# Predicting Surf Conditions



## JCSHEPHE (Jun 4, 2012)

Is there a good rule of thumb for predicting wave height in the surf? I believe some people use SwellInfo as a resource. Are north winds the best for calmer surf? For the few times I get to go down each year I like the conditions manageable to yak out baits, if at all possible. Thanks in advance!


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## djs303 (Jun 4, 2018)

I use swellinfo and magicseaweed.com. The bouy information on swellinfo helps me some on seeing if the swells are decreasing or increasing.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Buoy data is helpful. So are the webcams.

http://tabs.gerg.tamu.edu/Tglo/ndbc.php?buoy=42035

https://saltwater-recon.com/surfside-cam/

One more that I like is this wind feed. You can zoom in to an area and it will give the overview.

https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/1000hPa/orthographic=-91.66,29.21,3000


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## Ag03Aj (Oct 17, 2012)

Every time I check swell info it is wrong. I have gone when it said there would be 1 ft waves to get there and it be way too rough to even stand out and fish so we were dang sure not getting the yak out. Honestly, I started choosing days where the info was bad for the day and went out to find it was actually bad! It would make me mad that it was finally right!


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## TU MO KASSTS (Feb 12, 2010)

Ag03Aj said:


> Every time I check swell info it is wrong. I have gone when it said there would be 1 ft waves to get there and it be way too rough to even stand out and fish so we were dang sure not getting the yak out. Honestly, I started choosing days where the info was bad for the day and went out to find it was actually bad! It would make me mad that it was finally right!


Use swellinfo as a general guide to see if the waves are anywhere near bearable, then (if you're fishing the galveston or freeport surf) you can go look at the galveston webcams. They're live feeds from the area and some of them overlook the surf so you can see exactly whats going on.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

This buoy is 22 Nautical Miles east of Galveston. The line I put the arrows on has the wave height data since April 13th. There was one little period on the 15th that the waves dropped to around 2 feet, but for the most part itâ€™s been 3 feet on the waves or more.

Thereâ€™s another buoy like the Galveston one off Freeport, but itâ€™s more distant from shore.

3 feet or more, no way am I wading the surf to fish. Iâ€™m not saying fish arenâ€™t there, Iâ€™m just not up to taking a beating like that. 2 feet or less on the buoys and Iâ€™m thinking I might be in. 1.6 feet or less really gets nice.

But the offshore buoys might indicate bigger waves than what could be at the beach if thereâ€™s a big offshore wind so keep that in mind. Big offshore winds are about done for the season and wonâ€™t likely be around until fall.

The trend lines on the buoy data are really helpful. I never use swellinfo. The real time beach cams are great as well. Watch those, though, they tend to show what looks like calmer conditions than what actually might be the case. 2-3 foot surf looks pretty calm on the cams, but it isnâ€™t if you are in there wading in it.

People have different tolerances for what they will wade fish in. Anything 2 feet and over, Iâ€™m looking to the bay or marsh or a river. 1.6 feet or less, Iâ€™m thinking hard about the surf, at least from now into the fall. Iâ€™m talking about lure chunking or slinging flies and not the surf fishing soaking live or cut bait on the bottom type.


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## MontyHall1969 (Nov 13, 2018)

I prefer a live cam if possible.


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## Ag03Aj (Oct 17, 2012)

MontyHall1969 said:


> I prefer a live cam if possible.


I do as well except that I live 3 hours away and make many day trips where we leave around 230 in the morning. On these days the surf cams dont help much at all.


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