Should I boat at Kemah / Galveston Bay, TX today?

Conditions right now

GO as of Oct 23, 11:22 AM ET: wind NE 6 kt, gusts 8 kt; waves under 1 ft. Conditions are within typical limits for small and mid-size recreational boats.

From the NWS gridded forecast for this launch. The live page adds buoy observations, marine warnings and an hour-by-hour timeline.

About Kemah / Galveston Bay, TX

• Water: Louisiana & Texas Coast
• Location: 29.545, -95.020
• NWS marine forecast zone: GMZ335
• Live observations: NDBC EPTT2, NDBC MGPT2

How the wind direction plays here

• Onshore (waves pile up at the launch, often rougher than the open-water number): NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE
• Offshore (deceptively calm at the ramp, rougher farther out, and it pushes you away from shore): SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW
• Cross-shore (moderate; watch which way it trends): N, NNE, SSE, S, SSW, NNW

Why direction matters: wind direction and fetch.

Nearby launches on Louisiana & Texas Coast

• Galveston, TX (22 mi): GO, wind NE 8 kt, gusts 10 kt; waves about 2 ft
• Port Aransas, TX (171 mi): GO, wind E 9 kt, gusts 11 kt; waves about 2 ft every 5 s
• South Padre Island, TX (273 mi): CAUTION, wind ESE 8 kt, gusts 10 kt; waves about 3 ft every 6 s
• Grand Isle, LA (303 mi): GO, wind NNE 10 kt, gusts 13 kt; waves about 2 ft every 3 s