Overview
Meacom's Pier is a Gulf Coast beach break near High Island, breaking over sand where the pier that gave it its name once stood as the longest in the Gulf before Hurricane Ike took it out in 2008. It long served surfers in the Beaumont and Port Arthur area who didn't have the time to make the drive down to Galveston. Like most of the coast around High Island, though, the extremely wide continental shelf and successive sandbars stretching out a few hundred yards knock the swell down, so even the best days deliver only barely rideable waves. If it's good here, it's probably firing somewhere else in Texas.
When It Works
The beach break draws swell from south-southwest to east-southeast (SSW-ESE) and throws up both rights and lefts over sand. It works from 0.3 m / 1 ft to 2.4 m / 8 ft, roughly waist to head high on the better days. Spring and autumn are the seasons to watch, covering the late summer into fall and late winter through mid-spring windows.
Wind and Tide
Look for north-northwest (NNW) offshore wind, with a workable wind window running from west-northwest to north-northeast (WNW-NNE). It surfs on mid and high tide, and a rising tide is generally the better call.
Local Tips
It suits everyone from beginners to experts, and a funboard or longboard is the right tool for the small, soft waves. Expect a quiet lineup that can feel a little reserved, often empty enough that another surfer in the water is a welcome sight. Strong, consistent longshore currents mean drift sessions are the way to go.
Access
Getting in is easy. Keep an eye on high tides, which can wash a parked vehicle away, and note that proximity to the Houston shipping channel and runoff from Galveston often means the water quality isn't great.
