
Surf Forecasts:
South Padre Island surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, ESE swell with 72 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 1.0m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 4PM. 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 | 4PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for South Padre Island over the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, I gotta be straight with you – it's a tough stretch ahead. For the entire 16-day period, the surf just isn't cooperating. The forecast is a long run of poor surf conditions with hardly any energy in the water.
We start off on Tuesday the 8th and it's a flat, blown-out mess. Swell is tiny at 1 ft from the southeast with a short, weak period of 4 seconds. The combined energy is weak at just (9), and it's even weaker on Wednesday and Thursday. Winds are mostly cross-onshore or cross-shore, making it choppy and bumpy. There's simply no quality to be had. This grim pattern of small, weak, and messy surf carries on day after day.
We finally see a little bump in combined energy around the 19th of September, with a reading of (187) on Saturday afternoon. The swell bumps up to 4 ft from the east-southeast, but it's still a short period of 7 seconds. It's not enough to clean up the conditions, and the outlook remains poor.
Water temp is sitting at a warm 85°, which is about average for this time of year.
Look, if you're a paddle surfer, there's nothing here worth chasing. The setup with the persistent onshore wind and small, weak swell is honestly more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s a blank run, plain and simple. We might have to wait for a shift in the weather pattern to breathe some life back into this stretch of coast.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 28°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Tue morning, fresh winds from the SE by Thu afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Fri morning, min 28°C on Fri morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 5 | ESE 6 | SE 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
7 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 15 | 53 | 35 | 60 | 42 | 43 | 55 | 34 | 26 | 38 | 39 | 30 | 55 | 41 | |
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 | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 11:30AM0.54m | 4:28AM0.56m | 1:27PM0.55m | 4:36AM0.51m | 2:52PM0.56m | 4:37AM0.47m | 4:09PM0.56m | 4:33AM0.45m | 5:23PM0.55m | 4:23AM0.46m | 6:41PM0.54m | 4:07AM0.48m | 8:16PM0.53m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:21PM0.09m | 9:05AM0.48m | 9:15PM0.14m | 9:22AM0.41m | 10:05PM0.21m | 9:52AM0.33m | 10:52PM0.28m | 10:27AM0.27m | 11:35PM0.36m | 11:06AM0.21m | 00:14AM0.44m | 11:49AM0.18m | 00:49AM0.49m | ||||||||
7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | |
— | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
Feels °C | 34 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 8 | E 6 | E 6 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | ESE 9 | E 10 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | — | — |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | — | — | E 8 | — | — | — | NE 5 | — | — | E 8 | — | E 5 | — | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 5 | ESE 6 | SE 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 |
7 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 15 | 53 | 35 | 60 | 42 | 43 | 55 | 34 | 26 | 38 | 39 | 30 | 55 | 41 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 971 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1051 | 974 | 971 | 997 | 971 | 974 | 1062 | 971 | 974 | 1062 | 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.










