Indian River (Northside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s size up Indian River (Northside). This is a beach and jetty setup, exposed to the south-southeast. A beginner-friendly spot that sees consistent waves, but you can expect to see a crowd here often.

Right off the bat, we’re looking at a dead stretch. The first several days have next to nothing worth paddling for. The combined wave energy reading is down around 21, which is weak. The water is running at 77°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – nearly 5°F above average. That’s striking, but it doesn’t help the surf.

Those first days are all tiny 1 ft to 3 ft swell from the ESE and SSE, with short, weak periods between 4 and 8 seconds. The wind is mostly cross-onshore or cross, and the conditions are poor across the board. No reason to get wet.

We roll through the week, and it stays small. The swell height barely reaches 3 ft. The wind shifts around – some light cross-shore moments – but the wave quality is still poor. There’s a couple of afternoons on the 10th where we get a clean, offshore wind from the west, but with only 1 ft to 2 ft of SSE swell, it’s just not enough to get excited about.

Around the 13th, the combined swell energy climbs into the 100s – moderate energy – but the swell height stays around 4 ft from the ENE with a short 6-second period. The wind is still messy, cross-onshore or cross, so it’s a no-go.

The middle of the month shows more of the same: clean winds at times, but the swell is barely there. By the 15th, we finally get a surfable wave rating – it’s a 1 out of 10, but we’ll take it. Wednesday afternoon sees 3 ft from the NNE with a 5-second period and a clean offshore wind from the west. It’s ordinary, but you might find a short, weak ride if you’re keen.

Friday the 17th has a glassy morning with just a slight air, and the swell is 3 ft from the SSE. That’s about as good as this stretch gets – still small, but clean and rideable for a beginner.

The standout in this whole 16-day run is Saturday morning of the 18th of July. The swell jumps to 5 ft from the south, with a combined energy of 352 – strong wave energy. The period is 7 seconds, so it’s a bit short, but the wind is cross-offshore from the south-southwest, giving clean conditions. That’s the best on offer: solid size for this break, clean faces, and a bit of push. Just be aware, it might be a bit much for beginners at that height, and it is a beach and jetty setup, so it could get a little lumpy with that period.

After that, the swell drops back down to the 3 ft to 4 ft range, with clean winds but weak energy. The final few days have some surfable but ordinary conditions, with offshore winds on the 20th, but it’s not going to get anyone fired up.

So, the bottom line: there’s a big gap of nothing at the start, then a couple of tiny clean windows, and one real standout morning on the 18th of July. For the rest, it’s a tough stretch. The water is unusually warm, but that’s the only thing breaking the mould.

Rusty.

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