Indian River (Southside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break this down. Honestly, it’s a rough outlook for Indian River (Southside). For the next week and a half, the surf is flat and the conditions are mostly poor. The swell energy is barely registering—like 31 to 66 on the combined scale—and wave heights are stuck under 3 ft, with short, weak periods. The wind keeps switching between cross-shore and onshore, so it’s choppy or messy most of the time. There’s a couple of glassy windows, like Wednesday afternoon the 19th with a glassy 5 mph south wind, or the 24th Monday afternoon with another glassy lull, but the swell is just too tiny—maybe 1 ft—to ride.

Water temp is about 78°F, a little warmer than average for this time of year.

The only real glimmer comes on Wednesday morning, August 26th. It’s a tiny 1 ft southeast swell, but it’s got a long 16-second period—real groundswell character. The combined energy hits 88, so at least it’s moving. Winds are light from the SSW at 5 mph, making it clean. It’s barely enough for a longboard, but the long period might give it a little push at the jetty.

Next morning, Thursday the 27th, is similar: 2 ft from the ESE, 13-second period, clean with a light S 10 mph cross-off breeze. Combined energy is 132—still weak, but that’s the best combo of tiny waves and clean conditions across the whole 16 days. For a spot that’s usually advanced, this is really just a small-wave cruiser session.

After that, it’s back to onshore slop and barely rideable waves through the end of August and into September. The 30th has a 3 ft ESE swell with a 12-second period and combined energy of 242, but it’s getting hammered by ENE winds at 25 mph—that’s a kite surfer’s setup, not a paddle surfer’s.

So, if you’ve got a log and a lot of patience, pick the mornings of the 26th or 27th. Otherwise, it’s a long flat spell. Forecasts can shift, but for now, it’s quiet.

Rusty.

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