Indian River (Northside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty quiet for Indian River (Northside). This is a beach/jetty setup that's exposed to swell, so it can pick up a bit of energy, but right now the wave heights are tiny and the consistency is poor. The water temperature is sitting at 77°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won't need a thick wetsuit.

We kick off on Wednesday, 26 August with a glassy morning – winds are light from the S at 3 mph, and the swell is a weak 1 ft from the ESE with a period of 10 seconds. But the combined energy is only 22, so it's really flat. The afternoon gets a cross-shore breeze, and the patterns stay poor. Thursday and Friday are similar with tiny waves and messy conditions.

Then on Saturday, 29 August, the wind swings NE and picks up, bringing a cross-onshore chop and a 3 ft swell from the ENE, but the period is a short 4 seconds, so it's just wind slop. Honestly, this whole stretch is a write-off for decent surf. The combined energy stays well under 100, and the wave comments keep saying "poor surf conditions." There's a gap of several days where nothing is really rideable.

By the time we hit Monday, 31 August, we get a bit of clean offshore wind from the WSW, but the swell is only 1 ft with a 7-second period, so it's still barely anything. Tuesday, 1 September follows with offshore winds too, but the swell drops to 0.3 ft in the afternoon – that's a lake. Not happening.

The first real hint of something comes on Wednesday, 2 September. The morning has a gentle offshore breeze from the W, and the swell picks up to 1 ft from the SE with a 12-second period. The combined energy is still only 53, but the period is longer, which gives a bit more shape. The afternoon could be the best of the whole run: light S wind, cross-offshore, clean waves, and the swell bumps to 2 ft from the ESE at 11 seconds. Energy hits 89. It's still weak, but it's the cleanest window in the whole forecast.

After that, it's back to junk. The rest of the first week of September is dominated by strong NE winds and cross-onshore chop, with swell heights hovering around 3 ft to 3 ft but with short periods and heavy energy readings that climb into the 100s – that's moderate energy, but the wind is fresh and the quality is poor. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one.

The final few days, around 8 to 10 September, show a little more offshore wind, especially on the 10th with a strong W breeze, but the swell is tiny and weak. Nothing to get excited about. The best call for the whole 16 days is the clean, glassy windows on Wednesday morning, 26 August, and the clean cross-offshore on Wednesday afternoon, 2 September, but only if you're desperate for a tiny, clean wave. Otherwise, the outlook is a long, flat run.

Rusty

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