Surf Forecasts:
Indian River (Southside) surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 10s period, SE swell with 34 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Indian River (Southside) this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Indian River (Southside) in the next 16 days are 0.4m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Southside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Indian River (Southside). Gotta be straight with you – it’s gonna be a long, quiet stretch. This is a beach/jetty setup that’s exposed to swell, but we’re just not gettin’ the love from the ocean for quite a while. Water temp is sittin’ at 77°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least it’ll feel nice if you’re just paddling around.
The first few days, right through the end of August, are a write-off. We’re talkin’ tiny, weak surf with poor conditions. The swell is barely a ripple, mostly from the SE and ESE, with heights laughably small around 0.7ft to 2ft. Combine that with onshore winds and a lot of rainy, stormy weather, and you’re better off stayin’ dry. There’s a quick moment on the morning of Saturday the 29th where it gets cross-off with 2ft from the SE and a bit of clean energy (52 combined energy), but it’s still very ordinary – nothin’ to get excited about. The afternoon of the 29th goes glassy with 2ft SE swell at 10 seconds (50 combined energy), but again, it’s just surfable, not good.
Then we hit another lull. Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st are messy with onshore wind and chop.
Finally, we get a little glimmer on Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning shows a groundswell from the ESE at 1ft but with a very long period of 13 seconds (148 combined energy – moderate energy). The wind is cross-off from the SW (16 mph), so it’ll be clean, but that swell is tiny. For a point break or reef, that long period would be magic, but at a beach/jetty, it might break a bit too straight. Still, this is the only window where the ocean is trying. The afternoon swings to a light offshore from the W and 1.0ft ESE groundswell at 12 seconds (67 combined energy) – clean but tiny.
Wednesday the 2nd of September morning offers 2ft from the ESE at 11 seconds (93 combined energy) with a cross-off NNW breeze. Again, surfable but very ordinary.
Honestly, there’s no standout session here. There isn’t a single day that’s worth calling "the best" – it’s all flat or mediocre. If you’re a beginner, the tiny stuff on the 29th afternoon might be alright, but for anyone else, it’s a long wait. The combined swell energy barely cracks triple digits, and only once, so don’t hold your breath.
The first real, decent surf is more than a week away, and even then it’s marginal. For an area like this, a blank run like this isn’t unheard of, but it doesn’t stay poor forever. Forecasts can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 27°C on Wed afternoon, min 22°C on Fri afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Sat morning. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 21°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | ENE 4 | E 4 | E 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 34 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 22 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 26 | 23 | 11 | 22 | 19 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross | on | cross | on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 2:34PM0.88m | 2:35AM0.71m | 3:35PM0.88m | 3:33AM0.68m | 4:38PM0.89m | 4:34AM0.68m | 5:38PM0.91m | 5:34AM0.69m | 6:30PM0.94m | 6:27AM0.72m | 7:15PM0.96m | 7:15AM0.76m | 7:55PM0.98m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:49PM0.27m | 8:26AM0.23m | 9:56PM0.30m | 9:23AM0.26m | 11:00PM0.31m | 10:22AM0.27m | 11:56PM0.31m | 11:19AM0.25m | 00:44AM0.28m | 12:10PM0.22m | 1:24AM0.25m | 12:54PM0.18m | 1:58AM0.22m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — |
 | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 2 | 10 | 2 | — | 5 | 4 | 18 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 |
Feels °C | 26 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 24 | 23 | 26 | 23 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | ESE 9 | SE 14 | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | SE 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 |
| kJ | 34 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 22 | 11 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | S 3 | S 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | S 5 | ESE 9 | SSE 4 | SE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SSE 5 | E 6 | E 6 |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 14 | 26 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | — | — | — | S 5 | E 6 | E 15 | E 15 | SE 14 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 12 | E 7 | E 7 | N 3 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | — |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 3 | SSW 3 | — | ENE 2 | ENE 4 | E 4 | E 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NNE 3 | — | — | SE 5 | SE 4 |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 10 | 16 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | 7 | 19 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 75 | 102 | 202 | 330 | 591 | 32 | 1039 | 1039 | 469 | 282 | 628 | 43 | 162 | 43 | 75 | 75 | 202 | 145 | 1007 | 282 | 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.
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