Indian River (Southside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Indian River (Southside), this beach/jetty setup up there. I gotta be straight with you – the next sixteen days are lookin’ pretty grim for a decent paddle. This is a tough run.

We’re starting off now and honestly, there’s just nothin’ worth wettin’ a wetsuit for. The first entry is Friday the 4th, but with a tiny 1 ft swell from the SE and a period of only 8 seconds, the energy is weak at just 24. The wind is a cross-off, which is nice, but the wave comment says it all: “poor surf conditions.” That sets the tone for the whole forecast.

From Friday the 4th all the way through the next week, it’s a real flat spell. We see day after day of tiny swell heights – mostly 0.7 ft to 2 ft – with short, weak periods. The combined energy barely ever cracks 66, which tells you there’s just no push. There’s a brief moment on Tuesday the 8th with a clean, offshore wind from the WNW at just 5 km/h (3 mph), but with only 1 ft on offer and energy at 27, it’s a still, pretty, flat ocean. That Wednesday the 9th afternoon shows a jump to 4 ft from the south, but with a 5-second period, that’s just wind slop. The energy is still only 66, and the wind is a fresh cross-off – clean, but gutless.

Most of this period has onshore or cross-onshore breezes, or strong cross-off winds that do nothing to help the micro-swell. Crowds are “often” here, but honestly, I don’t think anyone will be fighting for a 1 ft wave.

There are no standouts here. The best on offer is probably the Tuesday the 8th morning session if you’re desperate for a clean surface, but you’ll be on a 1 ft, 10-second grinder from the ENE. That 10-second period is okay, but the size is just a dribble. The only other mentionable window is the 12th of September afternoon, where we see 3 ft from the NE with a 5-second period and a gentle cross-off wind – still messy and weak.

For the second week, it’s more of the same. Monday the 14th morning shows some clean glass with 0.7 ft from the ESE and a 9-second period. The energy is a paltry 11. Through the 19th, we get some long-period 12-second groundswell on the Saturday, but it’s only 0.7 ft from the ESE – all reach, no power. These long-period swells are best on point breaks or reefs, not a beach/jetty, but honestly, it’s too small to matter anyway.

Water temp: When there’s finally a little bump, the water temp is 77°F with a 5°F anomaly, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. So if you do go for a float, it’s gonna feel like a bathtub.

Look, I hate to say it, but for a solid sixteen-day stretch, this isn’t a surf forecast; it’s a lake forecast. For paddlers, there just isn’t a quality option. The whole window is a gap of poor conditions. This blank run is pretty standard for Indian River when the swell windows don’t line up. We’ll have to wait for a better pattern to roll in. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, leave the boards in the car.

Stay salty.
Rusty.

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