Indian River (Northside) Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.62° N 75.06° W

Indian River (Northside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 24 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Indian River (Northside) sea temperature is
25.1°C
1.6° 

Indian River (Northside) surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Indian River (Northside) surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 6s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, SSE swell with 68 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s is also forecast. 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 1.0m 6s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) 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 1.0m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Fri 28th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 6s
Best Surf 8PM (Fri 28th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 6s
Most Powerful 5AM (Fri 28th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 6s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Northside) over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, I’ve looked this stretch over, and I’ll be straight with you – it’s a lean run for Indian River (Northside). We’re talking about a solid stretch of small, weak surf and tricky winds through most of the 16-day window. The first recommendation pops up on September 1st, but before that, it’s pretty much a write-off. From now through to the end of August, it's a gap of near a week with essentially no surf worth paddling for. Day after day of ankle-to-knee high windswell and onshore junk. You’d be better off polishing your board than getting wet.

Okay, into the first real highlight. Tuesday, September 1st rolls in with a subtle change. The morning stays messy, but by the afternoon, things go glassy. We’ve got a light westerly wind that goes glass – dead calm – and a tiny 1ft groundswell from the ESE with a long 14-second period. The combined wave energy is weak, only 59, but that long period means there’s some shape to the little bumps. It’s not going to blow your mind, but it’s surfable. That moment of glassy water makes it worth a look for the longboard or a foiler. This is the only standout in the whole 16-day stretch, and it’s purely a window of clean conditions, not power.

Beyond that, we see a spike in size around Thursday, September 4th. The early morning brings a 4-5ft swell from the ENE with moderate energy (420) and a clean, cross-off wind from the south. That sounds promising, and the size is there, but the wind is strong at 12 mph, and the wave comment flags it as marginal. For a beach/jetty setup, that combined energy is moderate, but the short period of 9 seconds and the wind won’t give you clean lines. It’ll be bumpy and hard to wrangle. This is more of a grunt session for experienced guys on a bigger board; might be too much chop for beginners.

For the rest of the second week, the surf stays in the waist-high range or smaller, mostly onshore from the east and southeast. The swell energy climbs to three-digit numbers a few times, peaking at 420 on the 4th, but it’s always paired with cross-shore or onshore wind, keeping the surface mushy.

One thing to note: the water temp anomaly for this area is average for this time of year, so the water will feel normal – nothing unusual there.

Honestly, if you’re desperate, point your car at the jetty on the afternoon of the 1st for a glassy, micro-session. Any real power doesn’t arrive cleanly. The few days with size are blown out. For beginners, the 1ft to 2ft glassy moments are your only friend, but they’re few and far between. It’s a tough outlook, folks.

Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Warm (max 26°C on Thu morning, min 21°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Fri morning. Warm (max 26°C on Fri afternoon, min 22°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.3
ESE
11
0.3
ESE
11
0.3
ESE
11
0.2
ESE
11
0.3
ESE
9
0.4
ESE
9
0.5
ESE
9
0.5
E
8
0.5
ESE
9
1
SSE
5
0.8
SSE
6
0.8
S
6
0.4
ESE
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.4
SE
8
0.3
ESE
8
0.4
SE
8
0.4
SE
8
0.4
SE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
23
22
22
11
17
25
45
36
45
56
36
39
26
25
16
13
18
17
15
Wind (km/h)
15
NW
15
NW
5
ENE
10
NW
5
SE
25
SSE
25
S
25
S
20
S
20
SW
20
SW
15
SSW
15
NNW
20
NE
15
E
15
ESE
15
SE
20
SSE
20
SSW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
7:16AM0.73m
7:32PM0.91m
7:59AM0.78m
8:12PM0.94m
8:37AM0.83m
8:49PM0.95m
9:13AM0.87m
9:25PM0.95m
9:48AM0.90m
10:01PM0.94m
10:23AM0.92m
10:39PM0.91m
Low Tide
00:25AM0.11m
12:26PM0.13m
1:08AM0.06m
1:12PM0.10m
1:48AM0.03m
1:56PM0.07m
2:27AM-0.00m
2:39PM0.05m
3:04AM-0.02m
3:21PM0.04m
3:39AM-0.02m
4:01PM0.04m
4:13AM-0.02m
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
mod rain
thunderstorm
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:22
6:22
6:24
6:24
6:26
6:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:42
7:40
7:38
7:37
7:37
7:35
7:34
 mm
4
1
4
7
4
1
Temp °C
24
22
24
24
22
24
25
26
26
25
23
26
25
23
23
23
24
24
25
Feels °C
23
20
23
23
23
21
23
26
26
26
24
27
28
22
22
23
23
23
26
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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