Introduction

The surf in Texas is very different from other places. It is important to understand a few things that you will find immediately different about Texas.

First off our waves typically aren't as big as most places. This is partly due to the constrained space of the Gulf. When storms do come in to the Gulf they are usually weaker than their Pacific Counter-Parts because the storms weaken over the land that blocks the Gulf(The Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba etc.). 

Secondly our swells are usually near-shore regardless of whether they are from wind or a storm. This means there is more wind compared to places in the Pacific that get most of their swells from long-distance storms that are too far from the breaks to affect the surf.

Third our surf isn't as powerful and it doesn't have as big of a shoulder to ride on.

Fourth our sets aren't as well-defined as other places. They tend to be long sets that are close together and at times can seem like they don't end. This is especially the case with wind swell.

Fifth our waves fold on themselves rather than something closer to a barrel. Barreling waves in Texas aren't unheard of but they are a rare occurrence.

Sixth our wind directions can frequently shift and cause multiple swell directions. It's not too uncommon to see a wave that appears to curve in one spot as if it were the corner of a skateboard bowl. A sideshore wind can also create a ripple or ridge moving across the wave.

Another thing to consider is that all of our breaks are sand bars. Other places that have reef or rock bottoms don't shift and change after storms like sand bars do.

We will go in to more detail on a few of these topics later.