Indian River (Southside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Well, folks, it’s Rusty here. I’ve been staring at the charts for Indian River (Southside) and, honestly, it’s a bit of a heartbreaker. We’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead, but this isn’t the time to be dusting off the performance board. There are no good surf options on the table for this stretch. Not a single one. The swell is tiny, the periods are short, and it’s mostly messy. It’s the kind of run that happens in this area, and it can turn on a dime, so don’t lose hope, but for now, the inside bowl is looking flat.

The water temp is sitting at 76°F, which is a touch warmer than your usual late August, so at least the paddle out won’t be a shock.

Looking at the details, from the morning of the 27th right through the 1st of September, we’re looking at ankle-biters. We’re talking swell heights of 1.0ft to 2ft, with periods bouncing between 5 and 9 seconds. The energy is weak, with combined numbers mostly in the teens and twenties, sometimes hitting the 40s and 50s. It’s all poor surf conditions, with onshore and cross-shore winds chopping things up. There’s a brief moment on the morning of the 28th with a clean cross-offshore wind, and the 31st morning is offshore, but there’s just no wave to push you around. The 1st of September afternoon is glassy, but again, with only 1.0ft of swell and 18 units of energy, it’s a lake.

The first couple of days of September bring a little bump. The 2nd sees the energy nudge up to 62 units, but the swell is still only 2ft from the SE with a period of 11 seconds. The wind is cross-shore, so it’s still not doing anything for us. The morning of the 3rd has a clean offshore wind, but the swell is just 1ft. It’s frustrating.

The 4th and 5th stay poor, with the wind swinging onshore and cross-onshore, and even picking up to a fresh breeze on the 5th. The swell is still tiny and confused.

Then, on the 6th of September, we finally see something with a bit of push. The swell height jumps to 4ft, coming from the NE, with the combined energy kicking up to 119 in the morning and 143 in the afternoon. That’s moderate energy. But, and this is a big but, the onshore wind is howling at 19 mph in the morning and 16 mph in the afternoon. This is a beach/jetty setup, and with that much onshore wind on a wave that size, it’s going to be a complete washing machine. This is the definition of a blown-out mess. Honestly, with that kind of wind and swell, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s the only real size we get, and it’s going to be unsurfable. This is a far-off event, a week and a half away, so it's promising but less certain, but as it stands, it’s a no-go.

From the 7th onward, it backs right down. The swell drops back to 2ft and then to nothing. The onshore winds keep blowing, though they ease off. The energy sinks back into the teens and forties. The 9th has a bit of a longer period at 10 seconds, but no size. The 10th and 11th are clean-ish with offshore and cross-offshore winds, but the swell is 1ft and 2ft. It’s flat.

So, to put it plainly: the whole 16-day run is a blank. There’s nothing worth paddling out for. It’s a tough one to swallow. The only notable event is the 6th of September, which will have size but will be ruined by wind. It’s more of a spectacle than a surf day. The good news is this area is fairly consistent, so this poor run is an anomaly, not the new normal. Forecasts will change. But for now, keep the board in the car and watch the horizon.

Rusty.

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