Surf Forecasts:
Indian River (Northside) surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 9s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 9s period, SE swell with 93 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 9s period with SE 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 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 11s. 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 0.8m 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) 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 0.7m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Northside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Well, let's be straight with you—this outlook for Indian River (Northside) is a tough one to write. I've looked at the whole 16-day window and to be honest, it's mostly flat and grim. There's a long stretch where you’ll be better off doing just about anything else. But, I'll tell you what's what.
First up, the water temp is sitting at 76°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Comfortable, but you won't really need more than a spring suit.
The first session that even sniffs at being rideable is Friday morning, August 28th. We're looking at a tiny 0.4 feet of swell from the ESE with a short 8-second period. The combined energy is a weak 43. The wind is light and cross-offshore, so it'll be clean, but honestly, it’s so small it's barely a ripple. Don't get your hopes up.
From there, it's a wasteland. Saturday the 29th through to the end of the month is a write-off with tiny, choppy slop and poor conditions. Monday the 31st has a moment of clean offshore wind, but again, the swell is practically non-existent at 0.4 feet and weak energy of 19. This pattern of "clean but flat" pretty much sums up the first week.
There is a small blip on Wednesday morning, September 2nd. The swell bumps to 0.5 feet from the SE with a period of 11 seconds. Combined energy hits 62, which is still weak but the best we see for a while. The wind is cross-shore though, creating a bit of chop. Still, it’s the least poor option in that stretch.
Then we hit the real interesting part, way out at the end. Come Sunday morning, September 6th, we get a pulse of energy. The swell jumps to 1 feet from the NE, with a period of 6 seconds. The combined energy finally gets into "moderate" territory at 119. The problem? The wind is howling onshore from the E at 19 mph, making for poor, chunky conditions. It’s not good for a paddle surf, but with that onshore wind and the beach/jetty setup, a kite boarder might actually have a bit of fun. Later that day the energy climbs even higher to 143, but the onshore wind is still 16 mph, so it'll be lumpy and messy.
After that burst, by Monday the 7th, it drops straight back down to weak, onshore slop for the rest of the outlook. There's nothing else to get excited about.
So it's a desperate outlook. The only real shot at some moderate energy is Sunday, September 6th, and even then it'll be blown out. The rest of the time, you're looking at knee-high dribble if anything at all. For this area, a blank run like this isn't abnormal, but it still stings.
Keep the board in the car just in case a forecast changes, but don't hold your breath.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Thu night. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 22°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 32°C on Mon afternoon, min 23°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 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) | E 8 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | NE 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
36 | 46 | 93 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 17 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 20 | 59 | 53 | 46 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | off | on | on | cross-off | glassy | off | cross | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 8:37AM0.83m | 8:49PM0.95m | 9:13AM0.87m | 9:25PM0.95m | 9:48AM0.90m | 10:01PM0.94m | 10:23AM0.92m | 10:39PM0.91m | 11:02AM0.94m | 11:22PM0.87m | 11:45AM0.94m | 00:11AM0.82m | 12:35PM0.94m | 1:08AM0.78m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 4:43PM0.05m | 4:48AM0.00m | 5:27PM0.08m | 5:27AM0.04m | 6:19PM0.11m | ||||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
— | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 29 | 32 | 28 | 27 | 31 | 31 | 25 | 27 | 26 |
Feels °C | 26 | 25 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 22 | 21 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 30 | 34 | 31 | 29 | 34 | 33 | 27 | 29 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 5 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 8 | ENE 4 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | S 4 | SE 7 | S 4 | SSE 5 | S 5 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | S 4 |
36 | 46 | 93 | 13 | 27 | 20 | 8 | 16 | 6 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 4 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 20 | 59 | 53 | 9 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | E 12 | E 11 | ESE 8 | E 11 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 5 | SE 8 | SSE 5 | NE 4 | NE 4 | SE 8 | E 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | S 4 | S 4 | ENE 5 | SE 10 |
3 | 3 | 2 | 28 | 2 | 26 | 17 | 5 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 46 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | SSE 5 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | — | E 8 | — | ESE 8 | ESE 12 | NE 4 | — | NE 5 |
— | — | — | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 7 | 14 | 1 | — | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | — | — | SE 5 | — | NE 4 | NE 5 | — | ENE 4 | SE 5 | SSE 3 | SSW 4 | S 4 | — | — | — | — | SW 4 | SSW 2 | SSW 4 |
5 | 5 | — | — | 14 | — | 17 | 22 | — | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 19 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 210 | 1159 | 0 | 0 | 284 | 0 | 218 | 1038 | 139 | 363 | 2227 | 337 | 1174 | 1165 | 1165 | 1165 | 1170 | 284 | 82 | 269 | 206 |
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.











