Surf Forecasts:
Indian River (Southside) surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s period, ESE swell with 226 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period with SE 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. 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 1.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Southside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get real about the next couple of weeks. Bottom line: it’s flat. Proper flat. We’re looking at a 16-day stretch where the surf just isn’t showing up. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, the waves are tiny, the energy is weak, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anything worth paddling out for.
The water temp is sitting at 76°, which is a touch warmer than the usual for this time of year, so at least it’ll be a nice swim.
We start off with a bit of a tease on Friday the 28th with a knee-high 0.5ft wave from the ESE, but it’s got a short 8-second period and the wind is all over the shop – morning cross, but the afternoon goes glassy. It’s clean, but there’s just not enough push. The energy reading is a weak 54, so you’re just bobbing around.
The weekend doesn’t offer any hope. Saturday the 29th sees the swell bump to 3ft, but it’s a short, crumbly 5-second ENE windswell. With a 12 mph NE cross-onshore in the morning, it’s just choppy and messy. Sunday the 30th is smaller again and the wind picks up, making it a total write-off.
The whole first week is honestly a battle with pretty poor conditions. We see the swell dip down to 1ft, and the period stays short. There’s a glimmer on Thursday the 3rd of September when we get a gentle offshore from the WSW and the surf is clean, but it’s still only 1ft. It would be glassy, but there’s nothing to ride. All the energy levels are in the low double digits or barely cracking 50. We’re talking weak energy, 17 or 23 or 39, it’s all the same – nothing.
The second week is more of the same. A little bump on Sunday the 6th with 2ft from the E, but it’s cross-onshore. Then Monday the 7th, the swell is similar, and the period stretches out to 11 seconds which is a bit more groundswell, but the energy is still weak at 85. It’s a bit of a letdown. There’s a moment on Wednesday the 9th where the wind goes glassy in the afternoon and the period is 10 seconds, but again, it’s just 1ft. It’s a lake.
The last few days don’t get any better. We get a stronger wind on the 11th, but it’s onshore and fresh, and the swell is still tiny. It’s all just another flat spell. The energy levels stay in the weak zone – 35, 33, 52, 53. There’s no punch.
The standout in all of this? Honestly, there isn’t one. If you’re desperate, the cleanest conditions will be on the afternoon of Thursday the 3rd, or that glassy afternoon on the 9th, but you’ll be surfing ankle-biters on a longboard. For anyone else, leave the board in the car. The setup looks more interesting for a kite than a paddle, given the lack of swell and the onshore breezes later in the run. It’s a long stretch of nothing, which is just how it goes sometimes. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d find another hobby for a couple of weeks.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 21°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Warm (max 28°C on Thu morning, min 23°C on Mon afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | ||||||||||||||
PM | 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) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | S 4 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
39 | 26 | 36 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 12 | 37 | 226 | 67 | 58 | 59 | 36 | 31 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | off | cross |
High Tide | 9:39PM0.98m | 9:55AM0.90m | 10:13PM0.96m | 10:33AM0.94m | 10:49PM0.93m | 11:14AM0.96m | 11:27PM0.89m | 11:58AM0.98m | 00:10AM0.84m | 12:49PM0.99m | 1:00AM0.80m | 1:50PM0.98m | 1:59AM0.75m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:57PM0.08m | 3:29AM0.10m | 3:38PM0.07m | 4:01AM0.07m | 4:22PM0.08m | 4:37AM0.06m | 5:09PM0.11m | 5:17AM0.06m | 6:00PM0.15m | 6:01AM0.08m | 6:57PM0.20m | 6:51AM0.10m | 8:02PM0.24m | |||||||
— | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | |
7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:27 | — | |
mm | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 27 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 28 | 35 | 32 |
Feels °C | 32 | 29 | 20 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 28 | 36 | 34 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ENE 5 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | SE 8 | SE 7 | S 4 | SE 7 | SE 12 | ENE 5 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 |
39 | 26 | 17 | 16 | 7 | 18 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 12 | 37 | 15 | 49 | 36 | 59 | 36 | 31 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | S 6 | S 5 | SE 8 | ENE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | SE 8 | S 5 | SSE 3 | SE 7 | S 4 | ESE 9 | — | ESE 10 | — | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 |
5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 8 | — | 67 | — | 21 | 20 | 18 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | S 5 | E 9 | E 6 | E 9 | E 5 | — | S 4 | SE 8 | SE 13 | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 7 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | — | SE 3 | SSE 3 | S 4 | — | — | S 4 | NW 2 | ENE 5 | E 5 | ESE 11 | ESE 6 | SE 5 | SSW 5 | WSW 2 | NW 2 |
— | — | 36 | 19 | — | 3 | 7 | 11 | — | — | 6 | 1 | 4 | 24 | 226 | 43 | 58 | 25 | 1 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 13 | 249 | 253 | 282 | 364 | 282 | 2296 | 75 | 330 | 1175 | 102 | 41 | 2362 | 289 | 380 | 567 | 209 | 8 | 0 | 22 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Delaware | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











