Surf Forecasts:
Indian River (Northside) surf forecast from 14 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 17 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period, S swell with 171 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period with S 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 Monday (Aug 17) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 6s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indian River (Northside) in the next 16 days are 1.5m 6s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Northside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Indian River (Northside) has cooking for us over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s going to be a long, quiet stretch for the most part. We’ve got a big gap of nearly two weeks with practically nothing worth paddling out for. The first real chance of a wave doesn’t show up until Monday the 17th, and even then, it’s barely a ripple.
The Long Flat Spell
The forecast starts Friday the 14th with tiny, weak surf – we’re talking 0.3ft to 0.7ft at best. The combined swell energy is laughably low, sitting between 8 and 14 units. Winds are all over the place, but it doesn’t matter because there’s no push. Saturday is more of the same with 0.7ft to 1ft and onshore winds kicking up a chop. Sunday gets a little lumpy with a 2ft to 3ft SSE windswell, but the period is a shocking 3 to 4 seconds, and with onshore winds up to 22 mph, it’s just a messy, blown-out waste of time. The combined energy climbs to 31, but it’s all junk.
Monday 17th & Tuesday 18th – Faint Hope
Monday morning the 17th, we finally get a sniff of something clean. The swell drops back to 3ft from the SSE, but the wind turns NNW and becomes cross-offshore. The energy is only 62 – weak – but the conditions are clean. By Monday afternoon, it goes glassy with a 2ft SE swell. It’s not going to blow your mind, but for a beginner-friendly beach/jetty break, it’s the first passable window. Tuesday the 18th sees a jump in period to 13 seconds on the afternoon, giving that SE swell a bit more grunt, but the onshore wind ruins it.
The Two-Week Wait
After Tuesday, it’s back to the desert. From Wednesday the 19th all the way through Thursday the 27th, we are looking at flat to tiny waves (0.7ft to 1ft) with poor conditions and energy readings mostly under 50. There’s one blip on Sunday the 23rd with a 3ft S swell and clean cross-offshore winds, but the period is a short 5 seconds and energy is only 56. It’s surfable but very ordinary. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The Standout – Saturday 29th August
Finally, a light at the end of the tunnel. On Friday morning the 28th, we get a whisper of something bigger: a 4ft ENE swell with glassy conditions and a combined energy of 99 – just sneaking into moderate territory. But the real standout is Saturday morning the 29th. The swell holds at 4ft from the ENE, but the energy jumps to a solid 239 (moderate wave energy). The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the SSW, making for good-looking waves. The period is only 7 seconds, so it’s short-period windswell, but for Indian River (Northside) that’s the best we’re going to see in the entire 16-day outlook. This is a beginner break, and 4ft is a fun, manageable size. The water temp is about average for late August. Keep an eye on this one, but remember it’s a long way out, so don’t book the week off just yet.
That’s the story for now. A whole lotta nothing, with a decent little window at the end. Keep those fingers crossed the forecasts hold.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 28°C on Thu night, min 23°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (calm on Fri night, fresh winds from the S by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 27°C on Mon afternoon, min 22°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SSE 5 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 3 | SSE 3 | SSE 4 | S 6 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 7 | SE 9 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 10 | S 5 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
7 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 31 | 171 | 62 | 40 | 29 | 20 | 108 | 67 | 45 | 24 | 71 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:46PM1.05m | 10:21AM0.97m | 10:34PM1.01m | 11:09AM0.96m | 11:21PM0.94m | 11:58AM0.94m | 00:09AM0.87m | 12:46PM0.91m | 00:58AM0.80m | 1:33PM0.88m | 1:47AM0.74m | 2:21PM0.85m | 2:37AM0.69m | ||||||
Low Tide | 3:32AM-0.11m | 3:43PM-0.04m | 4:14AM-0.09m | 4:30PM-0.01m | 4:54AM-0.05m | 5:16PM0.04m | 5:34AM0.01m | 6:03PM0.10m | 6:14AM0.08m | 6:53PM0.15m | 6:58AM0.14m | 7:52PM0.20m | |||||||
— | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
7:57 | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | |
mm | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 15 | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 25 |
Feels °C | 30 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | S 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | NE 4 | — | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 9 |
7 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 62 | 40 | 29 | 8 | 108 | 67 | 45 | 24 | 8 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | SSE 5 | S 5 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 5 | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | E 9 | SE 9 | NE 4 | ENE 5 | E 5 | ENE 5 | E 5 |
1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 20 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | SE 7 | E 13 | E 7 | — | E 12 | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | E 15 | SE 14 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | S 5 | — | — |
1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 2 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 3 | SSE 3 | SSE 4 | S 6 | — | — | NNW 2 | NE 4 | — | — | SSE 5 | S 4 | S 5 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 8 | 31 | 171 | — | — | 1 | 7 | — | — | 3 | 9 | 71 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1172 | 1174 | 3109 | 2129 | 1341 | 3109 | 622 | 631 | 1093 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 252 | 243 | 382 | 200 | 10 | 599 | 638 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Delaware | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











