Indian River (Southside) Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.60° N 75.06° W

Indian River (Southside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 18 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Indian River (Southside) sea temperature is
25.7° C
2.0° 

Indian River (Southside) surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Indian River (Southside) surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 11s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period, S swell with 98 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 11s 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 (Aug 25) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Indian River (Southside) in the next 16 days are 1.2m 6s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 8AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5PM (Tue 25th Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 11s
Best Surf 5PM (Tue 25th Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 11s
Most Powerful 2AM (Wed 26th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 6s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Southside) over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s break it down. I’ve got your Indian River (Southside) forecast right here.

First up, I gotta be straight with you – we’re looking at a pretty flat spell to kick things off. The first real surf recommendation doesn’t roll in until Tuesday the 25th, so that’s a solid gap of nearly a week with nothing to get excited about. The early days are all tiny slop, poor conditions, don’t even bother paddling out.

Tuesday the 25th afternoon we finally get a lifeline. The ESE swell pushes a 0.3m to 0.4m wave, period around 11 seconds. That’s about 1 to 1 feet. It’s small, sure, but we’ve got glassy conditions and the combined energy is sitting at a weak 69. That’s not going to blow you away, but for a spot that’s been dead, the clean glass is a massive positive. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. Indian River (Southside) is an advanced spot, so the tiny waves will still feel the tide, but if you’re desperate for a slide, Tuesday afternoon has your name on it.

Now, we cruise into deeper waters. The 27th and 28th of August? Forget about it for a normal surf. Strong cross-onshore winds, over 30 km/h (that’s about 18 to 19 mph), and combined energy hits 118 and 136 – that’s moderate energy. But it’s messy, lumpy, and the swell is all under 0.6m (about 2 feet). The setup here is a beach/jetty break, and with that much wind and chop, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Steer clear unless you’re on a foil.

The run into September tries to tidy up. On the 2nd of September, Wednesday morning, we see a clean, cross-off breeze from the WSW with a 0.3m ESE swell (about 1 foot). The period is 13 seconds and combined energy sits at 68. It’s surfable but very ordinary conditions. The 1-foot wave is barely a ripple, and even though it’s long-period, that makes it tougher to catch on a beach break.

Overall, there’s really only one standout here and it’s that Tuesday the 25th afternoon. It’s small, but the glassy clean conditions make it the best on offer by a long shot. Everything else in this 16-day window is either too windy, too small, or just plain messy.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 27°C on Wed afternoon, min 21°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 41mm), heaviest during Sat morning. Warm (max 27°C on Sun night, min 21°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light.

Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
SE
11
0.4
SE
10
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
8
0.3
ESE
8
0.9
NE
5
0.8
NE
5
0.6
ENE
5
0.6
E
5
0.3
ESE
8
0.2
ESE
13
0.3
ESE
8
0.5
SSE
5
0.2
ESE
12
0.2
ESE
12
0.4
SE
6
0.3
ESE
12
0.3
ESE
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
56
34
22
20
18
14
42
28
18
16
14
17
12
15
14
14
14
26
23
Wind (km/h)
5
SSW
10
NNW
10
SSE
15
SSW
5
W
15
NNE
20
NNE
20
ENE
15
ENE
15
SE
15
ESE
10
S
10
WNW
0
NNW
10
SE
10
WNW
10
N
10
E
10
SSE
Wind State
glassy
cross-off
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
cross
off
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross
on
cross
High Tide
1:44AM0.75m
2:34PM0.88m
2:35AM0.71m
3:35PM0.88m
3:33AM0.68m
4:38PM0.89m
4:34AM0.68m
5:38PM0.91m
5:34AM0.69m
6:30PM0.94m
6:27AM0.72m
7:15PM0.96m
Low Tide
7:35AM0.17m
8:49PM0.27m
8:26AM0.23m
9:56PM0.30m
9:23AM0.26m
11:00PM0.31m
10:22AM0.27m
11:56PM0.31m
11:19AM0.25m
00:44AM0.28m
12:10PM0.22m
1:24AM0.25m
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
heavy rain
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:16
6:18
6:18
6:20
6:20
6:20
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:51
7:49
7:47
7:46
7:45
7:44
7:42
 mm
1
2
12
4
27
5
2
2
1
Temp °C
25
25
27
27
25
24
23
23
24
24
22
25
25
24
25
27
23
24
26
Feels °C
28
26
29
27
28
27
23
21
24
23
23
27
28
28
29
29
24
25
26
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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