
Surf Forecasts:
Indian River (Southside) surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 8s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 30 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period, E swell with 165 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 28 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 8s period with ESE 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 Tuesday (Jul 28) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 4s 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 1.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 30) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Southside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get straight into what we've got for the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be honest with you—this stretch is a tough one. There’s no good surf on offer right now, with a gap from this Sunday all the way through to the following Saturday. That’s a solid week of flat, bummer conditions. The water temp here is about average for the time of year, nothing weird going on there.
We finally see a tiny glimmer of hope on Thursday, July 30th in the afternoon. Indian River (Southside) is a beach and jetty setup. This is the absolute best it gets in this window. The swell energy is weak at 112, with a small 3ft bump coming out of the ENE. The period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s not going to have any grunt, and it is an onshore wind from the east. However, the wind state turns glassy, so the surface will be clean for a short while. This spot is fairly consistent, but expect to see a few others out if these conditions hold.
The next day, Friday July 31st afternoon, is a similar deal. Again, we’re looking at Indian River (Southside). It’s still weak with only 2ft from the SSE on a glassy surface from a north wind. The combined energy is still low at 89. It’s surfable, but you’re not going to be writing home about it.
Fast forward to Wednesday August 5th, and we see a jump in pulse. The morning shows a 4ft swell from the south, with moderate cross-onshore winds. The combined energy hits 241, which is moderate, so there’s a bit more push. The period is still a short 7 seconds though, and the wind will chop it up a bit. It’s still not great quality overall.
That same small bump continues into Thursday August 6th morning, with a 3ft south swell and moderate cross-shore wind. The energy is 125, so it’s got some life, but it’s still far from clean. This is more of a kite surfing setup than a proper paddle session for the next week or so.
To be clear, none of these days are true standouts. The best on offer is the glassy Thursday July 30th afternoon and Friday July 31st afternoon, just because the wind will make the surface look nicer. For the rest, it’s a waiting game. If you’re a beginner, that 4ft day on August 5th is a bit much with the wind. For the experts, there’s simply no power or form.
Stay patient, check the forecasts, and don't force a bad day.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Mon afternoon. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 20°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed morning. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 20°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNW on Thu morning, light winds from the SE by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | ENE 8 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 | SSE 4 | SSE 5 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
24 | 31 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 17 | 21 | 47 | 53 | 53 | 137 | 162 | 135 | 77 | 53 | 30 | 18 | 17 | 48 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 7:47PM0.96m | 7:45AM0.71m | 8:27PM0.98m | 8:27AM0.73m | 9:04PM0.99m | 9:07AM0.75m | 9:39PM0.99m | 9:46AM0.77m | 10:12PM0.98m | 10:24AM0.79m | 10:45PM0.95m | 11:02AM0.81m | 11:18PM0.92m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:37PM0.18m | 1:56AM0.22m | 1:20PM0.15m | 2:34AM0.20m | 2:00PM0.12m | 3:08AM0.18m | 2:38PM0.10m | 3:39AM0.15m | 3:17PM0.08m | 4:09AM0.12m | 3:57PM0.08m | 4:40AM0.10m | 4:39PM0.08m | ||||||||
5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | |
— | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
Feels °C | 19 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 21 | 25 | 27 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ENE 6 | E 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | SSE 5 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | ENE 8 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 |
24 | 25 | 18 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 47 | 53 | 53 | 137 | 162 | 135 | 77 | 53 | 30 | 18 | 10 | 10 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 9 | — |
— | 31 | 23 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 24 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 35 | 41 | 17 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 9 | — | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 9 | SE 9 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 7 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | — | — | — | SSE 3 | S 4 | — | — | SE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | — | SSW 2 | — | S 3 | SSE 3 | S 4 | SSE 4 | SSE 5 |
19 | — | — | — | 2 | 7 | — | — | 21 | 19 | 7 | 20 | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 48 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 38 | 38 | 380 | 2 | 432 | 1053 | 80 | 540 | 1467 | 8 | 41 | 41 | 98 | 41 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 0 | 43 | 43 | 1039 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Delaware | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










