Surf Forecasts:
Indian River (Southside) surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, SSW swell with 149 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indian River (Southside) in the next 16 days are 1.4m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) 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 0.5m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Southside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Straight up—this 16-day outlook for Indian River (Southside) is a tough one. No good surf options in the whole window, so I’m just calling it as I see it. There’s no standout, no day to get excited about. The whole thing is flat, weak, and messy.
First week is a bust. Tuesday the 1st has a tiny 1ft SE swell with a short 7-second period and a cross-off breeze, but the energy is barely a blip at 21. Water’s at 77°, a touch warmer than normal for this time of year—nothing wild. Wednesday and Thursday stay poor, nothing over 2ft, and the wind keeps messing with things. Thursday afternoon has a 2ft S swell with light offshore wind, but it’s still ordinary—not worth suiting up.
Friday through Sunday, nothing over 2ft, most of it under 1ft. Swell periods are short, 4 to 8 seconds, so it’s just slop. Monday the 7th bumps to 3ft from the south, but with a 4-second period and cross-chop—totally useless. Then Tuesday the 8th, the only real pulse: 5ft of SSW swell, but the period is a weak 6 seconds. Energy hits 230, which is moderate, but the wind is cross-off at 25 km/h, and it’s still described as poor. Short-period and messy—not worth the hassle.
After that, it dies again. The rest of the second week is empty. Most days under 2ft, periods all over the place but rarely over 9 seconds. There’s a glassy moment on the 13th with 2ft and a 10-second period, but it’s tiny. The 16th has 4ft of east swell with a 7-second period and cross-on wind—just chop and closeouts. No standouts, no clean groundswell. Energy stays low except for that Tuesday bump and a moderate 207 on the 16th, but neither gives you anything rideable.
The break is a beach/jetty setup, fairly consistent, and the optimum swell direction is SSE. We get hints of that, but never with the size or period to make it matter. For beginners, there’s nothing here anyway—the only time it goes over 5ft is that Tuesday the 8th, and even that’s not solid. For experts, it’s still disappointing. With that weak swell, poor quality, and onshore chop later, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing—at least the wind gives you something.
It’s a dry spell, no two ways about it. But the break is fairly consistent, so it usually doesn’t stay flat for long—forecasts can change. Keep an eye out, but don’t plan around this window. I’ll be checking the charts, but I’m not getting my hopes up.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 33°C on Tue afternoon, min 22°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 66mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 18°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Sun morning, calm by Sun night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | ||||||||||||||
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 7 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 6 | E 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | N 4 | N 4 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ENE 8 | S 4 | S 6 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
7 | 37 | 78 | 65 | 43 | 32 | 38 | 18 | 22 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 28 | 102 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 00:10AM0.84m | 12:49PM0.99m | 1:00AM0.80m | 1:50PM0.98m | 1:59AM0.75m | 3:02PM0.98m | 3:12AM0.73m | 4:21PM0.99m | 4:31AM0.73m | 5:34PM1.01m | 5:46AM0.76m | 6:36PM1.04m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:00PM0.15m | 6:01AM0.08m | 6:57PM0.20m | 6:51AM0.10m | 8:02PM0.24m | 7:50AM0.13m | 9:16PM0.26m | 8:56AM0.14m | 10:29PM0.24m | 10:09AM0.13m | 11:36PM0.20m | 11:19AM0.10m | 00:33AM0.14m | |||||||
— | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 33 | 30 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 32 | 30 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 23 |
Feels °C | 33 | 29 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 35 | 32 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 6 | E 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | ESE 8 | E 7 | NE 4 | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 |
7 | 37 | 78 | 65 | 35 | 22 | 38 | 18 | 22 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 16 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | SE 9 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | SSE 5 | SE 8 | S 5 | E 7 | NE 4 | S 5 | SE 8 | ENE 7 | E 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
7 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 43 | 32 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 13 | — | — | — | S 4 | — | — | S 5 | ENE 5 | E 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 7 | E 6 | S 5 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | — | SE 8 | — |
7 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 8 | — | 11 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | S 4 | NE 3 | NE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NNE 4 | NNW 3 | N 4 | N 4 | NNW 3 | — | SSW 3 | S 4 | S 6 |
3 | 7 | 3 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 2 | — | 1 | 28 | 102 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1466 | 73 | 213 | 1466 | 8 | 161 | 0 | 213 | 43 | 43 | 458 | 515 | 458 | 459 | 1181 | 1356 | 542 | 1478 | 67 | 509 |
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.











