South Padre Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’re looking at the next 16 days for South Padre Island, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch. The wind is locked in from the southeast, blowing cross-onshore, and that just kills the quality for paddle surfing. The water temp is sitting at 83°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so at least you won't freeze.

The first week is a write-off for any decent surf. From Saturday the 25th of July all the way through to the end of the month, it’s a painful run of small, weak, wind-chopped slop. Swell heights are mostly under 3 ft, with periods of just 4 to 6 seconds, so it’s short-period, weak windswell. The combined energy is tiny – mostly in the 20s and 30s, barely a pulse. The wind is a constant 12 to 25 mph from the SE, making it cross-onshore and messy. You’re looking at a solid 8-day gap with no real surf on offer.

Heading into the first week of August, the pattern doesn’t really change. The wind stays stubbornly from the SE, and the swell remains small and weak. The mornings on the 4th and 5th of August show a little more energy – swell heights of 4 ft and 4 ft with periods of 5 to 6 seconds, and the combined energy finally climbs into the low 100s (101 on the 5th morning). But it’s still cross-onshore and choppy. It’s just not clean enough to get excited about. The setup here is a beach/jetty, so with this persistent onshore wind, it’s honestly looking more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

The only potential standout is way out there on Sunday the 9th of August. The morning shows a jump in swell to 6 ft from the ESE, with a period of 8 seconds and a combined energy of 368 – that’s a solid push of moderate-to-strong energy. The afternoon has 5 ft swell with 296 energy. But – and it’s a big but – the wind is still cross-onshore from the SE, blowing 15 mph in the morning and 22 mph in the afternoon. That’s going to make it bumpy, lumpy, and pretty messy. It’s a long-range call, so don’t bank on it, but it’s the only window where the ocean actually has some power behind it. It’s not a beginner wave at that size, and with the chop, it’ll be a challenge for everyone.

Honestly, for the next two weeks, the paddle surfing is grim. The wind just won’t cooperate. The surf tends not to stay this poor forever, but this is a blank run that feels normal for the area when the summer trade winds set in.

Rusty.

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