Indian River (Southside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at the local stretch. The Indian River (Southside) is a beach/jetty setup, and the water's sitting way warmer than usual for this time of year, with a big anomaly of 2.5° – that's a real standout, it's feeling like bathwater out there.

Right now, honestly, it's a tough watch. The first week and a half are a total write-off. From Saturday the 12th through to Monday the 21st of September, it's consistently poor surf conditions. Squat little waves, onshore slop, and choppy mess – you’re looking at weak combined energies in the teens and tens (like 32 to a peak of 172 on the 15th). The swell is mostly tiny, under 3 feet, and the wind is just all wrong. Even a couple of glassy or offshore moments on the 13th and 18th can't save the fact there's next to nothing to ride. This is a long, flat spell for this spot.

Then we get a flicker of life. On Tuesday the 22nd, we see a solid jump in size. The morning shows a 7.5ft ENE swell (combined energy of 643) and it's cross-shore, but the forecast calls it marginal. That afternoon gets blown out by a strong onshore at 28 mph – that's more of a kite session than a paddle scenario.

Now, here's the stand-out. If you’ve got some experience and can wait, Wednesday the 23rd of September is the one to circle. The morning kicks off with rain showers but it’s offshore wind from the west at 9 mph. The swell is a chunky 7.9ft from the ENE with a combined energy of 845. The comment says to expect very good surf. By the afternoon, it gets even better: a solid 8.2ft swell at 9 seconds from the ENE, pumping up to a combined energy of 1119. The wind is a clean offshore from the WNW at 12 mph. The word on the street is excellent surf conditions, but at 8.2ft that's pushing into big-wave territory – definitely for experienced surfers only. The break is fairly consistent, but be aware, it's often crowded here, so you might have some company for those gems.

Thursday the 24th keeps the size with 8.2ft waves and a longer 10-second period, with a massive combined energy of 1387. The morning has a cross-off wind, but it's blowing a strong 28 mph, which is far from ideal and the call is marginal. By the afternoon, it gets messy with a cross-shore. Friday the 25th sees size dropping but still big, with a long 11-second period from the east. The wind is fresh and cross-onshore, making for lumpy conditions.

By the 26th and 27th, the swell fades back down below 4.3ft, and while the wind turns clean and offshore on the 27th, the size is too small to get excited about.

For the entire window, the only real standout is Wednesday the 23rd. Set your alarm.

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