South Padre Island Surf Break

Lat Long: 26.67° N 97.29° W

South Padre Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 am 02 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 2 Sep 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 4s period, SE swell with 38 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 4s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 7PM. 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 7PM (Wed 2nd Sep)3.5ft (1.0m) 4s

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


The Lowdown

Hey, it’s Rusty. Looking at the 16-day picture for South Padre Island, I’ve got to call it how it is: this is a dry spell.

From Wednesday 2nd September, we’re in the doldrums. The first week offers nothing but tiny, weak windswell – maybe 1 to 3 feet from the SSE to ESE, with periods hanging around 4 to 5 seconds. The wind is constantly blowing cross-onshore at 12 to 22 mph, messing up the surface with choppy, lumpy conditions. The wave energy is low (8 to 40) – just a faint signal. The water is warm, 85°F, but that’s the only highlight. For a beginner-friendly spot like South Padre, small waves can be okay, but this is just a messy, non-existent surf.

We see a marginal uptick in the middle of the second week, around Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th September. The energy gets a slight nudge (up to 87), and we might see a foot or two extra, but the swell stays short-period at 6 seconds. The wind remains a problem – fresh cross-onshore and gusty. There is simply no clean, rideable window here. This is a long, flat period for an already inconsistent break.

Given the persistent onshore winds, this is looking more like a kiteboarding setup than a surf session. If you’re itching for a wave, you’re probably waiting for the next change. Blank runs like this are pretty normal for the area.

Stay patient,
Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Wed morning, min 27°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

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

Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
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)
0.4
SSE
4
0.9
SE
4
0.9
SE
4
0.6
SE
5
0.9
SE
4
0.7
SE
4
0.5
ESE
5
0.6
ESE
5
0.5
SE
4
0.6
SE
4
0.6
ESE
3
0.6
ESE
4
0.4
SE
5
0.6
ESE
3
0.6
SE
4
0.4
ESE
5
0.5
ESE
5
0.7
SE
4
0.6
ESE
5
0.9
SE
5
0.7
SE
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
8
23
34
16
24
16
12
15
8
12
7
9
5
6
11
11
14
17
17
36
33
Wind (km/h)
20
SSE
35
SE
30
SSE
20
SSE
30
ESE
30
SSE
20
SSE
25
SE
20
SSE
15
SE
25
ESE
20
SSE
15
SSE
25
ESE
20
SSE
15
SE
30
ESE
20
SE
20
SE
25
ESE
25
SE
Wind State
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
00:18AM0.55m
2:06AM0.60m
2:45AM0.63m
3:20AM0.65m
3:50AM0.63m
4:13AM0.60m
Low Tide
1:27PM0.16m
1:42AM0.55m
2:31PM0.12m
3:46PM0.10m
5:04PM0.07m
6:17PM0.06m
7:22PM0.06m
9:21AM0.53m
8:21PM0.09m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
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
7:09
7:11
7:11
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:47
7:46
7:45
7:45
7:44
7:42
7:40
 mm
1
1
1
Temp °C
29
29
28
29
29
28
29
29
28
29
29
28
29
29
28
29
29
28
29
29
29
Feels °C
30
29
28
30
29
30
32
31
29
32
31
31
32
30
29
32
30
30
30
31
32
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
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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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