
Surf Forecasts:
Indian River (Southside) surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 5s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period, E swell with 168 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 5s 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 Sunday (Sep 13) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 8s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indian River (Southside) in the next 16 days are 1.2m 8s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Southside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at the local stretch. The Indian River (Southside) is a beach/jetty setup, and the water's sitting way warmer than usual for this time of year, with a big anomaly of 2.5° – that's a real standout, it's feeling like bathwater out there.
Right now, honestly, it's a tough watch. The first week and a half are a total write-off. From Saturday the 12th through to Monday the 21st of September, it's consistently poor surf conditions. Squat little waves, onshore slop, and choppy mess – you’re looking at weak combined energies in the teens and tens (like 32 to a peak of 172 on the 15th). The swell is mostly tiny, under 3 feet, and the wind is just all wrong. Even a couple of glassy or offshore moments on the 13th and 18th can't save the fact there's next to nothing to ride. This is a long, flat spell for this spot.
Then we get a flicker of life. On Tuesday the 22nd, we see a solid jump in size. The morning shows a 7.5ft ENE swell (combined energy of 643) and it's cross-shore, but the forecast calls it marginal. That afternoon gets blown out by a strong onshore at 28 mph – that's more of a kite session than a paddle scenario.
Now, here's the stand-out. If you’ve got some experience and can wait, Wednesday the 23rd of September is the one to circle. The morning kicks off with rain showers but it’s offshore wind from the west at 9 mph. The swell is a chunky 7.9ft from the ENE with a combined energy of 845. The comment says to expect very good surf. By the afternoon, it gets even better: a solid 8.2ft swell at 9 seconds from the ENE, pumping up to a combined energy of 1119. The wind is a clean offshore from the WNW at 12 mph. The word on the street is excellent surf conditions, but at 8.2ft that's pushing into big-wave territory – definitely for experienced surfers only. The break is fairly consistent, but be aware, it's often crowded here, so you might have some company for those gems.
Thursday the 24th keeps the size with 8.2ft waves and a longer 10-second period, with a massive combined energy of 1387. The morning has a cross-off wind, but it's blowing a strong 28 mph, which is far from ideal and the call is marginal. By the afternoon, it gets messy with a cross-shore. Friday the 25th sees size dropping but still big, with a long 11-second period from the east. The wind is fresh and cross-onshore, making for lumpy conditions.
By the 26th and 27th, the swell fades back down below 4.3ft, and while the wind turns clean and offshore on the 27th, the size is too small to get excited about.
For the entire window, the only real standout is Wednesday the 23rd. Set your alarm.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 21°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (calm on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the N by Mon morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu night, min 19°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SE 9 | SE 4 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | NE 4 | ENE 6 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
21 | 19 | 31 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 69 | 168 | 111 | 94 | 92 | 54 | 53 | 38 | 37 | 15 | 14 | 27 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on |
High Tide | 10:06AM0.98m | 10:23PM0.94m | 10:47AM0.98m | 11:01PM0.89m | 11:29AM0.98m | 11:40PM0.84m | 12:11PM0.96m | 00:19AM0.79m | 12:56PM0.94m | 1:04AM0.75m | 1:48PM0.92m | 1:54AM0.72m | 2:48PM0.90m | 2:52AM0.70m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:52PM0.02m | 4:08AM0.03m | 4:40PM0.06m | 4:46AM0.07m | 5:28PM0.12m | 5:24AM0.12m | 6:18PM0.20m | 6:03AM0.18m | 7:12PM0.26m | 6:46AM0.24m | 8:12PM0.32m | 7:36AM0.28m | 9:19PM0.35m | ||||||||
6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | 7:13 | — | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:08 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:04 | — | |
mm | — | — | 7 | 10 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 23 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 22 |
Feels °C | 22 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 30 | 28 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | E 9 | SE 10 | SE 4 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | E 15 | E 15 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 12 |
21 | 1 | 24 | 10 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 111 | 94 | 92 | 54 | 53 | 38 | 37 | 15 | 14 | 27 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 8 | SE 10 | ESE 5 | S 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | S 6 | — | E 14 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | S 4 |
— | — | 1 | 24 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 8 | E 7 | S 4 | E 4 | E 5 | — | E 15 | E 15 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 5 |
— | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | — | — | — | N 4 | N 4 | NE 4 | ENE 6 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 3 | ENE 4 |
11 | 19 | 31 | — | — | — | 18 | 11 | 18 | 69 | 168 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 16 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1165 | 1165 | 0 | 43 | 43 | 22 | 380 | 75 | 640 | 691 | 691 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 73 | 540 | 1039 | 8 | 141 | 330 | 282 |
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.










