Surf Forecasts:
South Padre Island surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 4s period, SE swell with 39 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 1.0m 4s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 4PM. 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 | 4PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 4s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let me be straight with you. Looking at the whole 16-day picture here for South Padre Island... Honestly, it's a tough stretch. There’s not a single session in the whole run that I’d call good. We've got persistent cross-onshore winds and tiny swell, so you’re looking at a lot of choppy, lumpy, and poor surf conditions from Thursday, August 20th, all the way through to Friday, September 4th. That’s a solid two-week gap of nothing worth paddling out for.
The water temp is sitting pretty average for this time of year, so at least you won't be cold while you're sitting there staring at knee-high junk.
The one break on the menu is South Padre Island — a beach and jetty setup that’s really exposed to the southeast. Normally, it can handle a bit of swell, but the issue here is the wind. It's blowing cross-on from the SSE and SE almost every day, between 9 mph and 25 mph. That’s a fresh breeze turning a small wave into a washing machine. The swell heights barely scrape 3 ft on the best afternoon, but with a period of only 4 to 5 seconds, it’s just wind slop. The combined wave energy is weak throughout — reading between 6 and 43 — so there’s no grunt in the water at all.
Even the lighter wind days, like the morning of Thursday, September 4th, the swell is only 1 ft to 1 ft with a short period. That’s not a wave, that’s a ripple.
This stretch is a classic example of a blank run for the area. It's fairly normal for South Padre to go quiet like this when the wind sets in from the south. If the swell was bigger and the wind was offshore, the setup could be interesting for a kite session, but for a paddle surfer? There’s genuinely nothing on offer here. Hang your board up for a fortnight and check back.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Wed night, min 27°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Thu afternoon, light winds from the SE by Sat morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sat night, min 27°C on Sat night). 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 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 16 | 39 | 17 | 16 | 26 | 18 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 35 | 22 | 23 | 19 |
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-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 | 4:07AM0.57m | 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 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 30 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | SE 9 | E 8 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 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 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 4 |
| kJ | 16 | 39 | 17 | 16 | 26 | 18 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 35 | 22 | 23 | 19 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1063 | 971 | 974 | 1062 | 974 | 974 | 1008 | 971 | 971 | 1001 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 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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