It is not uncommon to go out at Octagon in Surfside Beach and surf among a friendly crew of guys from Dallas, Austin, Houston and all points in between. In Houston, contemporary surf flicks at Rice University have enjoyed high attendance numbers, allowing the urban faithful to congregate for some stoke. The Texas chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has come on strong as a major player in Texas coastal policy, in a relatively short period of time. And, in June 1999, the South Texas Institute for the Arts hosted the Surfin' Art Exhibit, which featured a comprehensive collection of artwork from Ken Auster, Rick Rietveld, Phil Robertson and Peter Schroff, as well as photography by Rob Gilley, Art Brewer and Tom Servais. Each season offers distinct characteristics to Texas and its surfing climate.
Summer can be completely fickle.
The extreme heat of summer consistently produces southeasterly afternoon sea breezes that only result in junky chop. However, on rare occasions, the onshores can become so strong, by virtue of rare cold fronts, that sizable, ridable offerings can magically appear on the protected side of jetties and selected piers. While summer can spawn the occasional tropical system, early fall truly signals the onset of hurricane season for the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Actually, just about any storm entering into the Gulf can deliver a strong tropical swell, so long as it doesn't make a direct run for the coast and wipe out a herd of prime Texas cattle, like 1999's Hurricane Bret. Sometimes, cold, hard offshore winds follow the frontal passages, providing local surfers with about a day's worth of clean conditions.