Surf Forecasts:
South Padre Island surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 5s period, SE swell with 49 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 1.1m 5s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, I'm Rusty, and I'm looking at your local surf forecast. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – this is a tough one. We're looking at a solid 16-day window, but right now, there's not a single day where the surf is worth paddling out. It's a real quiet spell, and for an area like South Padre Island that's a beach/jetty setup, it's not unusual to see these long flat runs when the conditions aren't aligning.
The water temp is sitting at a warm 84°F on Wednesday the 19th, which is about average for this time of year, so no worries about a chill.
Let's walk through the whole period. From Wednesday the 19th morning through to Wednesday the 3rd of September, every single session is flagged as "poor surf conditions." The swell is tiny, barely cracking 0.7ft to 4ft at best, and most of the time it's under 2ft. The period is short, mostly 4 to 5 seconds, so it's all weak, windswell stuff with no energy behind it. The combined swell energy is low, mostly in the single digits or low 20s, like 9 on the 19th morning, 23 on the 19th afternoon, and peaking at 50 on the 20th afternoon – still weak overall.
The wind is a killer. It's blowing from the SE, SSE, and ESE consistently, which is cross-on to onshore, making the water choppy, lumpy, and messy. Speeds are mostly 9 to 25 mph, so it's a fresh breeze or stronger at times, with no real windows of glassy or offshore conditions. The only break here is South Padre Island, and it's a beach/jetty spot that's exposed to the swell, but with this combo of tiny surf and onshore wind, it's a no-go.
The swell direction is coming from the SE and ESE, which is close to the optimum ESE direction for this spot, but the size and wind just wreck it. The break is inconsistent, and with the crowds only sometimes an issue, it doesn't matter much because there's nothing to surf.
If you're a kite surfer, this might actually look more interesting than paddle surfing because the wind is strong and consistent, but for a surfer, it's a blank run. The forecast is clear for the next 16 days, so nothing's changing. Sometimes these spells break, but right now, it's a wait-and-see game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 27°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Wed morning, fresh winds from the SE by Thu afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sat morning, min 27°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SSE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 7 | 13 | 15 | 25 | 47 | 22 | 21 | 37 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 19 | 16 | 21 | 33 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 4:07AM0.57m | 4:10AM0.58m | 4:21AM0.59m | 4:35AM0.59m | 4:47AM0.59m | 4:57AM0.57m | |||||||||||||||
Low Tide | 3:32PM0.18m | 4:36PM0.17m | 5:37PM0.16m | 6:31PM0.15m | 7:17PM0.14m | 7:59PM0.13m | 8:37PM0.14m | ||||||||||||||
 | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:01 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — |
 | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 31 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | E 9 | SE 9 | E 8 | E 9 | — | E 9 | E 8 | — | ESE 6 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | SE 9 | E 9 | SE 5 | ESE 9 | SE 5 |
| kJ | 7 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 8 | 23 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | — | — | E 9 | — | E 9 |
| kJ | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SSE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | — | ESE 5 | SE 5 |
| kJ | 2 | 13 | 15 | 25 | 47 | 22 | 21 | 37 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 19 | — | 21 | 33 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1073 | 992 | 992 | 971 | 971 | 974 | 1014 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 113 | 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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