
Surf Forecasts:
Indian River (Southside) surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, S swell with 323 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Indian River (Southside) this week:
The surf forecast for Indian River (Southside) over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indian River (Southside) in the next 16 days are 1.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Southside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for us. Honestly, it’s a pretty bleak picture for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak swells and mostly tricky winds, so this isn’t the time to get your hopes up for anything special.
Right now, we’ve got a bit of a gap before anything worthwhile shows. The first spot that gets a nod is Indian River (Southside), and that’s only for Wednesday afternoon, July 22nd. We’ll see a modest 4ft swell rolling in from the S, with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate at 309. The wind is offshore from the W at 12 mph, which keeps things clean. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year at 25°. It’s a spot for advanced surfers only, and crowds are often an issue here. But with the surf being so small and ordinary, you might have it all to yourself.
For Thursday, July 23rd, it drops off fast. A tiny 2ft swell from the SSE on Thursday morning gets chopped up by a cross-onshore NNE breeze at 16 mph, and the combined energy falls back to a weak 122. By the afternoon, it’s even smaller at 2ft. The rest of July and into the first week of August is a write-off. Morning after morning, the swell sits below 3ft, often with periods as short as 4 to 6 seconds. The combined energy rarely breaks triple digits, and we’ve got days where it’s in the 20s or 30s – that’s barely a ripple. Winds are a mess too, mostly cross-onshore or onshore, leaving the surface choppy or messy.
There’s a brief flicker on Tuesday, July 28th, with the morning showing a 3ft swell from the S at 7 seconds and moderate energy of 119, with a clean cross-offshore SW wind at 16 mph. The afternoon is cleaner with a light W offshore at 6 mph, but the swell is back to 3ft. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about. After that, we’re back to flat, dirty conditions right through to the end of the forecast period on August 6th. The swells are tiny, the wind is rarely your friend, and the energy is almost non-existent.
So what’s the standout? There isn’t one. This is just one of those stretches where the ocean takes a long nap. If you’re desperate, the cleanest, most rideable window is that Wednesday afternoon, July 22nd, at Indian River (Southside). It’s a poor hand, but that’s the best card we’ve got. Look for a change in the pattern further out, but for now, don’t leave your board in the car.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Wed afternoon, min 21°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Wed morning, calm by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Mon afternoon, min 20°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 4 | ENE 6 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 5 | S 6 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
147 | 190 | 96 | 54 | 41 | 21 | 25 | 43 | 39 | 27 | 37 | 24 | 31 | 31 | 23 | 23 | 34 | 134 | 106 | 76 | 62 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 4:19PM0.85m | 4:17AM0.66m | 5:18PM0.87m | 5:15AM0.66m | 6:13PM0.90m | 6:10AM0.66m | 7:03PM0.93m | 6:59AM0.69m | 7:47PM0.96m | 7:45AM0.71m | 8:27PM0.98m | 8:27AM0.73m | 9:04PM0.99m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:17AM0.14m | 10:29PM0.23m | 10:09AM0.17m | 11:30PM0.24m | 11:01AM0.19m | 00:25AM0.24m | 11:51AM0.19m | 1:14AM0.23m | 12:37PM0.18m | 1:56AM0.22m | 1:20PM0.15m | 2:34AM0.20m | 2:00PM0.12m | 3:08AM0.18m | |||||||
5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | |
— | 8:19 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 26 | 30 | 28 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 33 | 28 |
Feels °C | 25 | 29 | 30 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 35 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ENE 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SE 8 |
147 | 119 | 96 | 54 | 37 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 28 | 14 | 12 | 19 | 31 | 31 | 23 | 23 | 14 | 12 | 106 | 76 | 62 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | S 6 | S 5 | S 6 | S 5 | ESE 8 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | E 6 | ESE 8 | — | — |
— | — | — | 35 | 41 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 24 | 14 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 13 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 5 | — | — | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | S 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 5 | S 8 | — | NE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 4 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 4 | ENE 6 | — | NE 6 | — | SSW 2 | SSW 4 | S 5 | S 6 | WSW 4 | NW 3 | — |
20 | 190 | — | 33 | 19 | 15 | 25 | 43 | 39 | 27 | 37 | — | 29 | — | 1 | 4 | 34 | 134 | 11 | 1 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 67 | 0 | 32 | 38 | 363 | 145 | 270 | 380 | 38 | 204 | 204 | 2 | 102 | 380 | 43 | 282 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Delaware | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Indian River (Southside) Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Indian River (Southside) 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 (Southside) can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Indian River (Southside) 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 (Southside)) 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 (Southside) 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 (Southside) is 28 km (17 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.










