Indian River (Southside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you on this one. We've got a pretty lean run ahead for Indian River (Southside). The whole 16-day window is a tough one. Look, the swell's just not showing up with any real energy, and we're looking at a long stretch of small, weak waves. The first real recommendation doesn't come until the very tail end of the period.

The water's sitting at a very warm 77°, which is a couple of degrees above the norm for this time of year – that's a standout all on its own, but it's not the kind of standout that'll get you a wave.

We've got a solid week of poor surf. The first session that even gets a nod is Thursday morning, the 3rd of September. That little pulse of 2 ft swell from the SE is nothing special, but the morning's looking clean with a light SW wind holding it open. You'd be scratching for knee-high lumps with a combined energy of just 50, so don't expect much.

Then it's back to the doldrums. Day after day of tiny 1.0 ft to 2 ft slop with weak energy readings – mostly in the 20s and 30s – and crossing or onshore winds messing things up. Saturday the 5th has a 2 ft NNE swell, but that's a 4-second period windswell with minimal push. There's a glimmer on the 6th with an easterly swell hitting 3 ft, but a 15 mph cross-on wind makes it a choppy, lumpy mess.

The pattern doesn't really change through the second week. The energy stays in the dumps. We see a few days of clean offshore winds – like the 10th of September with a WSW breeze – but the swell's still a pathetic 2 ft from the south at 6 seconds. It's clean, but it's tiny.

Things finally, *finally*, show some life around the 16th of September. Wednesday morning the 16th gives us 'surfable but very ordinary' conditions. We're looking at a 3 ft swell from the east, with a period of 6 seconds, and a clean offshore NW breeze. The energy is only 69, which is still weak, but it's the best we're going to get. Thursday the 17th is similar, with a cross-shore wind and a bit more energy (84), but it's still a matter of making the most of small, weak waves.

The pick of the entire 16 days: Take a look at Wednesday morning, September 16th. It's not a classic by any stretch, but the 3 ft east swell with that light offshore NW wind will offer the cleanest, most ridable small waves (Indian River, Southside). Don't expect barrels; just enjoy the clean faces and a paddle that won't hurt. For the next week though, you're better off on a longboard or just waiting it out. Forecasts can always change, but right now, this is a tough stretch.

Rusty.

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