Surf Forecasts:
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 Type | Time (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
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening over the next couple of weeks down here. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – it’s a real quiet spell for South Padre Island. A long stretch of nothing much to get excited about.
For the first several days, we’re looking at tiny, weak, short-period windswell, barely getting over 3ft. The wind is almost always cross-onshore or cross, just chopping everything to pieces. The combined swell energy is in the weak range (11 to 35), meaning it’s barely a ripple. You’ll see a little bump around the 3rd and 4th of September, but a fresh breeze ruins it. The water’s warm, 85° on the 1st, which is just average for the season.
As we push into the second week, around the 10th of September, the swell energy climbs into the moderate range (50 to 68), with wave heights just hitting 4ft. But the wind is still a problem from the east-southeast, and with a short period of 5 seconds, the wave quality is poor. A few mornings around the 11th and 12th of September show a little more push, with energy over 100 (145 and 104), but it’s still junky, short-period stuff with messy winds.
Toward the very end of the run, on the 15th and 16th of September, the wind finally goes straight onshore. The swell is tiny, just 3ft to 3ft, but the straight-on wind is better for the beach/jetty setup. The 14th of September afternoon has a bit more kick (129 energy), but it's still looking choppy with a moderate breeze.
The one half-decent window might be the morning of the 13th of September. It’s still small at just over 3ft, but the wind drops to a light breeze out of the east-southeast, making it just about the cleanest we'll see. The period is still a weak 6 seconds though, so don't expect any gems.
Honestly, there are no good surf options in this entire 16-day window. It’s a tough run. For a spot that’s already pretty inconsistent, this kind of dry spell isn’t unheard of. The sand might be more interesting than the surf.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Wed morning, min 27°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 28°C on Fri night). 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 | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 3 | ESE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 3 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 12 | 24 | 31 | 17 | 16 | 26 | 11 | 15 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 22 | 16 | 11 | 22 | 32 | 36 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 4:40AM0.51m | 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 | ||||||||||||
 | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — |
 | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 30 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | SE 8 | E 8 | ESE 5 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | — | E 7 | E 8 | — | SE 7 | — | SE 5 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | — |
| kJ | 3 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | — | 22 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 5 | E 5 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | E 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 8 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 3 | ESE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 3 | SE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 |
| kJ | 12 | 24 | 31 | 15 | 16 | 26 | 11 | 15 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 16 | 11 | 22 | 32 | 36 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 971 | 974 | 1062 | 971 | 974 | 1051 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1063 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 971 | 971 | 974 | 1062 |
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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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