Indian River (Southside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break this down. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at Indian River (Southside). Honestly, it’s a tough run ahead. For the next 16 days, there’s no solid, rideable surf on the cards. The first week is almost a write-off, with tiny, weak swell and mostly cross or onshore breezes messing up what little there is. You’ll see a few small pulses but nothing worth paddling out for.

Starting with Monday afternoon, August 10. There’s a tiny 2ft S swell at a short 6 seconds, so no power behind it. Combined wave energy is only 59, so it’s weak. The water is sitting at 78°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year. With a light S cross breeze, the surface is just messy. It’s not happening.

Tuesday August 11 is smaller again. Tuesday morning drops to 2ft from the SSE, and by the afternoon it’s down to 1ft. Winds are light and variable but still cross or cross-shore. It’s flat and uninspiring.

Wednesday August 12 sees the swell drop further to 1ft. There’s a risk of thunderstorms, and the wind is offshore in the morning from the NW, which would clean it up, but there’s just not enough swell to work with. Combined energy is down to 11. It’s a lake.

Thursday August 13 is the same story. 2ft in the morning, then 1ft in the afternoon. The afternoon goes glassy from the NNW, but there’s no swell to take advantage of that. Just flat, clean water.

Friday August 14 picks up a little, with 2ft from the N in the morning, period a short 4 seconds, energy at 29. The wind is cross-off from the NNW, so it would be clean, but the swell is too weak and short. Afternoon drops back down.

Saturday August 15 has 2ft from the NNE in the morning, wind is a moderate cross from the N at 12 mph, creating some chop. The afternoon goes glassy with 1ft from the SE, but again, it’s small and weak. Sunday August 16 is the smallest of the run, 0.7ft in the morning with glassy conditions. That’s a full-on flat spell.

Now, looking further out, there’s a slight change around Monday August 17. The afternoon brings a 4ft swell from the S, period 6 seconds, combined energy jumping to 109, which is moderate. Wind is light cross-off from the SW, so conditions would be clean. It’s still not great, but it’s the first hint of anything surfable. This is the closest thing to a standout, but only for the most desperate. It’s still very ordinary.

Tuesday August 18 morning has a weird one: a 1ft swell from the ESE with a very long 15-second period. Combined energy is 134, so there’s energy, but that long period groundswell will just close out on a beach setup like this. It’s better suited to a point or reef. With a stiff cross-off NNW wind at 16 mph, it’s not a paddle-friendly session.

The rest of the week into late August stays poor. Wednesday August 19 and Thursday August 20 see the swell holding at 2ft from the SE, period around 10 to 11 seconds, but the wind turns onshore or cross. Combined energy climbs to 259 on Wednesday afternoon, which is moderate, but the wind is onshore from the ESE at 9 mph, ruining any chance of a clean wave.

By Monday August 24, the swell builds to 5ft from the E, period 7 seconds, combined energy jumping to 275, which is moderate-strong. But the wind is onshore at 19 mph from the ESE, making for choppy, blown-out conditions. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Tuesday August 25 stays similar, with 4ft from the E and onshore winds.

Bottom line: there’s no good surf in this 16-day window. The consistency is poor, and the few pulses that arrive are either too small, too short-period, or get trashed by the wind. The one half-decent chance is Monday August 17 afternoon with that 4ft S swell and clean conditions, but even then, it’s ordinary. The longer you wait, the more the wind messes things up. This area can go quiet, and this is one of those stretches. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a flat spell with no standout days.

Stay patient. Rusty.

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