Surfside Beach has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance
When it fills in
Afternoon sea breeze is a regional Texas Gulf pattern, but no Surfside-specific onset time is published.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Afternoon sea breeze is a regional Texas Gulf pattern, but no Surfside-specific onset time is published.
Typical strength
No reliable spot-specific figure; a nearby long-term regional station (no longer actively reporting) shows an annual average around 9 kt with gusts to 12 kt.
Thermal or synoptic
frontal winds plus sea breeze
Also on record
9
The quiver, in words
No local quiver is published. Indicative for a 75-85 kg rider: 12 m on the 12-15 kt spring sea-breeze days, 9-10 m at 16-20 kt, 7-8 m behind a winter front at 22-28 kt. The long-term station average for this stretch is only about 9 kt across the whole year, so the big kite is the one that gets used.
Direction to shore
For the southeast-facing Gulf beach, N/NW are offshore to cross-offshore surf-wind directions; E/SE/S winds are more onshore to side-onshore but are unconfirmed as best directions for this specific Surfside wave setup.
Dominant direction
North and northwest are good wind directions for wave riding; Surfside and Surfside Jetty are cleanest with NW to NNW offshore wind. Spring brings sea-breeze and cold-front cycles.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month74
- Feb, riders' month66
- Mar, riders' month69
- Apr, riders' month88
- May, riders' month71
- Jun58
- Jul34
- Aug40
- Sep, riders' month31
- Oct, riders' month54
- Nov, riders' month67
- Dec, riders' month59
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
- 14Jan15°
- 14Feb16°
- 14Mar20°
- 14Apr23°
- 14May27°
- 12Jun30°
- 10Jul31°
- 10Aug32°
- 10Sep30°
- 12Oct27°
- 13Nov22°
- 12Dec18°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74% | 14 kt | N | 13.7°C | 14.6°C |
| Feb | 66% | 13.5 kt | S | 14.4°C | 15.7°C |
| Mar | 69% | 13.6 kt | SSE | 18.3°C | 20.2°C |
| Apr | 88% | 14.2 kt | SSE | 21.7°C | 23°C |
| May | 71% | 13.6 kt | SSE | 25.4°C | 27°C |
| Jun | 58% | 11.9 kt | S | 28.2°C | 30.3°C |
| Jul | 34% | 10.4 kt | S | 28.7°C | 31.1°C |
| Aug | 40% | 10.3 kt | S | 29.1°C | 32°C |
| Sep | 31% | 9.9 kt | E | 27.4°C | 30.2°C |
| Oct | 54% | 11.7 kt | ENE | 23.5°C | 26.6°C |
| Nov | 67% | 12.6 kt | N | 18.9°C | 22.1°C |
| Dec | 59% | 12.2 kt | NE | 16.1°C | 17.6°C |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024
The water
Type
Gulf beach
Standing depth
Open Gulf beach with a sand bottom and offshore bars, not a lagoon. The water shelves gradually off the sand and the bars are shallow enough to stand on at low water, but this is a surf zone and the bars move, so there is no dependable standing area and nothing has been measured at any of the beach accesses.Indicative, read off the sandbar break and sandy bottom rather than a survey.
Tides
The nearest tide station is NOAA Freeport Harbor, and San Luis Pass tide information gets used for Surfside Jetty. How the tide behaves at each individual beach access is unconfirmed.
Temperature
29°C summer · 17°C winter
Wetsuit
Rash vest or boardshorts in peak summer; early-February lows commonly need a 3/2mm sealed suit at Surfside and up to 4/3mm, or 3/2mm plus boots, at Surfside Jetty.
Currents
Rips are reported at Surfside Jetty; no spot-specific current rating is confirmed for the general Surfside Beach kite launch.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
3 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Large open sandy beach, but vehicle access, beachgoers, and weekend use can reduce practical rigging room.
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
Launch
Use the sandy public beach accesses along Surfside Beach, choosing uncrowded sections and staying well clear of the jetties and anglers.
Space
Large open sandy beach, but vehicle access, beachgoers, and weekend use can reduce practical rigging room.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Ride weekdays. Weekends put cars, families and anglers on the same sand as your lines.
- Sort the beach permit before you drive onto the sand: $30 annual or $15 daily (2026).
- Treat north and northwest as what they are: the wave-cleaning directions and the offshore ones.
- Keep your distance from the jetty, the fishermen and the rips that run beside it.
- Watch the tropics in hurricane season; the storms bring surf and weather you do not want to be out in.
- No kite school is based at Surfside. The nearest lessons come out of Texas City, and two businesses with Surfside in the name teach somewhere else entirely, one in Turks and Caicos and one at South Padre.
- Bring the big kite. The yearly average here is around 9 kt, and the days worth riding are the exceptions to it.
- Emergencies are 911; non-emergency police is (979) 864-2392 and the fire department (979) 233-5926.
Getting there
Airport
Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) or George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Route
Drive south from Houston toward Lake Jackson/Freeport, then cross to Surfside Beach via TX-332; a street-legal vehicle can drive on permitted beach sections with a beach permit.
Transfer
80 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Beach houses, RV parks and small local lodging in Surfside Beach and Freeport, with RV and beach services listed by the Village.
No-wind days
Surfing, fishing, jetty walking, beach driving where permitted, kayaking, paddleboarding, birding, and Brazosport/Freeport day trips.
Photos
FAQ
Is Surfside Beach suitable for beginners?
Treat it as intermediate or advanced unless under local supervision; the cleanest wave winds are offshore to cross-offshore, and the beach has surf-zone and jetty hazards despite its learner-friendly sandy bottom.
What is the wind like?
North and northwest winds produce the cleanest surf, though they are offshore to cross-offshore on this southeast-facing Gulf beach; spring and September through February are the main windy months.
Are there rules or fees?
As of 2026, all beach vehicles including golf carts require a permit, priced at $30 annually or $15 per day.
What hazards should riders know about?
Hazards include jetties near the Freeport Harbor entrance, rips near the jetty, weekend beach crowds, and hurricane-season surf and storms.
Last updated: August 2026