
Surf Forecasts:
Indian River (Southside) surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s period, S swell with 317 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period with SSE 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. 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 1.5m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Southside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with you—this Indian River (Southside) stretch is looking pretty quiet over the next fortnight. The swell is small and the windows of clean, rideable surf are few and far between. We’ve got a long dry spell from Sunday the 19th right through to the end of the month, with hardly anything worth paddling out for. The water temp is sitting pretty average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The only real glimmer of hope comes on Wednesday the 22nd. That morning, we’ve got a clean 4ft swell sneaking in from the south with a moderate offshore breeze out of the west. The wind is going to keep the surface glassy, and the combined wave energy is sitting at 138 (moderate)—nothing huge, but it’s the best we’ll see. The period is short at 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit weak and lumpy, but for a beach/jetty setup, it’s rideable. By the afternoon, the swell ticks up to 5ft from the south, still with that clean cross-off breeze and wave energy jumping to 438 (strong). That’s the standout of the whole forecast. It’s not massive, but it’s the only day where the quality and size line up. Keep in mind, this spot is for advanced surfers only, and crowds are often a factor here, so expect company.
After that, it’s back to the doldrums. Thursday the 23rd through to the first week of August is mostly tiny, wind-affected slop. Swells hover around 1ft to 3ft, with onshore or cross-shore winds ruining any chance of a clean face. There’s a brief moment on Monday the 27th morning with a light offshore and 2ft, but it’s barely surfable. The combined energy is weak (56), and it’s inconsistent. Not worth the drive, mate.
The very end of the run on Monday the 3rd of August has a glassy morning with 3ft from the east-northeast, but the period is a poor 6 seconds and the energy is only 63 (weak). It’s surfable but ordinary, and way too small to get excited about.
Bottom line: If you’ve got a free Wednesday the 22nd, hit Indian River (Southside) for the best shot—just keep your expectations in check. Otherwise, it’s a long wait for nothing special. This stretch is known for going flat, so a blank run like this isn’t unusual. Keep an eye on the forecasts, though—it never stays quiet forever.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 31mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 21°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Sat night, light winds from the NNE by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 30°C on Wed afternoon, min 20°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Tue night, calm by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 4 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
105 | 36 | 36 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 45 | 36 | 249 | 138 | 317 | 98 | 59 | 55 | 45 | 38 | 45 | 74 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 00:53AM0.89m | 1:28PM0.83m | 1:40AM0.81m | 2:23PM0.83m | 2:29AM0.75m | 3:20PM0.84m | 3:22AM0.69m | 4:19PM0.85m | 4:17AM0.66m | 5:18PM0.87m | 5:15AM0.66m | 6:13PM0.90m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:50AM0.01m | 7:13PM0.09m | 7:38AM0.05m | 8:16PM0.15m | 8:26AM0.09m | 9:23PM0.20m | 9:17AM0.14m | 10:29PM0.23m | 10:09AM0.17m | 11:30PM0.24m | 11:01AM0.19m | 00:25AM0.24m | |||||||
— | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | |
8:22 | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | |
mm | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 27 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 23 |
Feels °C | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | NE 4 | NE 4 | SE 8 | — | S 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
3 | 36 | 36 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | 138 | 121 | 98 | 59 | 55 | 45 | 38 | 45 | 74 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | SE 8 | E 12 | E 12 | — | — | — | — | SE 8 | SSE 7 | ENE 4 | S 7 | SSE 7 | NNE 4 |
1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 51 | 10 | 1 | 25 | 5 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NE 4 | SE 12 | SE 8 | E 12 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | SSE 10 | S 10 | — | NNE 4 |
— | — | — | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 9 | 2 | — | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | NNW 3 | N 3 | N 3 | NE 4 | ENE 3 | SSE 4 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | S 8 | — | S 8 | N 3 | NNE 4 | ENE 4 | — | NE 4 | ENE 4 | — |
105 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 45 | 36 | 249 | — | 317 | 4 | 9 | 7 | — | 8 | 12 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 43 | 43 | 75 | 141 | 302 | 335 | 640 | 634 | 1158 | 217 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 39 | 414 | 39 | 41 | 387 | 38 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Delaware | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.










