Surf Forecasts:
South Padre Island surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 5s period, ESE swell with 33 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 0.8m 5s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 1AM. 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 | 1AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, lookin’ at the surf picture for South Padre Island.
Straight up, amigos, the 16-day window looks pretty bleak. We’ve got a real dry spell here. There’s no surf to speak of for the first week, and honestly, it doesn’t get much better after that. The period starts on August 31st, but there are no recommendations for a good session until... well, basically never in this forecast window. We’re looking at a solid gap of over two weeks with nothing worth paddling out for.
Let's get specific. The first couple days, we’re talking flat to tiny, ankle-snappers. August 31st and September 1st have swell heights around 0.6 ft to 2 ft, but the wind is a messy cross-onshore, making it choppy and unrideable. The water temp is a warm 84°, which is about average for this time of year, but that’s the only thing going for it. The combined swell energy is barely a whisper, registering at 16 or less.
The pattern just continues. Day after day we see that same story: small swell from the ESE or SE, but always with that cross-onshore wind. September 2nd, September 5th, September 8th... it’s a broken record of “poor surf conditions.” We get a slight bump around September 10th with swell heights hitting 4 ft, but the wind is up to 25 mph, making it lumpy and nasty. The combined energy climbs to a moderate 89, but it’s all blown out.
Even the later days, like September 14th and 15th, we’re back to 0.6 ft and 1 ft with onshore flow. The surf is just not on.
The only faint glimmer in this whole 16-day window is that early morning on September 7th. The wind is a light breeze at 6 mph from the SE, which is as close to clean as we’re going to get. The swell is still only 2 ft from the ESE, and the period is a short 5 seconds, so it’s weak windswell. But if you have a log and you’re desperate for any kind of glide, that might be the one moment where it’s not completely messy. It’ll be crowded, because South Padre is *sometimes* busy, and this is the only time the wind gives you a break. But honestly, keep expectations in the gutter.
For the rest of it, the consistent cross-onshore wind and lack of any real swell mean this setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The waves aren’t there for us.
Hang in there, but this is a blank run.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Mon afternoon, min 27°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 28°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | SE 3 | E 6 | SE 3 | SSE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 4 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 8 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 21 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 16 | 25 | 20 | 16 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | 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 |
High Tide | 7:00PM0.50m | 5:01AM0.49m | 8:53PM0.51m | 4:40AM0.51m | 00:18AM0.55m | 2:06AM0.60m | 2:45AM0.63m | 3:20AM0.65m | 3:50AM0.63m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 00:12AM0.41m | 12:34PM0.20m | 00:51AM0.48m | 1:27PM0.16m | 1:42AM0.55m | 2:31PM0.12m | 3:46PM0.10m | 5:04PM0.07m | 6:17PM0.06m | |||||||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — |
 | 7:50 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 30 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 5 | NE 5 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 8 | — | — | — | SE 5 | E 8 | — |
| kJ | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 25 | 1 | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 6 | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 8 | E 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 8 | — | — |
| kJ | — | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 3 | SE 3 | SE 4 | SE 3 | SSE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 4 |
| kJ | 8 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 21 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 20 | 16 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1062 | 971 | 974 | 1062 | 971 | 971 | 1073 | 971 | 974 | 1062 | 971 | 974 | 1077 | 971 | 974 | 1063 | 992 | 974 | 1063 | 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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