Indian River (Southside) Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.60° N 75.06° W

Indian River (Southside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 20 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Indian River (Southside) sea temperature is
25.2° C
1.6° 

Indian River (Southside) surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Indian River (Southside) surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period, S swell with 276 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s 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 Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 8s period. 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 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 2AM. 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 5s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5PM (Wed 22nd Jul)4.5ft (1.3m) 8s
Best Surf 5PM (Wed 22nd Jul)4.5ft (1.3m) 8s
Most Powerful 2AM (Wed 22nd Jul)5ft (1.6m) 7s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Southside) over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's on the table for the next stretch. I've been staring at the charts and honestly, for Indian River (Southside), it's a pretty quiet run. We've got a long gap here; there's nothing really worth paddling out for until Wednesday the 22nd, so that's a couple of days of flat or junk to sit through.

When we finally do get a chance on the 22nd, it's not going to be anything to write home about. Wednesday afternoon is your first real look, with a small bump in the water, around 4ft of swell from the SSE. The wind is looking clean and offshore from the WSW, which is a major plus. It'll be glassy and clean, making the most of what little energy there is. The combined swell energy is a moderate 240, but with the swell period hanging around 8 seconds, it's not going to have much punch. This is a session for the longboard or a foamie if you just need to get wet. The water is sitting at 77°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

Thursday the 23rd will see the swell drop back down into the knee-to-waist high range, and the wind swings around to a cross-shore, making it a bit bumpy. The rest of the week is honestly pretty grim. We get a few more windows, like Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th, where the wind goes clean offshore again (West and then NW), but the swell is tiny—2ft to 3ft. It's surfable if you're desperate, but it's very, very ordinary. The combined energy is weak (less than 100) on most of those days, so it's a grind.

Looking further ahead into the first week of August, there's just nothing that pops. It stays small and onshore or cross-shore for days on end. There's a brief moment on Monday the 3rd where the wind goes light offshore again, but again, the swell is just a ripple.

So the bottom line: There are no standouts here. The best bet is the afternoon of Wednesday the 22nd. It's the only time in the 16-day window where we have a decent combination of clean wind and the biggest (relative) swell. Keep your expectations low, take the smallest board you have, and enjoy the clean water. It's a long flat spell for the area, but these things turn around.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 43mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 20°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Tue afternoon, light winds from the SW by Wed night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Thu afternoon, min 21°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light.

Mon
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.3
SSE
6
0.9
SE
4
0.7
SE
4
1.2
S
5
1.6
S
7
1.4
S
8
1.3
SSE
8
1.2
SSE
7
0.9
SSE
8
0.7
SE
7
0.5
SE
7
0.5
SE
6
0.4
SE
8
0.5
SE
8
1
E
4
0.9
ESE
5
0.9
ESE
8
0.6
SE
8
0.8
ENE
5
0.5
ESE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
8
26
20
75
276
246
240
143
114
56
27
18
18
29
38
35
105
51
35
33
Wind (km/h)
15
ESE
25
SSE
25
S
40
S
35
SW
30
SW
15
WSW
25
N
25
NNE
10
ENE
5
NNE
15
NE
15
E
15
E
25
ENE
20
ENE
10
NNE
15
NE
10
ENE
5
SW
Wind State
on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross
cross
on
glassy
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-off
High Tide
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
6:10AM0.66m
7:03PM0.93m
6:59AM0.69m
7:47PM0.96m
Low Tide
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
11:51AM0.19m
1:14AM0.23m
12:37PM0.18m
1:56AM0.22m
clear
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
heavy rain
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:52
5:52
5:52
5:54
5:54
5:56
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:21
8:20
8:19
8:19
8:17
8:16
8:15
 mm
1
1
2
31
2
4
2
Temp °C
24
25
26
29
25
25
28
27
20
23
22
22
23
23
22
23
22
21
23
23
Feels °C
25
25
27
27
23
25
29
29
15
22
20
20
21
21
19
21
20
20
24
25
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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