Surf Forecasts:
South Padre Island surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 5s period, SE swell with 71 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 1.2m 5s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) 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 (Thu 20th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for South Padre Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s get into it.
Well, I gotta be straight with you – looking at the whole 16-day window for South Padre Island, things are looking pretty flat and messy. There’s no standout surf on offer at all. We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions from now right through to the 31st of August, so basically the entire forecast period is a write-off for any decent paddle surfing.
Right from the start, Sunday the 16th, we’ve got tiny 2.3ft ESE swell with a short period of 6 seconds and a cross-onshore breeze making it choppy. The combined wave energy is weak, just 39, so there’s barely any push. The water temp is sitting at 83.8° which is about average for this time of year.
Each day just rolls into the next the same way. Monday the 17th, swell drops a bit to 1.6ft, still short period, still cross-onshore breezes. Tuesday the 18th is even smaller at 1.3ft and the wind picks up to a fresh breeze in the afternoon making it lumpy. It’s just a pattern of weak, wind-affected surf day after day. The only break here is South Padre Island (Texas), a beach/jetty spot that’s inconsistent anyway, and we’re seeing that in action – it barely breaks the whole period.
There is no single day where the swell size, wind, and period come together. The swell stays under 3.3ft for nearly the entire forecast. Periods are mostly 4 to 6 seconds – that’s pure windswell, no power, no shape. Winds are almost always cross-onshore, sometimes strong breeze up to 25 mph, which just makes it a mess. With the combined energy staying well below 100 the whole time (mostly between 9 and 74), there’s just no wave energy to work with.
Honestly, for a stretch this long with nothing but poor surf, this is more normal for the area. It tends to go flat and stay flat. The setup here might look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on some of those afternoons with stronger cross-onshore winds and a bit more chop, but for a surfer looking for a wave to ride, there’s nothing to get excited about.
Keep an eye on the forecast though – things can change. But as it stands, this is a long blank run.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sun morning, min 27°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Sun night, fresh winds from the SE by Tue afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 27°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 39 | 40 | 56 | 18 | 25 | 24 | 10 | 21 | 10 | 13 | 24 | 21 | 28 | 63 | 45 | 28 | 47 | 38 | 23 | 27 | 30 |
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 | 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 |
High Tide | 7:45PM0.49m | 5:55AM0.48m | 10:13PM0.49m | 5:28AM0.51m | 4:42AM0.54m | 4:07AM0.57m | 4:10AM0.58m | 4:21AM0.59m | |||||||||||||
Low Tide | 12:40PM0.27m | 00:57AM0.41m | 1:33PM0.22m | 00:54AM0.48m | 2:30PM0.20m | 3:32PM0.18m | 4:36PM0.17m | 5:37PM0.16m | 6:31PM0.15m | ||||||||||||
 | |  | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — |
 | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 32 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 27 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 6 | — | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | — | E 10 | E 9 | — | — | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | SE 5 | — | — |
| kJ | 39 | — | 39 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 7 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 23 | — | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 9 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 8 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | — | ESE 6 | SE 6 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 4 | — | SE 4 | SE 5 |
| kJ | — | 40 | 56 | — | 25 | 24 | 10 | 21 | 10 | 13 | 24 | 21 | 28 | 63 | 45 | 28 | 47 | 38 | — | 27 | 30 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 974 | 1208 | 971 | 974 | 999 | 971 | 974 | 999 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 974 | 1201 | 971 | 974 | 1059 | 971 | 1051 | 1073 | 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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