South Padre Island Surf Break

Lat Long: 26.67° N 97.29° W

South Padre Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 pm 04 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's South Padre Island sea temperature is
29.0°C
0.1° 

South Padre Island surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


South Padre Island surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 7s period, SE swell with 54 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 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (CDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 1PM (Thu 10th Sep)2.5ft (0.8m) 7s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s get real. I’m looking at the charts for South Padre Island, and the honest truth is, this stretch is looking pretty flat. We’ve got a 16-day window ahead of us, but it’s gonna be a tough one. There’s a big dry spell here, and it doesn’t really look like we get any proper surf until the second week, and even then, it’s not going to set the world on fire.

The first real bit of swell we see starts to show up around Sunday the 13th of September. Up until then, it’s a whole lot of nothing. Days and days of tiny, weak, choppy junk. You’ll be staring at a lake. From the 4th of September all the way through to the morning of the 13th, we're talking about a solid 9-day gap with nothing worth paddling out for. The wind is mostly cross-onshore or cross, and the swell heights barely hit 3 ft, with periods that are short and weak. The combined energy is just in the double digits (15 to 85) – that’s weak sauce.

So, what’s the best we’ve got? It’s not much, but there’s a slight bump on the afternoon of the 13th of September. The swell pushes up to about 4 ft from the ESE, with a period of 5 seconds. That’s short period, so it’s gonna be a bit crumbly, but it’s the biggest we’ll see. The wind is a cross-onshore from the SE at 15 mph, so it’s gonna be choppy and a bit messy. This is at South Padre Island (beach/jetty setup). The water temp is sitting at 84°F right now, which is about average for the time of year.

The rest of the following week just keeps the same story. The swell stays small, around 3 ft to 4 ft, with periods that never get above 6 seconds, and the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore. The energy is still weak, peaking at 77 on that Sunday the 13th. It’s just not gonna be a clean wave. For a beginner, the swell is small enough to be safe, but the chop will make it frustrating. For anyone else, it’s a bit of a wait and see.

Honestly, if you’re a kite surfer, the steady cross-onshore wind might be more interesting than the paddle surfing. The beach setup is going to be blown out and lumpy, so you might be better off with a kite than a board for this run.

The second week is the same old story. No real standouts, just small, weak, onshore slop. The swell from the 14th to the 19th of September stays tiny, 2 ft to 3 ft, with the same short periods and crummy wind. The combined energy stays in the low double digits (22 to 56). It’s a long, flat period.

So, there’s no real standout here. The best you can hope for is the afternoon of the 13th of September, but don’t expect much. It’s a poor run for the island, but that’s how it goes sometimes. The forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but I wouldn’t be holding my breath.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Fri morning, min 28°C on Fri morning). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Warm (max 30°C on Wed morning, min 28°C on Mon morning). Mainly fresh winds.

Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
SE
5
0.7
ESE
4
0.6
SE
4
0.4
SE
5
0.6
ESE
3
0.5
SE
4
0.4
SE
5
0.5
SE
3
0.5
SE
4
0.4
SE
5
0.6
ESE
3
0.6
ESE
4
0.4
ESE
5
0.5
SE
5
0.6
ESE
5
0.5
ESE
5
0.6
ESE
5
0.6
ESE
6
0.4
ESE
6
0.8
SE
7
0.6
ESE
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
11
11
8
7
8
6
5
4
6
7
6
10
11
13
16
15
17
23
13
52
25
Wind (km/h)
20
SE
25
ESE
20
SSE
20
SSE
30
ESE
20
SSE
15
SSE
25
ESE
20
SSE
15
SE
25
ESE
20
SSE
20
SSE
25
ESE
25
SE
10
SE
25
ESE
20
SSE
10
SSE
25
E
20
SSE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross
on
cross
High Tide
2:45AM0.63m
3:20AM0.65m
3:50AM0.63m
4:13AM0.60m
4:28AM0.56m
1:27PM0.55m
4:36AM0.51m
2:52PM0.56m
Low Tide
3:46PM0.10m
5:04PM0.07m
6:17PM0.06m
7:22PM0.06m
9:21AM0.53m
8:21PM0.09m
9:05AM0.48m
9:15PM0.14m
9:22AM0.41m
10:05PM0.21m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
clear
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:09
7:09
7:09
7:11
7:11
7:11
7:11
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:45
7:45
7:44
7:42
7:40
7:39
7:38
 mm
1
2
1
7
2
Temp °C
29
29
28
29
29
28
29
29
28
29
29
28
29
29
28
30
29
28
29
29
28
Feels °C
31
30
30
30
29
29
32
30
30
32
31
30
32
31
30
33
30
30
31
29
31
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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