Indian River (Southside) Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.60° N 75.06° W

Indian River (Southside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 19 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Indian River (Southside) sea temperature is
25.2° C
1.7° 

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 20 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period, S swell with 267 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s period with SSE 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 Wednesday (Jul 22) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 8s period. 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 1.6m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2PM (Wed 22nd Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 8s
Best Surf 2PM (Wed 22nd Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 8s
Most Powerful 2AM (Wed 22nd Jul)5ft (1.6m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s break it down. I’m looking at Indian River (Southside) over the next 16 days and honestly, there’s not much to get excited about. This spot is an advanced beach/jetty setup, fairly consistent, exposed to SSE swell, and it usually draws a crowd – but that’s not going to be an issue because the surf is flat or rubbish for almost the whole run.

The first hint of anything even close to surfable comes on Wednesday afternoon, July 22. A tiny 4 ft SSE swell with a period of 8 seconds and light cross-offshore wind from the WNW at 6 mph makes for clean conditions. Combined energy is sitting at 135 (moderate), but the waves are ordinary at best – small, weak, and lacking any punch. Not a standout, just the least bad of the bunch.

After that, nothing. A long, painful gap stretches from July 22 all the way through to the morning of Monday, August 3. That’s over 11 days of poor surf conditions – onshore winds, choppy water, and swell heights under 3 ft. For a spot that’s normally fairly consistent, this is a dry spell that’s hard to stomach.

Finally, on August 3 Monday morning, a 3 ft S swell with 6-second period and light cross-offshore wind from the SW at 3 mph gives clean but tiny waves. Energy is only 78 (weak). The next morning, August 4 Tuesday, offers a similar setup: 3 ft SSE swell, 7-second period, light offshore NW wind at 3 mph, clean again, energy 93 (weak). Still, these are barely rideable for an advanced surfer – more of a paddle than a proper session.

There’s no standout here. The best on offer is those two mornings in early August, but they’re small, weak, and not worth getting amped about. If you’re desperate, you might get a few knee-high sliders, but don’t hold your breath. The water temp? No anomaly data, but it’s likely average for this time of year. Crowds are often present here, but with this forecast, you won’t have company.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 35mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 22°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Tue night, light winds from the WNW by Wed afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed night, min 20°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
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
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
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)
0.4
SSE
7
0.4
SE
7
0.6
SE
7
1.1
SE
5
0.8
SE
5
1.2
SSE
6
1.6
S
7
1.3
S
7
1.1
SSE
8
0.8
SSE
8
1.1
NE
5
1
ENE
6
0.9
ENE
6
1.2
ENE
5
1.1
ENE
6
0.8
ENE
6
0.9
ENE
5
0.8
ENE
6
0.7
E
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
15
11
35
61
38
94
267
171
135
86
64
65
47
72
74
45
44
50
38
Wind (km/h)
10
NNE
20
ENE
20
SE
25
SE
25
SSW
30
S
35
SW
25
WSW
10
WNW
25
N
25
NE
20
ENE
10
NNE
15
NNE
15
E
5
NE
15
NNE
10
ESE
10
WSW
Wind State
cross
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross
on
glassy
cross-on
on
cross-off
High Tide
1:40AM0.81m
2:23PM0.83m
2:29AM0.75m
3:20PM0.84m
3:22AM0.69m
4:19PM0.85m
4:17AM0.66m
5:18PM0.87m
5:15AM0.66m
6:13PM0.90m
6:10AM0.66m
7:03PM0.93m
Low Tide
7:38AM0.05m
8:16PM0.15m
8:26AM0.09m
9:23PM0.20m
9:17AM0.14m
10:29PM0.23m
10:09AM0.17m
11:30PM0.24m
11:01AM0.19m
00:25AM0.24m
11:51AM0.19m
1:14AM0.23m
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
light rain
thunderstorm
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:50
5:52
5:52
5:52
5:54
5:54
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:21
8:21
8:20
8:19
8:19
8:17
8:16
 mm
2
29
2
2
Temp °C
25
23
24
24
27
28
25
27
29
25
21
21
22
22
23
23
22
23
23
Feels °C
22
23
25
23
27
27
23
26
30
22
17
18
20
20
22
22
21
22
22
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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