
Surf Forecasts:
Indian River (Southside) surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 13 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 12 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period, E swell with 134 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 13 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period with ESE 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 Monday (Jul 13) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indian River (Southside) in the next 16 days are 1.2m 7s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 12) at 8PM. 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 5s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 16) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 13th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Mon 13th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sun 12th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Southside) over the next 16 days.
Alright, this is Rusty. Let's take a gander at what's on the menu for Indian River (Southside) over the next two weeks. Gotta be honest with ya, it's a tough stretch. This is a beach/jetty setup, so we're totally open to the wind and swell, and for most of this run, the cards are stacked against us.
We're looking at a long, dry spell. From Saturday the 11th right through to the morning of Monday the 24th, it's pretty much a dead loss. That's nearly two weeks of tiny, weak, or just plain messy surf. The swell energy is weak (values mostly in the teens to 70s), and when the size does come up a little, the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, chopping everything to bits. For the advanced crew that needs a decent wall, there's nothing doing.
Now, let's talk about the one little glimmer – and I mean a little one – that shows up on Thursday, July 24th. The afternoon has a bit of a pulse from the south at 5ft, with a 7-second period, pushing the combined energy up to 204 (moderate). The wind is a light cross-onshore from the southeast at just 3 mph, so it's only causing small ripples. It's barely surfable, but it's the best we've seen. That south swell direction isn't hitting the optimum SSE direction for this break, so it won't be nearly as good as it could be. Still, it's the only window where the forecast is even described as "marginal" instead of "poor."
After that, we get a little bump in size Saturday the 25th, up to 5ft with that same sloppy southerly swell, but the cross-onshore wind picks up to 16 mph and it's just choppy chaos. Not one for the log or the fish, that's for sure.
Then, finally, on Sunday morning, July 26th, we get a little reprieve. The wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the SSW at 6 mph, cleaning things right up. It's only 3ft from the SSE with moderate energy (100), but the conditions are "clean." That's the real standout in the whole outlook. It won't be huge, but with clean conditions on a better direction, that's your best chance to actually enjoy a paddle. For all the other days, the combined swell energy is low to moderate, but the conditions are just too ordinary to get excited about.
Because of the persistent onshore flow, this beach/jetty setup is going to look a lot more interesting for the kite surfers than for us paddle surfers for most of the run. The water temp is about average for the time of year, no major anomalies to report.
So, to wrap it up: don't hold your breath for the next two weeks. The standout is Saturday morning, July 26th with clean, cross-offshore wind on a 3ft SSE swell. That's your window. For the rest, maybe take up fishing.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 28°C on Fri night, min 22°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri night, fresh winds from the ENE by Sun morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 36°C on Wed afternoon, min 21°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Fri 17 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | ESE 9 | SSE 6 | NE 4 | ENE 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 7 | S 5 | ESE 9 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | NE 4 | ENE 5 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
13 | 9 | 12 | 32 | 111 | 130 | 121 | 100 | 67 | 29 | 31 | 19 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 11 | 22 | 25 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:53AM0.71m | 6:52PM1.04m | 7:00AM0.73m | 7:52PM1.09m | 8:02AM0.75m | 8:49PM1.11m | 9:00AM0.78m | 9:42PM1.12m | 9:55AM0.80m | 10:32PM1.09m | 10:49AM0.82m | 11:20PM1.04m | 11:42AM0.83m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:58PM0.14m | 11:39AM0.00m | 00:59AM0.10m | 12:38PM-0.03m | 1:56AM0.05m | 1:36PM-0.06m | 2:49AM0.02m | 2:32PM-0.09m | 3:40AM-0.01m | 3:28PM-0.09m | 4:29AM-0.03m | 4:22PM-0.07m | 5:17AM-0.03m | 5:17PM-0.03m | |||||||
— | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | |
8:25 | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | |
mm | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 28 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 25 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 36 | 35 | 32 | 36 | 33 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 31 | 26 | 28 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 36 | 36 | 33 | 35 | 33 | 29 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 7 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 8 | S 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 |
13 | 3 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 121 | 100 | 67 | 29 | 31 | 19 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 3 | 11 | 19 | 11 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | SSE 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | S 6 | S 6 | — | ESE 10 | SSE 5 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 15 | SE 8 | E 15 | SE 8 |
9 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | 9 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | ESE 9 | ENE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 5 | SE 9 | — | — | E 7 | E 6 | E 16 | E 16 | — | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 |
4 | 9 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | — | — | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 3 | NE 4 | ENE 6 | E 7 | — | — | — | — | — | S 3 | SSW 4 | W 3 | W 2 | WSW 3 | — | S 5 | — | NE 4 | ENE 5 |
— | — | 4 | 32 | 111 | 130 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 18 | — | 22 | 25 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 43 | 80 | 323 | 380 | 380 | 1173 | 458 | 458 | 459 | 2 | 43 | 13 | 256 | 282 | 141 | 330 | 315 | 189 | 1039 | 209 | 1047 |
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.











