South Padre Island Surf Break

Lat Long: 26.67° N 97.29° W

South Padre Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 pm 03 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's South Padre Island sea temperature is
29.2°C
0.3° 

South Padre Island surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


South Padre Island surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period, SE swell with 44 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 0.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (CDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 1PM (Thu 10th Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 7s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Gather 'round, surfers. Rusty here, and I gotta tell ya, lookin' at this 16-day window for South Padre Island… it's a tough one. We're staring down a long, flat spell with hardly a wave worth paddling for. The first decent sign of energy doesn't show up until the very end of the run, way out on Friday the 18th of September. So, for the first couple of weeks, the beach is gonna be quiet. Real quiet. The good news is spots like this can flick a switch when the forecast changes, so don't lose all hope.

The first glimpse of something that could be a wave comes on Thursday afternoon, September 10th. The combined swell energy climbs to 76, which is still weak, but it's a pulse. Unfortunately, that pulse is from the ESE at just 2ft with a period of 7 seconds, and it's getting hammered by a cross-onshore breeze at 25 km/h. That's lumpy, messy, and not worth your time. The water's warm, sitting at 85°, which is about average for this time of year.

This pattern of poor conditions just keeps on rolling. Morning after morning, afternoon after afternoon, the wind is either cross or cross-on, the swell is tiny, and the period is short. We get a bit of a bump in the combined energy to 43 on the morning of Wednesday the 16th, but it's still just 2ft of weak, short-period swell from the SE with a cross-on wind. Not a single standout session in sight.

Now, the only real blip on the radar, the one you've been waiting for, is the afternoon of Friday the 18th of September. Swell finally shows a bit of life, hitting 3ft from the SE with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 156, which is a solid moderate energy. That's the best we've got all run. But even then, the wind is a moderate cross-onshore at 20 km/h, which is gonna keep the surface choppy. It's a beach and jetty break, so with that wind and a short-period swell, it's not going to be glassy. For a beginner, this is pushing it, as 3ft is manageable but the chop makes it harder. The bigger issue is that for the other 15 days, there's nothing. Nada.

So, my honest call? If you're a paddle surfer with a shortboard, this stretch is a write-off for the most part. That final Friday afternoon is the only window where you might get a few fun, though scruffy, rides. With the persistent cross and cross-onshore winds and generally weak swell, a kite would have a much better time of it out there for most of the period. Keep an eye on the charts, Padre, but for now, the board stays on the rack.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 28°C on Thu morning). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Sun morning, min 28°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Sun morning, fresh winds from the SE by Mon afternoon).

Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
SE
5
0.9
SE
4
0.7
SE
4
0.6
SE
5
0.6
ESE
5
0.5
SE
4
0.4
SE
4
0.4
ESE
3
0.5
SE
4
0.4
SE
5
0.6
ESE
3
0.5
SE
4
0.4
ESE
6
0.6
ESE
5
0.6
ESE
4
0.4
ESE
5
0.7
ESE
5
0.7
ESE
5
0.7
SE
5
0.7
ESE
5
0.6
ESE
5
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
16
22
17
14
15
8
5
4
6
6
7
6
12
17
12
9
23
25
27
23
19
Wind (km/h)
20
SSE
35
SE
25
SSE
20
SE
25
ESE
20
SE
15
SSE
25
ESE
20
SSE
10
SE
25
ESE
20
SSE
15
SE
35
SE
15
SE
20
SE
15
SE
20
ESE
15
SE
25
ESE
20
SE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
2:06AM0.60m
2:45AM0.63m
3:20AM0.65m
3:50AM0.63m
4:13AM0.60m
4:28AM0.56m
1:27PM0.55m
Low Tide
2:31PM0.12m
3:46PM0.10m
5:04PM0.07m
6:17PM0.06m
7:22PM0.06m
9:21AM0.53m
8:21PM0.09m
9:05AM0.48m
9:15PM0.14m
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
clear
rain showers
clear
thunderstorm
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:09
7:09
7:09
7:09
7:11
7:11
7:11
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:46
7:45
7:45
7:44
7:42
7:40
7:39
 mm
2
1
1
1
2
2
1
Temp °C
29
29
28
29
29
28
29
29
28
29
29
28
29
29
29
29
29
29
29
29
28
Feels °C
30
29
29
32
30
30
31
30
30
32
30
30
30
27
32
32
32
32
32
31
31
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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