Indian River (Northside) Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.62° N 75.06° W

Indian River (Northside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 13 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Indian River (Northside) sea temperature is
25.8° C
1.8° 

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 13 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 17 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, S swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, S swell with 270 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s 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 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 7s. 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 1.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Mon 17th Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 7s
Best Surf 5AM (Mon 17th Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 7s
Most Powerful 5AM (Mon 17th Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Bit of a flat spell for the Indian River (Northside) this outlook. We’re looking at a long stretch with barely a ripple, but the back half of the 16-day window shows a bit of life.

The first real surf to speak of shows up Monday 17th, but even then it’s only a tiny 3ft of SSE swell with a clean morning—cross-off wind from the NNW at 6 mph keeps things tidy. Still, that’s 3ft, not exactly setting the world on fire. Combined swell energy is just 51 (weak), and the crowd is generally around. After that, it’s pretty much back to nothing through the rest of that week.

There’s a gap of a few days with no recommendations, but then we get a bit of a pulse around Wednesday 19th morning. The swell bumps to 3ft from the SE, with an 11-second period—that’s a proper little groundswell. Wind is cross-shore from the SSE at 9 mph, so it’s not perfect, but combined energy hits 233 (moderate), which is the best we’ll see for a while. The longer period will give the waves a bit more shape, though at a beach/jetty setup it might break a touch straight.

The real standout, if you can wait, is right at the end—Thursday 27th and Friday 28th of August. We’ve got a solid 5ft to 6ft of ENE swell rolling in, with a 6-7 second period. Combined energy jumps up to 290 and 296 (moderate-strong). The catch? Onshore wind from the E and ESE at 9-12 mph, so conditions will be choppy—this is more for the experienced crew who don’t mind a bit of texture. At that size and with onshore wind, this is not beginner-friendly; it’s pushing into expert territory.

Before that, there’s a tiny window Tuesday 18th afternoon with a 2ft SE groundswell and a 13-second period, energy 101 (moderate). Wind is onshore from the E at 6 mph, so it’s rideable but messy.

Water temp is sitting at a warm 78°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year—not hugely unusual, but nice.

One other thing: the rideable south-southeast swell on Monday 17th morning is the only time the wind direction really lines up clean. The longer-period SE swells later have that potential for shape, but the wind never fully cooperates.

Look, if you’re into kiting, those late-August days with 5ft+ E swell and onshore breeze might be your jam. For paddling, the best bet is the Wednesday 19th morning window if you want a chance at a clean line, or wait for the last few days of the month for size—but bring your tolerance for chop.

Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Thu morning. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 22°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 22°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Sun night, light winds from the NE by Mon afternoon).

Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
AM
PM
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
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
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)
0.1
E
11
0.1
SE
8
0.2
ESE
8
0.1
SE
9
0.2
ESE
9
0.2
ESE
9
0.8
NE
4
0.7
ENE
5
0.5
E
5
0.6
S
3
1.1
S
5
1.6
S
7
0.8
SSE
7
0.5
SSE
6
0.3
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.6
SE
13
0.5
SE
11
0.8
SE
11
0.5
SE
10
0.4
SE
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3
3
7
3
9
8
21
19
11
8
51
226
51
23
12
29
101
64
162
48
21
Wind (km/h)
15
NW
5
S
10
NW
10
NE
5
N
15
NNW
25
ENE
15
ESE
20
S
25
S
35
S
35
WSW
10
NNW
5
SW
15
W
15
N
10
E
10
SSW
15
SSE
20
S
10
W
Wind State
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-on
on
cross
cross
cross
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross
on
cross-off
cross
cross
off
High Tide
9:32AM0.95m
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
2:53PM-0.05m
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
rain showers
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
part cloud
rain showers
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
clear
thunderstorm
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:11
6:11
6:13
6:13
6:15
6:16
6:16
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:57
7:55
7:54
7:52
7:52
7:51
7:49
 mm
1
4
12
3
2
1
Temp °C
25
29
29
25
26
24
24
24
23
24
27
24
26
26
26
23
26
26
26
28
27
Feels °C
25
31
31
23
26
23
23
24
23
24
25
21
28
29
28
23
26
26
27
28
28
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Indian River (Northside):

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Indian River (Northside) surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest