Surf Forecasts:
South Padre Island surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 5s period, SE swell with 47 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 Friday (Aug 21) 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 (Fri 21st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for South Padre Island.
To be straight with you, this stretch is lookin’ flat. Real flat. And the wind’s got it all messed up. We’re talkin’ about a 16-day run with nothing worth paddling for. There’s a gap in decent surf that basically covers the whole forecast – from the start of the outlook all the way through to Friday, September 4th, we’ve got nothing but poor surf conditions. Every single day shows a score of zero. That’s two weeks and a bit of nothing.
The swell is barely there. We’re lookin’ at wave heights mostly between 1 ft and 3 ft, and that’s comin’ from the southeast, with periods so short it’s painful – just 4 to 6 seconds. That’s not even windswell, that’s just a chop. The wind is relentless; cross-onshore or cross-shore most days, blowin’ between 9 and 22 mph. It’s choppy, lumpy, ugly. There’s no glassy window, no clean session to speak of. The combined swell energy is tiny – values like 9, 10, 14, 22 – that’s weak, weak energy. It’s a desert out there.
The water temperature is sittin’ around 85°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no drama there – but it’s wasted on this flat spell.
South Padre Island (Texas) is a beach and jetty setup that *can* work when the swell’s from the ESE, its optimum direction. But with swell this small and wind this bad, it’s just a messy beach break. It’s inconsistent at the best of times, and these are not the best of times.
Look, if you’re a kitesurfer, maybe there’s somethin’ there on a few afternoons when that fresh cross-onshore gets up – but for paddle surfing, I wouldn’t even bother waxin’ the board. This kind of blank run is pretty normal for the area in late summer, but it doesn’t mean it’s over forever. Forecasts can change. Right now though? It’s a hard pass.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 27°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Thu afternoon, light winds from the SSE by Sat morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sun morning, min 27°C on Sun morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | 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 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 12 | 37 | 15 | 20 | 31 | 21 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 24 | 16 | 22 | 16 |
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 | 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 |
High Tide | 4:10AM0.58m | 4:21AM0.59m | 4:35AM0.59m | 4:47AM0.59m | 4:57AM0.57m | 5:06AM0.56m | |||||||||||||||
Low Tide | 4:36PM0.17m | 5:37PM0.16m | 6:31PM0.15m | 7:17PM0.14m | 7:59PM0.13m | 8:37PM0.14m | 10:09AM0.49m | 9:13PM0.15m | |||||||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — |
 | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:54 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 29 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 28 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | SE 9 | E 8 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | SE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 8 | E 8 |
| kJ | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 7 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 9 | — | — | ESE 8 | — | — |
| kJ | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 7 | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | 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 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 |
| kJ | 12 | 37 | 15 | 20 | 31 | 21 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 24 | 16 | 22 | 16 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 974 | 1063 | 971 | 974 | 1201 | 971 | 974 | 1073 | 971 | 974 | 997 | 971 | 974 | 1051 | 971 | 971 | 1051 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Texas | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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