Indian River (Southside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it, folks. This is Rusty, checking in on the local surf scene.

Alright, I'm gonna be straight with you: the next 16 days are looking pretty grim on the whole. We're looking at a long stretch of mostly small, weak, and messy waves. The occasional window of clean conditions pops up, but the swell is just so lacking in size and power that it's tough to get excited. Let's break it down.

The first real chance to get wet comes on Friday the 28th of August. Indian River (Southside) is the only spot on the cards. The water is a touch warmer than usual at 76°F, which is a bit unusual for this time of year. Friday morning has tiny 2ft swell from the ESE with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is a weak 54, so don't expect any punch. The saving grace is the glassy wind, making conditions clean. It's surfable, but very ordinary. The afternoon sees the same small swell, but the conditions are already described as poor, so the morning is the only real window on Friday.

The weekend is a write-off. Saturday and Sunday see the swell trying to pick up but the wind is all over the place. Saturday morning has a 3ft windswell from the ENE with a pathetic 5-second period, but it's accompanied by a 16 mph cross-onshore wind that will chop it to pieces. Sunday is even smaller, with similar cross-shore winds. The surf is just not happening.

We go through a long stretch of poor conditions from Monday the 31st of August right through to the end of the first week of September. The swell is consistently tiny, often under 2ft, and the periods are short. The wind is mostly cross or onshore, so it's a messy, uninviting picture. The energy readings are all in the teens or twenties, which is basically zero.

Now, there's a glimmer of hope on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning session sees a clean 2ft swell from the ESE with a period of 11 seconds, which is a bit more interesting. The combined energy is 84, still weak, but it's the best we've seen. The wind is light and offshore from the NW, so the conditions will be clean. It's not a standout by any means, but it's the best of a bad lot. The afternoon gets messy again.

The following days, from the 3rd to the 8th of September, are a mix of clean but tiny conditions. The wind is often offshore, which is a positive, but the swell just doesn't have any size. We're looking at 1.0ft to 2ft, with periods mostly under 10 seconds. The energy is consistently low. The 7th of September has a long period swell of 15-16 seconds from the SE, but with a height of only 1.0ft, it's just a long, slow, tiny wave.

The second week of the forecast is more of the same. The 9th of September has a glassy morning with 1ft ESE swell, but by the afternoon it's choppy. The 10th has clean conditions with offshore wind, but again, only 1ft swell. The 11th and 12th are back to small, cross-shore, and messy conditions. The 12th of September looks particularly bad with a 19 mph cross-onshore wind.

So, the honest truth is, there are no true standouts in this 16-day window. The only day that comes close to being worth a paddle is the morning of Wednesday the 2nd of September. For a surfer, you're looking at ankle-to-knee-high waves at best most days. The water is warm, but the swell is just not cooperating. For a solid 10 days in a row, there's no surf worth recommending. While the forecast is reliable for the near term, the long-range isn't promising either. This is one of those blank runs that happens in this area.

If you're keen on seeing if the forecasts change, keep an eye on it, but right now, I'd be looking at other hobbies.

Rusty.

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