
Surf Forecasts:
Indian River (Northside) surf forecast from 13 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s period, E swell with 133 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s 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 Sunday (Sep 13) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. 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 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 20) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Northside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get stuck into this local forecast for Indian River (Northside). It's a beach and jetty setup that needs a southerly in the swell window to really fire, and right now, we're just not seeing it.
We're in for a long, dry spell. The outlook kicks off today, but honestly, from Sunday the 13th right through the rest of the week, it’s a struggle. The swell is tiny, mostly under 3 ft, and when it does show a little pulse, the wind is all wrong – hammering onshore or cross-shore, keeping things messy. The wave energy is weak, barely breaking triple digits for most of that first week. You're looking at poor conditions day after day. The only glimmer comes on Friday morning the 18th, where a light SSW breeze gives us some clean-ish, surfable little waves at 2 ft, but it's still very ordinary. That's about as good as it gets for a while.
Then we roll into the second week. Around Monday the 21st, the swell starts to build, but so does the wind. By Tuesday the 22nd, we've got a solid 6 ft of easterly swell pushing in with moderate energy, but it's being ripped apart by a strong onshore breeze. It's messy out there. This pattern holds for days. Wednesday the 23rd afternoon sees the combined energy spike hard, with a lumpy 6 ft swell from the east, but that nasty cross-shore wind is still making a mess of things. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing through this whole stretch. The best of a bad bunch might be Thursday afternoon the 24th – 4 ft of easterly swell with a nice 11-second period, and only a light onshore breeze. It's still not perfect, but it's the cleanest option in a fortnight of iffy conditions. For the rest of the month, it fades back to small and onshore.
So, to be straight with you, there are no true standouts here. If you're desperate, Thursday the 24th afternoon is your best bet. For the rest of us, it’s a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 26°C on Sun night, min 20°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the ESE on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the N by Mon morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 19°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 5 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | N 4 | SE 9 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | S 4 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
32 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 37 | 24 | 37 | 51 | 81 | 130 | 108 | 86 | 91 | 61 | 41 | 38 | 24 | 15 | 16 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on | off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross |
High Tide | 10:07PM0.95m | 10:36AM0.99m | 10:50PM0.90m | 11:20AM0.96m | 11:35PM0.83m | 12:04PM0.92m | 00:23AM0.77m | 12:50PM0.87m | 1:12AM0.71m | 1:38PM0.83m | 2:04AM0.67m | 2:28PM0.80m | 2:58AM0.65m | ||||||
Low Tide | 3:41AM-0.05m | 4:05PM-0.00m | 4:18AM-0.00m | 4:47PM0.04m | 4:55AM0.05m | 5:30PM0.09m | 5:31AM0.12m | 6:15PM0.15m | 6:10AM0.18m | 7:07PM0.20m | 6:58AM0.23m | 8:12PM0.23m | |||||||
— | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
7:13 | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:08 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:04 | — | |
mm | 6 | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 |
Temp °C | 25 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 26 | 28 | 25 |
Feels °C | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 29 | 27 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 15 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 6 |
24 | 23 | 8 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 130 | 108 | 86 | 91 | 61 | 41 | 38 | 24 | 15 | 13 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 10 | ESE 5 | S 5 | — | S 5 | SSE 6 | E 15 | — | E 14 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 |
— | 24 | 9 | 4 | — | 2 | 4 | 4 | — | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 7 | SE 10 | E 4 | — | — | E 15 | E 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 |
— | 1 | 23 | 2 | — | — | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 5 | — | — | — | N 4 | NNE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | E 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 3 | S 3 | S 4 |
32 | — | — | — | 37 | 24 | 37 | 51 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 8 | 16 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 16 | 11 | 45 | 460 | 329 | 1038 | 692 | 692 | 36 | 36 | 353 | 353 | 1046 | 1172 | 10 | 0 | 271 | 45 |
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.










