Gulf Coast
Galveston surf report
3.3ft
Fun-sized — 3.3 ft.
Thursday, August 13 · local time at the spot
Right now
Swell
3.3 ft
4 s · S182°
Wind
17.5 kt
S 180° · gusting 19.4 kt
Water temperature
87.3°F
30.7 °C
Daylight
6:46 AM
sunrise · sunset 8:01 PM
Tide
Currently rising — next high at 7:47 AM (1.214 ft)
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 7:47 AM | high | 1.214 ft |
| 11:32 AM | low | 1.154 ft |
| 4:48 PM | high | 1.386 ft |
Tide values are predictions. Wind, pressure and surge move the real water level, sometimes by a lot — see the disclaimer.
Forecast
Model output, not a measurement — NOAA WaveWatch III
| Day | Height | Period | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed | 2 ft | 4.4 s | N 354° |
| Thu | 2.9 ft | 5.1 s | N 355° |
| Fri | 2.6 ft | 5.2 s | NNW 344° |
| Sat | 2.3 ft | 5.2 s | NNW 342° |
| Sun | 1.8 ft | 5.7 s | NNW 345° |
| Mon | 1 ft | 5.1 s | NNW 333° |
A model computes; it does not observe. Accuracy drops with range, and nearshore transformation is where it is weakest.
What to wear
At 87.3 °F (30.7 °C), most people at Galveston are comfortable in a boardshorts or a swimsuit.
No suit needed
for 75 °F and warmer
Warm enough to surf with nothing on. A long session in the sun still costs you more heat than it feels like.
The temperature is measured. The suit recommendation is not — it follows the manufacturers' convention, which varies by a degree or two between brands, and it knows nothing about wind, session length or how you personally run. The full chart and what it leaves out.
Surf cam
No cam here yet. We operate no cameras of our own and embed only where the operator allows it — the rule is on the copyright page. Cam operators who would like a link are welcome to write.
The break
- Type
- Gentle Gulf beach break
- Best swell
- S to SE groundswell, mostly wind-driven chop
- Best wind
- Offshore N
- Tide
- Mid tide
- Level
- Beginner
Hazards
- Small most of the year
- Rip currents on tropical-storm and hurricane swells
- Murky, brown water from river outflow
Local knowledge, not a measurement. Conditions decide the day — check the National Weather Service for warnings and the lifeguards for whether to go in.
Every source behind this page
- Solunar computed · read 4:16 AM
- NDBC 42035 buoy wind · read 3:40 AM
- NOAA WaveWatch III 42035 model cycle 20260813 0z · model · read 4:16 AM
- NDBC 42035 buoy wave height · read 3:20 AM
- NOAA CO-OPS 8771486 tide predictions · read 4:16 AM
All of it is public NOAA and National Weather Service data, free for anyone to use. What we add is the pairing of this spot with these stations — see the terms.
Nearby spots
- Pensacola Beach 2.3 ft · 750 km
- Clearwater Beach 1.3 ft · 1181 km
- Siesta Key 1.3 ft · 1224 km
- La Jolla 1.6 ft · 2167 km
- Honolua Bay 4.9 ft · 6219 km
Surf and beach conditions change faster than this page does, and nobody watches it in real time. When the water looks different from the numbers, trust the water and the lifeguards.