Indian River (Southside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: it's a grim picture for the next week and a half. We're staring down a long, dry spell with practically nothing to ride. The first solid window of opportunity doesn't show up until Friday the 18th of September, and even then it's a struggle.

We've got a massive gap of dead calm and tiny, wind-blown slop from now until then. The wind is all over the shop, mostly onshore or cross-shore, and the swell heights barely tickle a knee. The combined wave energy is pathetic, with values often in the teens and twenties. It's a classic flat spell for the area; a blank run like this isn't unheard of, but it's a tough one to swallow.

The first glimmer of hope comes on the morning of Friday the 18th at Indian River (Southside). The wind will finally swing offshore from the WSW, and we'll see a tiny bit of life with a 3ft SSE swell. The combined energy is a weak 70 (still weak), and the period is a short 7 seconds, so it's not going to be a thing of beauty. The water is a balmy 77°, which is about 5° warmer than usual for this time of year, so that's a nice little bonus. It's just "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions," so keep your expectations on the floor.

That little window gets slammed shut by the afternoon of the 18th when a strong NNW wind howls in at 22 mph, turning it to chop. Then we’re back to flat, windy nothing for another few days.

The next noteworthy event is on the morning of Thursday, the 24th of September. The swell is still small, coming in at 4ft from the ESE, but the wind is a light offshore from the NW, creating a clean surface. The combined energy climbs to 139 (moderate), and the period is a weak 7 seconds. It's still only classed as "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions." It's a far cry from good, but it's the most promising window in this entire outlook. The afternoon of the 24th sees a lighter 3ft swell but the wind stays cross-offshore, so conditions hold up.

If I had to pick the best of the bunch, and I'm stretching here, it's that Thursday the 24th of September morning. The glassy conditions from the offshore wind will make the most of that tiny, weak swell. It's a gut feeling, but that's the only time the stars align even a little bit. Don't expect any barrels or crowds; it's a session for the log and a lot of patience. For the rest of the time, it's a write-off.

Rusty.

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