Surf Forecasts:
Indian River (Southside) surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period, ESE swell with 46 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period with ESE 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indian River (Southside) in the next 16 days are 0.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Southside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Indian River (Southside).
To be straight with you, the start of this run is a quiet one. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak surf with barely enough energy to get excited about. From Sunday the 23rd right through to the end of August, the swell is hanging around the 0.7ft to 1ft mark with periods dropping as low as 5 seconds. The combined wave energy is sitting in the double digits (29–51 range), which tells you it’s barely moving. Winds are a mix of cross, on, and offshore, but with next to no swell, it doesn’t matter much. The first real flicker of hope shows up on Friday morning, the 28th, when we see 2ft ESE swell at 8 seconds and clean conditions with a cross-offshore breeze, but the report says “surfable but very ordinary.” It’s not worth paddling out for.
We then enter September with a building trend, but conditions are messy. Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd see the energy jump into the three digits (131–143) with 1ft to 2ft swell, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, making it choppy. Still, not what you’d call a session.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Thursday the 3rd of September is the standout. Come Thursday morning, we’ve got a clean 3ft ESE groundswell (12 seconds) with a gentle offshore wind from the west. The combined wave energy hits 239 – moderate, but building. It gets even better by Thursday afternoon: the swell pushes to 3ft ESE, period stretches to 13 seconds, and the energy rockets to 598. The wind turns cross-offshore from the northwest, and the call is “very good surf conditions.” For an advanced spot like Indian River (Southside) that’s fairly consistent and exposed to that SSE direction, this is the pick. The water’s sitting at a balmy 77°F, which is about a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a spring suit. The offshore winds will keep it clean, and that longer-period groundswell should offer some proper shape, though at a beach/jetty setup it might break a little straight. Still, it’s the best on offer.
Friday the 4th holds similar 3ft ESE swell but with stronger cross-offshore winds (15–16 mph). It’s still clean, but the energy drops a touch and the forecast dials back to “marginal.” Saturday the 5th throws in a size jump: 6ft ENE swell in the morning, but it’s cross-onshore. The real magic is Saturday afternoon – glassy conditions with 5ft ENE swell and 519 combined energy. That’s a great session if you can handle the size, but because it’s over 5ft, beginners might find it a handful. That ENE direction isn’t the optimum SSE direction this spot loves, so it may not line up perfectly.
The rest of the run into the second week sees some decent swell pulses – 4ft to 5ft on Monday the 7th with offshore winds – but the periods get short (6 seconds on Monday afternoon) and the energy drops. The window of truly good surf is really the 3rd and 5th of September. After that, it’s clean but not as punchy.
Bottom line: wait for Thursday the 3rd and Saturday the 5th. Thursday looks cleaner and more lined up with the swell direction, but Saturday brings size and glass. If you’re advanced and want the best, Thursday afternoon is the call. Crowds are often a thing here, so expect company.
Stay stoked,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sun afternoon, min 21°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Warm (max 28°C on Fri afternoon, min 22°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | SSE 6 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
14 | 14 | 14 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 11 | 11 | 18 | 25 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 32 | 40 | 39 | 17 | 26 | 17 | 17 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | glassy | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:30PM0.94m | 6:27AM0.72m | 7:15PM0.96m | 7:15AM0.76m | 7:55PM0.98m | 7:58AM0.79m | 8:31PM0.99m | 8:38AM0.83m | 9:06PM0.99m | 9:17AM0.87m | 9:39PM0.98m | 9:55AM0.90m | 10:13PM0.96m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:44AM0.28m | 12:10PM0.22m | 1:24AM0.25m | 12:54PM0.18m | 1:58AM0.22m | 1:36PM0.13m | 2:29AM0.18m | 2:16PM0.10m | 2:58AM0.13m | 2:57PM0.08m | 3:29AM0.10m | 3:38PM0.07m | 4:01AM0.07m | |||||||
— | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 |
Temp °C | 28 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 26 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 25 | 27 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | S 4 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SSE 4 | SSE 5 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | S 6 | SSE 5 | SE 8 |
4 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 18 | 25 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 10 | 15 | 39 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 17 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SSE 6 | E 6 | E 14 | E 12 | SE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | E 11 | E 5 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | S 5 |
11 | 14 | 14 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 32 | 40 | 2 | 2 | 26 | 17 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | NNE 3 | E 7 | E 6 | E 14 | E 6 | — | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | — | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | S 6 |
14 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | — | WSW 2 | — | SSE 6 | S 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 4 | — | — | S 5 | S 5 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 1 | — | 6 | 10 | 25 | 18 | — | — | 18 | 11 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1140 | 74 | 141 | 189 | 141 | 43 | 175 | 330 | 330 | 1158 | 188 | 282 | 209 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 74 | 80 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Delaware | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











