
Surf Forecasts:
Indian River (Northside) surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period, SE swell with 211 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 28 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Indian River (Northside) this week:
The surf forecast for Indian River (Northside) over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indian River (Northside) in the next 16 days are 1.2m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Northside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, letting you know what's on the cards for the local zone.
To be honest, looking at the next two weeks, it's a bit of a flat spell for us. We're in for a long stretch of small, weak surf. The first solid recommendation doesn't pop up until the 3rd of August, so you're looking at nearly a week of pretty quiet conditions along the beach.
The only spot that's on the radar for this whole outlook is Indian River (Northside). Water temps are sitting at 75° which is bang on average for the time of year, so no wetsuit needed.
Let's break it down. From now through the end of July and into the first days of August, it's pretty grim. The swell is tiny, mostly around 1 ft to 2 ft from the ESE or SSE, with weak energy readings (20-90). The winds are predominantly cross-shore or cross-onshore, so the surface is going to be messy with a cross-chop. It's just not worth paddling out for.
We get a little flicker of hope on Wednesday the 29th of July. The morning is clean with a cross-offshore wind from the NW, but the swell is only 3 ft from the SE, with a weak energy reading of 78. The afternoon cleans up with a proper offshore wind from the W, swelling up to 2 ft from the SE. The data calls it "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions," and I'd agree. It's a knee-high dribbler, not a standout.
The best of the lot, and the only thing that's worth getting a little excited about, comes on Monday the 3rd of August. The morning brings a clean offshore breeze from the W and a 3 ft swell from the SE. The energy picks up to 120, which is at least a moderate reading. The afternoon is even better: a 5 ft swell from the SSE with a cross-offshore wind from the NNW, and the energy jumps to 327. It's a short-period swell at 8 seconds, but the wind is clean. This is the only period where the swell gets over 3 ft, and with the clean conditions, it's your best bet for a few fun ones. It's still not a classic, but it's the pick of a very quiet run.
After that, it drops back into small, choppy, and onshore junk for the rest of the forecast window. The 4th of August has a clean 2 ft in the morning, but it's not enough to get excited about. For the most part, the setup is so weak and with onshore winds, it might be more interesting for the kite surfers if they can get a puff of wind.
Stay patient, keep an eye on the sky, and don't force it. The 3rd of August is your best chance for a paddle.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 21°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Tue afternoon, light winds from the WNW by Wed afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 20°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SE 4 | SE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 78 | 82 | 71 | 56 | 18 | 37 | 27 | 41 | 33 | 20 | 39 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 81 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:00PM0.92m | 8:27AM0.74m | 8:40PM0.94m | 9:07AM0.77m | 9:17PM0.94m | 9:44AM0.79m | 9:52PM0.94m | 10:20AM0.80m | 10:27PM0.92m | 10:57AM0.82m | 11:03PM0.90m | 11:35AM0.84m | 11:44PM0.86m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:51PM0.12m | 1:40AM0.06m | 1:37PM0.11m | 2:22AM0.03m | 2:21PM0.09m | 3:01AM0.01m | 3:02PM0.09m | 3:37AM-0.00m | 3:42PM0.08m | 4:12AM-0.01m | 4:21PM0.09m | 4:44AM-0.00m | 4:59PM0.10m | ||||||||
5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | |
— | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:09 | — | |
mm | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 5 | 8 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 25 |
Feels °C | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 27 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SSE 7 | ENE 5 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | NE 5 | SE 9 |
23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 8 | 82 | 71 | 56 | 18 | 37 | 27 | 41 | 33 | 20 | 39 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 81 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 6 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | NE 6 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 5 | SE 10 | ENE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | — |
12 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 | E 7 | E 6 | E 8 | E 6 | E 6 | — | — | NNW 3 | — | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | — | — | E 7 |
— | — | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 3 | S 4 | S 4 | SSE 5 | — | WNW 3 | W 3 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | NW 3 | N 4 | N 4 | — | SSW 2 | — | SSE 7 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SE 4 | SSE 4 |
— | 2 | 10 | 16 | 78 | — | 3 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | — | 1 | — | 18 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 15 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 353 | 284 | 539 | 1038 | 1354 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 45 | 45 | 249 | 16 | 73 | 108 | 10 | 73 | 412 | 377 | 569 | 1141 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Delaware | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Indian River (Northside) Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Indian River (Northside) provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Indian River (Northside) can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Indian River (Northside) surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Indian River (Northside)) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Indian River (Northside) may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Indian River (Northside) is 30 km (19 miles) from Ocean City. If you plan a vacation in Delaware, look for hotels and other accommodation in Ocean City. Ocean City has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










