Indian River (Southside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, it’s Rusty here. We’re looking at a pretty poor run of surf ahead for Indian River (Southside). The next week is mostly a write-off, so don’t get your hopes up. The only real window of opportunity lands right at the end of the two-week stretch, and even that comes with heavy caveats.

Kicking off with Tuesday the 15th, there’s just nothing doing. Tiny, weak onshore slop with poor surf conditions and combined energy of only 57. That sets the tone for the next several days. From Wednesday through to Monday the 21st, we’re stuck with tiny heights (0.7 ft – 3 ft), short periods, and cross or onshore winds. A couple of mornings on the weekend (the 20th) look clean with cross-offshore winds, but the swell is barely a ripple and the energy is low (55). It’s a frustrating stretch with next to no surfable waves.

Then Monday the 21st afternoon, the energy jumps sharply to 261 with a 6 ft swell, but it’s being smashed by a 22 mph onshore wind, so it’s a total mess. Tuesday the 22nd and Wednesday the 23rd see size pick up even more (6 ft to 7 ft) with combined energy hitting 383 to 623, but those strong to near-gale onshore winds just destroy any quality. This is pure windslop – not for paddling. If you’ve got a kite, that might be your window, but for a surfboard, forget it.

The real bright spot – and the only one worth mentioning – is Thursday the 24th through Friday the 25th. We’ve got a solid pulse of swell: Thursday morning shows a 6 ft ESE swell (period 8 seconds) with light NNE winds going cross-shore. The combined energy is a meaty 449, and the wind state is light with just small crossing ripples. This is the best we’re going to get, but it’s only rated as marginal. The swell direction from the ESE is not ideal for this spot – it wants it from the SSE – so the waves will be a bit raw and closed out at times, especially for a beach/jetty setup. This size (over 5 ft) will be too much for beginners.

By Thursday afternoon, it jumps to 8 ft (energy 848) with moderate cross-shore breeze – that’s expert territory only, and the cross-chop will make it tricky. Friday morning holds 7 ft (energy 832) with a similar cross-shore breeze and a slightly better period of 10 seconds, giving the waves a bit more shape and punch, but again, it’s lumpy. After that, the wind swings onshore again and the quality tanks through the weekend and into the following week.

So, if you’re an experienced surfer and can handle some cross-chop, Thursday the 24th and Friday the 25th are your only real shot. Don’t expect perfection – the direction is off and the wind isn’t ideal – but it’s the only size on offer. The rest of the two-week run, you’re better off finding something else to do.

Rusty.

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