
Surf Forecasts:
South Padre Island surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 5s period, SE swell with 59 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 Tuesday (Jul 28) at 7PM. 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 | 7PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Ahoy, it's Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for South Padre Island over the next couple of weeks.
Straight up, I gotta be honest with ya – the next 16 days are looking grim for paddle surfing. The whole stretch is a write-off, I'm afraid. We're looking at a solid blank run with no decent surf on offer. The wind is just relentless, hammering in from the southeast and south-southeast, keeping everything cross-onshore and choppy. It's a real shame because the water's a balmy 83° right now, which is about average for the time of year.
From Saturday the 25th of July right through to Sunday the 9th of August, the story is the same. Swell heights are tiny, mostly between 2ft and 4ft, but that's not the problem – the real killer is the wind. It's blowing anywhere from 9 mph to 25 mph, constantly messing up what little wave energy there is. The combined swell energy is weak, barely cracking 190 on the 5th of August, and mostly sitting in the teens, twenties, and thirties. That's not enough to push through this chop.
Even the odd bump in size, like on Monday the 3rd of August when the swell hits 4ft, is blown out by a 16 mph cross-onshore wind. The period is short, too – mostly 4 to 7 seconds – so these are just windswell slop, no real structure to 'em. For a beach/jetty setup like this, with the wind howling onshore, it's more of a kite-surfing setup than something for a paddle surfer. The break is listed as inconsistent, which is a normal pattern for the area, so this kind of blank run isn't out of the ordinary.
There's no standout, no silver lining. The whole forecast is a dud. If you're desperate for a paddle, you might find a knee-high crumbler on the inside on a morning with a lighter 9 mph breeze, like Sunday the 26th, but it'll be fair-choppy and not worth the drive. Better to leave the boards in the car and wait for a better forecast.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sat afternoon, min 27°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Sun morning, fresh winds from the SE by Mon afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 27°C on Tue night). Mainly strong winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 6 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
47 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 34 | 25 | 45 | 41 | 27 | 55 | 29 | 27 | 37 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 12 | 25 | 36 | 13 | |
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 | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 5:39AM0.61m | 5:58AM0.61m | 6:17AM0.60m | 6:33AM0.59m | 6:43AM0.57m | 2:05PM0.51m | 6:50AM0.55m | 3:22PM0.49m | ||||||||||||
Low Tide | 7:42PM0.11m | 8:22PM0.09m | 9:00PM0.09m | 9:36PM0.10m | 10:11PM0.11m | 11:50AM0.50m | 10:42PM0.15m | 12:02PM0.46m | 11:12PM0.19m | |||||||||||
— | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | |
8:20 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:16 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 27 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | SE 8 | ESE 5 | — | — | E 8 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | — | — |
47 | 2 | 17 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | E 8 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 6 | ESE 4 | — | ESE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 |
22 | 13 | — | 19 | 34 | 25 | 45 | 41 | 27 | 55 | 29 | 27 | 37 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 12 | 25 | 36 | 13 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1073 | 971 | 974 | 1073 | 971 | 974 | 1062 | 971 | 974 | 1062 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1062 | 971 | 974 | 1328 | 971 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Texas | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










