Surf Forecasts:
South Padre Island surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 5s period, SE swell with 19 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 0.6m 5s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right folks, Rusty here with the outlook for South Padre Island. Let’s be straight with you. We’re looking at a long, dry spell to start, and honestly, for the entire 16-day run this isn’t a great story for a surfer.
For the next week and a half, there’s nothing worth paddling out for. The combined swell energy doesn’t crack triple digits—staying weak (3 to 21) the whole way through. The waves are tiny, mostly under 3 ft, and what little bump there is comes from short-period, wind-driven slop. It’s all cross-onshore, choppy, or lumpy. The water temp is sitting at 84°F, basically normal for this time of year, so at least it’s warm, but that’s about the only positive.
We don’t see any real surf until around Wednesday the 9th of September. Even then, we’re talking about 3 ft at best from the SE with a poor 4-second period. The energy is still weak (39 to 43). It’s a messy, crumbly beach break setup. This stretch looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
By Thursday the 10th of September, we get a bit of a bump. The swell edges up to around 4 ft from the SE, still with a weak period, but the energy lifts a bit (up to 63). The wind is tricky—sometimes onshore, sometimes cross. On the 10th afternoon, there’s a brief moment with 3 mph wind from the East, which might clean it up, but the waves are still poor quality.
The pattern drags on through the second week, with similar 3 ft to 4 ft SE windswell and moderate energy (up to 66). The wind stays mostly cross-onshore or lumpy. There’s no standout day here. The water temp anomaly is normal, so nothing unusual there. This is a classic "wait another week" forecast.
The only one to keep an eye on is South Padre Island itself—the standard beach and jetty setup we all know. It’s inconsistent, so when it’s flat like this, it’s flat. It’s also a beginner-friendly wave when there’s anything, but the crowd factor at the jetty can get annoying on good days. Right now, it's all just a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sat afternoon, min 28°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 27°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 4 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 7 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | 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 | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 4:24PM0.50m | 5:15AM0.48m | 5:36PM0.50m | 5:10AM0.48m | 7:00PM0.50m | 5:01AM0.49m | 8:53PM0.51m | 4:40AM0.51m | 00:18AM0.55m | 2:06AM0.60m | 2:45AM0.63m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 10:59PM0.28m | 11:14AM0.31m | 11:35PM0.34m | 11:50AM0.25m | 00:12AM0.41m | 12:34PM0.20m | 00:51AM0.48m | 1:27PM0.16m | 1:42AM0.55m | 2:31PM0.12m | 3:46PM0.10m | |||||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — |
 | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 31 | 29 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 5 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 5 | E 8 | SE 6 |
| kJ | 2 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 2 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | E 5 | — | E 8 | — | — | E 8 | — | — | E 8 | — | E 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 2 | SE 3 | SE 4 | ESE 3 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 4 | — | ESE 5 | ESE 4 | — | ESE 5 | ESE 4 |
| kJ | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 11 | — | 13 | 13 | — | 14 | 7 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 991 | 971 | 992 | 1051 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 971 | 1062 | 971 | 974 | 1062 | 971 | 974 | 1073 | 971 | 974 | 1062 | 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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