South Padre Island Surf Break

Lat Long: 26.67° N 97.29° W

South Padre Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 28 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's South Padre Island sea temperature is
28.8° 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 29 Jul 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, SE swell with 51 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 0.9m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) 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 (Tue 4th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 6s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for South Padre Island.

Honestly, I gotta be straight with you – the next 16 days are a bit of a bust for surf. Out of all the days we've got on the books, not a single one is worth paddling out for. There is a big gap of poor conditions that runs from the 28th of July all the way through to the 12th of August. We're looking at a solid two-week stretch where you can leave the board in the car.

The main issue is the wind. It’s relentless. We’ve got a constant cross-onshore breeze from the South-East blowing anywhere from 9 mph to a solid 25 mph. That’s turning the surface into a lumpy, choppy mess, so you won’t find any clean faces out there. The swell is tiny too, mostly around 1 ft to 4 ft, and it’s coming from the ESE or SSE. The period is short – usually around 5 or 6 seconds – which means weak, crumbly waves with no power behind them. The combined wave energy is mostly in the double digits (like 62, 35, 15), which is telling you the ocean just doesn't have any push.

For a beginner, anything over 5 ft is getting big, but we barely see that. The waves that do pop are small, so it's not dangerous, but it's just not fun with the onshore wind wrecking everything. Even by the 11th of August, when the swell bumps up to 4 ft from the ESE with a 7-second period, the wind is still howling at 19 mph cross-onshore. The energy finally climbs to 224, which is moderate, but it’s still lumpy and messy.

So for a solid 16 days, there are no standouts. Zero. It’s a blank run, plain and simple. With these conditions being so persistent, South Padre is looking more like a spot for kiteboarding if the wind keeps up. For the rest of us, it’s a waiting game. The spot can fire again, but right now, the forecast isn't our friend.

Keep your head up. Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 27°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 27°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Sat afternoon, light winds from the S by Sun night).

Tue
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
Saturday
1
Sunday
2
Monday
3
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
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.1
SE
5
0.9
SE
4
0.7
SE
6
1
SE
4
0.8
SE
5
0.6
SE
6
0.8
SE
4
0.6
SE
4
0.6
SE
5
0.8
SE
4
0.7
SE
4
0.6
SE
6
1
SE
4
0.9
SE
4
0.6
SE
5
0.9
SE
4
0.8
SE
4
0.6
SE
5
1.1
SE
4
0.7
SE
5
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
55
31
30
36
32
24
18
14
14
18
13
19
36
31
23
29
26
23
45
28
Wind (km/h)
35
SE
35
SSE
25
SE
35
SE
30
SSE
25
SE
30
SE
25
SSE
20
SSE
35
SE
30
SSE
25
SSE
35
SE
30
SSE
20
SSE
35
SE
20
SSE
15
SE
35
SE
30
SSE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
6:33AM0.59m
6:43AM0.57m
2:05PM0.51m
6:50AM0.55m
3:22PM0.49m
6:52AM0.53m
4:37PM0.46m
6:52AM0.51m
5:59PM0.45m
6:50AM0.50m
7:43PM0.44m
Low Tide
9:36PM0.10m
10:11PM0.11m
11:50AM0.50m
10:42PM0.15m
12:02PM0.46m
11:12PM0.19m
12:26PM0.42m
11:41PM0.25m
12:57PM0.37m
00:09AM0.31m
1:33PM0.31m
00:36AM0.38m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:52
6:52
6:52
6:52
6:54
6:54
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:19
8:17
8:17
8:16
8:15
8:15
8:15
 mm
Temp °C
28
28
28
28
27
28
28
27
28
28
28
28
28
28
28
28
28
28
28
28
Feels °C
27
30
28
27
28
30
28
29
31
28
30
30
27
29
31
27
30
32
27
29
  • 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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