Indian River (Southside) Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.60° N 75.06° W

Indian River (Southside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 17 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Indian River (Southside) sea temperature is
24.5° C
1.1° 

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 17 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s period, S swell with 280 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s period with SSW 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s 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 1.5m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 2PM. 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 3s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Sun 19th Jul)5ft (1.6m) 6s
Best Surf 8AM (Sun 19th Jul)5ft (1.6m) 6s
Most Powerful 2PM (Wed 22nd Jul)5ft (1.5m) 8s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the Indian River (Southside) over the next couple of weeks.

Truth be told, this is a tough stretch. We’re staring down the barrel of a long, flat spell with barely a ripple worth paddling for. The first real chance of anything rideable won’t show up until Wednesday morning, July 22nd, and even then it’s nothing to write home about. For the first several days, from now through late July, it’s mostly tiny, weak, and messy. The water temp is a touch warmer than normal at 76°, but that’s about the only good news.

On Wednesday, July 22nd, there’s a pulse of energy from the SSE. The morning sees a 4ft swell with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy hits 230 (moderate). The wind is cross-off from the WNW at 22 mph, so it’ll be clean. It’s not big, but it’s the best we’ll see for a while. The afternoon drops a little to 4ft with energy at 153, still clean. That’s about it for the whole window. The swell is too weak for any real power, and the period is short, so don’t expect any punch.

The rest of the run is a desert. Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th offer tiny, weak waves, and by the time we get to the end of July and into early August, it’s the same story – small, underpowered, and mostly clean but not surfable. The 28th of July has a glassy moment from the NW with 3 mph winds, but the swell is a pathetic 2ft.

There’s no standout in this outlook. The Wednesday morning on July 22nd is the only time you might get a half-decent wave, but it’s still small. For anyone who needs a real fix, I’d be looking elsewhere. This setup is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer on those days with a bit of wind and a bump.

Stay patient, boys. It’s been flat before, and it’ll pump again.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 45mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 30°C on Sat afternoon, min 23°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 30°C on Tue afternoon, min 19°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Mon morning, strong winds from the SSW by Tue night).

Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.2
ESE
8
0.2
ESE
8
0.2
ESE
8
0.2
ESE
8
1
S
5
1
S
7
0.8
SSE
6
0.5
SSE
6
0.5
SSE
7
0.5
SE
7
0.7
SE
5
0.7
SE
5
0.7
SE
4
0.8
SE
4
1.5
S
6
1.3
SSE
8
1.1
SSE
8
0.9
SSE
9
0.6
SE
7
0.6
SE
7
0.6
SE
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
7
7
7
7
41
92
51
22
26
22
21
22
18
29
190
229
153
138
44
38
29
Wind (km/h)
10
NNE
15
SE
10
SSW
25
S
35
S
20
WSW
20
NNW
20
N
5
SSE
15
E
15
SE
20
SE
25
S
30
SSW
25
SW
35
WNW
30
NW
25
NW
20
NNW
15
NNW
10
SSW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
11:42AM0.83m
00:07AM0.97m
12:35PM0.83m
00:53AM0.89m
1:28PM0.83m
1:40AM0.81m
2:23PM0.83m
2:29AM0.75m
3:20PM0.84m
3:22AM0.69m
4:19PM0.85m
4:17AM0.66m
5:18PM0.87m
Low Tide
5:17PM-0.03m
6:04AM-0.02m
6:14PM0.02m
6:50AM0.01m
7:13PM0.09m
7:38AM0.05m
8:16PM0.15m
8:26AM0.09m
9:23PM0.20m
9:17AM0.14m
10:29PM0.23m
10:09AM0.17m
11:30PM0.24m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
thunderstorm
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:48
5:50
5:50
5:50
5:52
5:52
5:52
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:22
8:22
8:21
8:21
8:20
8:19
8:19
 mm
45
1
4
1
Temp °C
26
27
27
29
30
24
24
27
27
24
25
24
27
30
29
27
28
25
20
24
25
Feels °C
26
26
26
29
28
25
25
25
25
24
23
22
27
29
27
25
23
21
17
21
24
  • 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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