Surf Forecasts:
South Padre Island surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 7s period, E swell with 166 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 1.3m 7s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 4AM. 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 | 4AM (Fri 18th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Alright, let’s have a look at what South Padre Island has cooking for us over the next couple of weeks.
Straight up, it’s a tough period ahead. The surf is looking pretty weak and messy for the vast majority of the 16-day window, with the swell energy staying below 100 (moderate wave energy) until the very last days. The winds are predominantly cross or onshore, creating lumpy, choppy, and poor conditions day after day. Don’t get too excited for a solid session for the next two weeks, to be honest.
We start off Saturday the 12th of September with a tiny 3ft SSE swell (combined energy 24), but a fresh 19 mph cross-shore wind has it all lumpy and poor. That pretty much sets the tone. Sunday the 13th through to Friday the 18th of September sees tiny swells, mostly from the SE to E, all under 4ft and with short periods (4-7 seconds). The wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, so we’re looking at messy, choppy surf all the way. There’s a bit of a lift on Saturday the 19th of September with a glassy morning from the ENE (3 mph), swell 2ft, but with a period of only 6 seconds, it’s just not packing any punch (combined energy 45).
Early in the second week, Sunday the 20th of September morning has a light cross-offshore wind from the NW, making conditions clean, but the swell is only 1ft from the E (combined energy 14) – barely a ripple. After that, it’s back to tiny, weak, and choppy right through to the end of the week.
However, if you are patient, the very last part of the forecast shows a glimmer of something better. On Saturday the 27th of September, we finally see a bit of energy turn up. The overnight into Sunday morning the 28th of September (Sunday morning), the swell reaches 4ft from the E with a longer period of 8 seconds and combined energy of 166 (moderate wave energy). The wind is light from the NE, so it’s a light cross-onshore, meaning it will be a little bumpy but rideable. Sunday afternoon gets even better, with the swell lifting to 4ft from the ENE, a 9-second period, and combined energy jumping to 232 (moderate wave energy). The wind is a gentle 9 mph cross-onshore, so it’ll be a bit messy but much more powerful than anything we’ve seen. This is the standout session, but it’s a long time away and not super clean. For a spot that’s inconsistent, this is about as good as it gets in this outlook.
South Padre Island (the main break here) is a beach/jetty spot, so it’s exposed to our wind, and it rarely breaks well. The water temp is sitting at a balmy 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The best chance to get a wave that’s not a complete battle is that Sunday the 27th of September. The forecast has a few small spikes before that, but nothing worth writing home about. For now, it’s a waiting game. The surf should pick up a little in the very long range, but remember, long-range calls are always a bit uncertain. Stay tuned.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 28°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 28°C on Tue morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 6 | SE 4 | SE 6 | SE 4 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 5 | E 4 | E 5 | E 5 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 15 | 45 | 21 | 18 | 24 | 29 | 19 | 49 | 26 | 32 | 21 | 34 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 27 | 152 | 131 | 147 | 92 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:23PM0.55m | 4:23AM0.46m | 6:41PM0.54m | 4:07AM0.48m | 8:16PM0.53m | 10:55PM0.54m | 2:15AM0.56m | 2:37AM0.57m | 2:55AM0.57m | ||||||||||||
Low Tide | 10:27AM0.27m | 11:35PM0.36m | 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 | ||||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — |
 | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 31 | 29 | 29 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 32 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 8 | — | — | SE 9 | — | — | ESE 6 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 5 | E 9 | — | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 |
| kJ | 1 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 3 | — | — | 13 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 2 | — | 131 | 147 | 92 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 5 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 9 | — | — | SE 5 | SE 9 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 6 | — | — | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 6 | SE 4 | SE 6 | SE 4 | ESE 6 | — | E 5 | E 4 | — | E 5 | E 7 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 15 | 45 | 21 | 18 | 24 | 29 | 19 | 49 | 26 | 32 | 21 | 34 | — | 12 | 8 | — | 27 | 152 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 974 | 1063 | 971 | 974 | 1062 | 971 | 974 | 1014 | 971 | 974 | 1062 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 104 | 1273 | 900 | 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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