Indian River (Southside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty.

Well, I gotta be straight with you – the next sixteen days are gonna test your patience. There’s not one truly good session in the whole run. Right from the start, it’s a struggle. The first few days are flat-out poor. Sunday morning, September 13th, we’ve got tiny 0.4ft swell from the SE with a bit of west wind trying to clean it up, but the energy’s barely there (47), and it’s so weak it’s not worth paddling for. That afternoon goes glassy but still lifeless. Monday and Tuesday stay tiny and mostly messy with onshore or cross-onshore breezes. By Wednesday morning, the swell edges up to 0.7ft, but it’s a short-period E swell, cross-onshore, and just not doing anything for Indian River (Southside).

The first glimmer – and I use that word loosely – comes Thursday morning, September 17th. Light SSW wind gives us a clean-looking 0.6ft E swell, and the energy is at 64. It’s surfable, but only just. By afternoon, the wind picks up and churns it out. Friday sees the swell shrink again under a stiff NE wind. Not your day.

We hit a real dead zone over the weekend of September 19-20. Swell drops to 0.3ft Saturday morning, then just 0.5ft Sunday morning with a clean cross-off breeze. Still, it’s so small you’d be making the most of nothing. The following Monday, September 21st, the afternoon brings a jump to 2ft from the ENE, but it’s howling NE at 22 mph, cross-onshore, and lumpy. The energy reads 294 – moderate – but the wind just ruins it.

Now, late in the run, things get a little bigger but not better. From Wednesday, September 24th, we see solid swell building: Thursday afternoon hits 1ft from the E with energy at 255, but a fresh N cross-wind makes it lumpy. Friday, September 25th brings 2ft E swell with energy jumping to 670 (moderate-strong), but it’s cross-on from the NE at 22 mph and lumpy. By Saturday, September 26th, we’re looking at 2ft E swell, energy at 838 (strong), but again cross-on at 25 mph – messy, strong, and not for paddling. That trend continues into Sunday, September 27th with 2ft E swell, energy hitting 1720 (very strong), but it’s still cross-on and messy as hell. That setup, at a beach/jetty like Indian River, looks far more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

Monday, September 28th finally sees the wind ease a little, with a moderate cross-shore and 1ft E swell, but by then we’ve been through two weeks of ordinary.

Honestly, mate, there’s no standout here. The water’s sitting at a very warm 76°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – nearly three degrees above average – so at least you’ll be comfortable while you’re staring at flat water.

Keep an eye on the long-range, but this one’s a washout for now.

- Rusty

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