Like all Texas surf, Corpus Christi is the most fun during the winter as long as you have a wet suit, which you could even rent or purchase locally. The waves during the winter are usually waist to head high, and often more than head high.
Primary Surf Spots:
- JP Luby
- Packery Channel
- Bob Hall
This first map gives you a good directional orientation before we zoom in on the specific surf spots. Once you’re in Corpus Christi, you’ll want to head further south on South Padre Island Drive, or SPID as it’s commonly called. Pass Flour Bluff and keep heading toward Padre Island.
This is about a 15 minute drive from Corpus Christi to Padre Island. You’re not going to South Padre; just Padre.
JP Luby Park
On this second map, the first stop (1) is JP Luby Park. When you get onto The Island (Padre Island), look for the first Stripes gas station on your left. That’s where you want to turn left. The road heading left starts out as one lane and the right lane ends, so keep this in mind. You’ll drive about 1 mile or less until you see a sign on your right, along with a long turn-in lane, that leads you down the small sandy road to the beach.
Where to Paddle Out
There’s a long jetty on the right side of this beach where you can paddle out. If you’ve never paddled out along a jetty, keep in mind that the water can smash you and your board right into those boulders, so stay about 100 feet away from it. You’ll find that you can walk for a while, but then the surf can get really difficult to paddle against while you’re making your way to the outside. Surfers have been seen walking along the jetty and jumping off at the end to avoid the paddling, but this is dangerous, not advisable, and illegal.
If you’re an inexperienced surfer, pick a spot on the inside of the surf and don’t worry about paddling out or getting by the jetty. There are some really fun waves to be caught right up by the beach. This is a prime surf spot, a favorite of many locals.
Packery Channel
Another favorite of locals, Packery Channel (2) can be found by driving past the first Stripes gas station on your left, and continuing to the second Stripes. Turn left here, and you’ll see lots of hotels and large homes. You’ll pass a drive through beer store that will even supply you with cups (!), and then you’ll see a road to your left. This is where you want to turn. The speed limit down this road is only around 30, so take it slow. Cops watch this area closely during the summer because of all the kids. You’ll head down this road at a crawling pace for about 1 or 2 miles, and then there will be a sharp turn to your left. Right at that sharp turn is a small opening on your right. This is the little sandy road that leads you to the Packery Channel.
Paddling Out
There is a jetty to the left side of this beach, which you can use to paddle out. As with JP Luby Park, you’ll want to stay about 100 feet from it or you might get swept right into those rocks. They could break some of your bones or, even worse, crack your board in half. It’s a lot of fun to surf on the outside and it’s also a lot of fun to surf on the inside.
Depending on which way the wind is blowing, there could be no surf at JP Luby, which is right on the other side of the Channel, and surf at Packery. It’s about a 5 minute drive between the two beaches, so consider checking both if one doesn’t have any surf.
Hotels
Where the red line is are hotels and condos. This is just to give you a better orientation of things in case you decide to print out this page and take it with you on your surf trip (which would be a great idea). [Shown on map above.]
Bob Hall Pier
Bob Hall Pier (4) is the most well known of the Corpus Christi surf spots because of the really great waves produced here. To get there, let’s back track and say you’re back on SPID and you have passed both of those Stripes gas stations. While on this stretch of SPID, keep looking to your left and you’ll see the entrance to this beach. There’s one road leading out and one road leading in. If you pass it, there are plenty of places for U-turns, so take it easy.
Once you’ve driven down to the end of the paved road (3), head to your right. If it’s summer time, there will be quite a few people walking around so go slow. There will also be lots of cars moving around in a relatively small space, so it’s important to be careful driving down to the pier. On your right you’ll notice the restrooms, along with a building where you can buy sunscreen, towels, and other beach supplies. Grab a parking spot and pull out your board.
Where to Surf
The surf could be best on either the north or south side of the pier, and the best way to know where you should go is to look where the other surfers are having the most fun. As far as paddling out, some locals like to paddle right beside the pier, but this is dangerous. The cement pier does block some current, but you could easily be smashed into the pier and possibly killed. You should keep a safe distance from the pier while paddling out.
When you get hungry, head up to the Ozone Bar & Grill inside Bob Hall Pier. They have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Be sure to ask about their Surfer’s Special! These people are friendly, have great food, an awesome view of the water and beach, and beer!
