Surf Forecasts:
South Padre Island surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 7s period, ESE swell with 142 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 7AM. 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 | 7AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.
G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s break down what’s cookin’ for South Padre Island over the next couple of weeks. I’ll level with ya – the whole 16-day stretch is a big ol’ dud for surf. The waves just aren’t showing up, and the wind is giving us grief every step of the way. There’s a long gap of days with no real recommendations, so don’t plan a trip around this.
Starting now, on Sunday 12th July, we’ve got tiny, weak swell running 3 ft from the ESE, with a short period of 6 seconds. The combined wave energy is a pathetic 44 (44) – barely enough to ruffle the water. The wind is cross-onshore from the SE at 12 mph, making it choppy and ugly. This theme sticks around for days. Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th are much the same – 3 ft, short period, moderate cross-onshore breezes, and the energy stays in the 60s to 70s (65, 75). The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no weird surprises there.
Things bump up a little from Wednesday 15th through to Thursday 16th, with swell nudging 4 ft to 4 ft and the energy climbing into three digits – 125 (125) on Wednesday morning, 142 (142) on Thursday afternoon. That’s a moderate amount of energy, but it’s still short-period, wind-affected junk. The wind is cross-onshore, gusty, and the surf is described as “poor” every single time. At a beach/jetty setup like South Padre, all that wind and chop just makes it messy. Honestly, it’s lookin’ more like a kite session than a paddle.
The energy drops again from Friday 17th into the weekend, with 3 ft to 4 ft, and the wind stays a persistent cross-onshore from the SE or SSE. By Monday 20th, the energy spikes again to 142 (142) in the afternoon, but it’s the same story – fresh cross-onshore, lumpy, and poor quality. The second week, from around 21st July onwards, gets even worse. Swell shrinks to 3 ft to 4 ft, periods drop to 5 or 6 seconds, and the wind punches up to 25–28 mph by Wednesday 22nd, making it strong and messy. The energy falls back to weak two-digit numbers, like 37 (37) on Thursday 23rd.
The last few days, from 25th to 27th July, are flat and weak with light breezes, but still cross-onshore and still “poor surf conditions.” There’s simply no standout session here. The whole 16-day stretch is a blank run for decent waves, and that’s pretty normal for the area when the wind and swell aren’t lining up. If you’re desperate, maybe keep an eye on the forecast, but for now, I’d leave the board at home.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Sat night, min 27°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Warm (max 28°C on Wed morning, min 27°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 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) | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 37 | 40 | 58 | 63 | 60 | 68 | 78 | 75 | 110 | 125 | 110 | 121 | 132 | 142 | 134 | 124 | 120 | 91 | 99 | 91 | 120 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:13AM0.71m | 6:02AM0.72m | 6:47AM0.70m | 7:25AM0.66m | 1:17PM0.59m | 7:50AM0.60m | 3:32PM0.56m | 8:03AM0.54m | 5:14PM0.51m | 8:05AM0.50m | 7:03PM0.47m | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 8:22PM-0.06m | 9:20PM-0.07m | 10:17PM-0.05m | 12:43PM0.59m | 11:11PM0.01m | 12:23PM0.53m | 00:03AM0.10m | 12:55PM0.46m | 00:50AM0.20m | 1:42PM0.38m | 1:31AM0.31m | ||||||||||
 | |  | | | | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | |  | | |
 | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — |
 | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 30 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 7 | 8 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 |
| kJ | 37 | 40 | 58 | 63 | 60 | 68 | 78 | 75 | 110 | 125 | 110 | 121 | 132 | 142 | 134 | 124 | 120 | 91 | 99 | 91 | 120 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 974 | 1063 | 971 | 974 | 1073 | 971 | 974 | 1062 | 320 | 974 | 1062 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1208 | 971 | 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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