surfer, the steady cross-onshore wind might be more interesting than the paddle surfing. The beach setup is going to be blown out and lumpy, so you might be better off with a kite than a board for this run.

The second week is the same old story. No real standouts, just small, weak, onshore slop. The swell from the 14th to the 19th of September stays tiny, 2 ft to 3 ft, with the same short periods and crummy wind. The combined energy stays in the low double digits (22 to 56). It’s a long, flat period.

So, there’s no real standout here. The best you can hope for is the afternoon of the 13th of September, but don’t expect much. It’s a poor run for the island, but that’s how it goes sometimes. The forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but I wouldn’t be holding my breath.

Rusty.

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