Surf Forecasts:
Indian River (Southside) surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period, ESE swell with 67 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Indian River (Southside) this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Indian River (Southside) in the next 16 days are 0.6m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indian River (Southside) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's get into it, folks. This is Rusty, checking in on the local surf scene.
Alright, I'm gonna be straight with you: the next 16 days are looking pretty grim on the whole. We're looking at a long stretch of mostly small, weak, and messy waves. The occasional window of clean conditions pops up, but the swell is just so lacking in size and power that it's tough to get excited. Let's break it down.
The first real chance to get wet comes on Friday the 28th of August. Indian River (Southside) is the only spot on the cards. The water is a touch warmer than usual at 76°F, which is a bit unusual for this time of year. Friday morning has tiny 2ft swell from the ESE with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is a weak 54, so don't expect any punch. The saving grace is the glassy wind, making conditions clean. It's surfable, but very ordinary. The afternoon sees the same small swell, but the conditions are already described as poor, so the morning is the only real window on Friday.
The weekend is a write-off. Saturday and Sunday see the swell trying to pick up but the wind is all over the place. Saturday morning has a 3ft windswell from the ENE with a pathetic 5-second period, but it's accompanied by a 16 mph cross-onshore wind that will chop it to pieces. Sunday is even smaller, with similar cross-shore winds. The surf is just not happening.
We go through a long stretch of poor conditions from Monday the 31st of August right through to the end of the first week of September. The swell is consistently tiny, often under 2ft, and the periods are short. The wind is mostly cross or onshore, so it's a messy, uninviting picture. The energy readings are all in the teens or twenties, which is basically zero.
Now, there's a glimmer of hope on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning session sees a clean 2ft swell from the ESE with a period of 11 seconds, which is a bit more interesting. The combined energy is 84, still weak, but it's the best we've seen. The wind is light and offshore from the NW, so the conditions will be clean. It's not a standout by any means, but it's the best of a bad lot. The afternoon gets messy again.
The following days, from the 3rd to the 8th of September, are a mix of clean but tiny conditions. The wind is often offshore, which is a positive, but the swell just doesn't have any size. We're looking at 1.0ft to 2ft, with periods mostly under 10 seconds. The energy is consistently low. The 7th of September has a long period swell of 15-16 seconds from the SE, but with a height of only 1.0ft, it's just a long, slow, tiny wave.
The second week of the forecast is more of the same. The 9th of September has a glassy morning with 1ft ESE swell, but by the afternoon it's choppy. The 10th has clean conditions with offshore wind, but again, only 1ft swell. The 11th and 12th are back to small, cross-shore, and messy conditions. The 12th of September looks particularly bad with a 19 mph cross-onshore wind.
So, the honest truth is, there are no true standouts in this 16-day window. The only day that comes close to being worth a paddle is the morning of Wednesday the 2nd of September. For a surfer, you're looking at ankle-to-knee-high waves at best most days. The water is warm, but the swell is just not cooperating. For a solid 10 days in a row, there's no surf worth recommending. While the forecast is reliable for the near term, the long-range isn't promising either. This is one of those blank runs that happens in this area.
If you're keen on seeing if the forecasts change, keep an eye on it, but right now, I'd be looking at other hobbies.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 27°C on Fri afternoon, min 22°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Mon night. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 22°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the SSE by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
40 | 39 | 26 | 33 | 19 | 17 | 25 | 18 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 26 | 38 | 59 | 52 | 47 | 32 | 31 | 28 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 9:17AM0.87m | 9:39PM0.98m | 9:55AM0.90m | 10:13PM0.96m | 10:33AM0.94m | 10:49PM0.93m | 11:14AM0.96m | 11:27PM0.89m | 11:58AM0.98m | 00:10AM0.84m | 12:49PM0.99m | 1:00AM0.80m | 1:50PM0.98m | 1:59AM0.75m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:57PM0.08m | 3:29AM0.10m | 3:38PM0.07m | 4:01AM0.07m | 4:22PM0.08m | 4:37AM0.06m | 5:09PM0.11m | 5:17AM0.06m | 6:00PM0.15m | 6:01AM0.08m | 6:57PM0.20m | 6:51AM0.10m | 8:02PM0.24m | ||||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | |
— | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:27 | — | |
mm | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 32 | 37 | 35 |
Feels °C | 28 | 29 | 29 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 33 | 36 | 35 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | S 4 | S 5 | SE 7 | SE 7 | S 5 | E 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | S 4 |
12 | 39 | 26 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 25 | 18 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 28 | 29 | 47 | 32 | 31 | 10 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | E 6 | SE 8 | — | ESE 3 | S 4 | ESE 8 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 10 | E 5 | S 4 | E 5 | ESE 8 |
40 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 16 | — | 2 | 1 | 7 | 38 | 59 | 52 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 28 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | S 5 | E 9 | E 6 | — | E 5 | — | S 4 | SE 8 | SE 14 | SE 9 | SE 7 | SE 6 | — | E 5 | — | — |
2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 6 | — | 4 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | — | S 5 | S 3 | S 4 | WNW 3 | SE 8 | SE 3 | E 3 | ESE 7 | — | — | S 3 | S 3 | — | SSW 3 | NW 3 |
— | — | — | 33 | 19 | — | 2 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 26 | — | — | 1 | 4 | — | 4 | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 2 | 43 | 253 | 282 | 335 | 335 | 2225 | 2127 | 335 | 1164 | 1169 | 1166 | 1164 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 22 | 102 | 43 |
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.











