
Surf Forecasts:
The Inlet and Pier surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, E swell with 79 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period with ESE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Inlet and Pier this week:
The surf forecast for The Inlet and Pier over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Inlet and Pier in the next 16 days are 1.0m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Inlet and Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s got for us.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. We’re staring at a long, dry spell with no real surf to speak of for the first week and a half. From Thursday the 10th right through to Sunday the 20th of September, it’s a whole lot of nothing. Tiny, weak waves and poor conditions. The swell is just a whisper, mostly under 3 ft, and the wind is often cross or onshore, junking up any little bump that tries to form. The combined wave energy is weak, barely cracking 85 (moderate energy) at its best on the 15th, but it’s all wind swell with short, snappy periods. The water’s running at 78°, which is 5° warmer than usual – that’s very unusual, feels like a bath, but it doesn’t help the surf.
The only glimmer in this whole 16-day window comes right at the tail end. Monday the 21st of September, the morning might just scrape a “surfable” wave. The Inlet and Pier is your only option. Expect a small 4 ft swell from the NE, with a nasty short period of 5 seconds. The combined energy is still only 62 (weak). But the wind goes light offshore from the NNW, which means it’ll be clean. It’s not going to be a classic, but it’s the only ticket in town for a surf. The Inlet and Pier is very consistent, so it’s always a chance, but it’s often crowded, so expect company.
After that, it’s back to frustrating. The 22nd and 23rd see the wind howling onshore, making a mess of things. Then, on the 24th, the swell starts to build – 5 ft to 5 ft from the E, with offshore wind from the NW! That’s clean, but it’s still poor surf conditions according to the forecast, and the combined energy jumps to 297 (moderate). The real kicker comes on the 25th of September. The swell is getting proper, 8 ft to 8 ft from the ESE, with a period of 7-8 seconds. That’s a punchy, expert-level wave. The combined energy is a strong 572 to 730 (strong). The wind is offshore from the SW, so it’ll be clean. But at that size, it’s for experienced surfers only. The break is a beach/jetty setup, so with that much energy and a short period, it’ll be dumping hard and might be more interesting for the kite crew than paddle surfing.
So, to sum it up: the best bet is the morning of Monday the 21st for a tiny, clean, but crowd-heavy session. If you’re an expert and can wait, Friday the 25th of September could offer some serious, clean, powerful waves. The rest of the time? Leave the board on the rack.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 23°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 28°C on Mon afternoon, min 22°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 6 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | E 5 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
13 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 26 | 53 | 55 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 46 | 77 | 76 | 54 | 39 | 18 | 11 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:46PM1.32m | 8:05AM1.23m | 8:30PM1.28m | 8:51AM1.27m | 9:13PM1.22m | 9:35AM1.29m | 9:55PM1.14m | 10:17AM1.27m | 10:36PM1.05m | 11:01AM1.24m | 11:18PM0.97m | 11:46AM1.19m | 00:02AM0.89m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:33PM-0.08m | 2:06AM-0.03m | 2:22PM-0.08m | 2:46AM-0.04m | 3:09PM-0.05m | 3:24AM-0.02m | 3:54PM-0.00m | 4:02AM0.03m | 4:40PM0.07m | 4:42AM0.09m | 5:28PM0.16m | 5:23AM0.16m | 6:18PM0.24m | ||||||||
6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 7:15 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:08 | — | — | 7:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 29 | 28 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
Feels °C | 25 | 29 | 29 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | S 5 | SSE 6 | S 6 | SSE 6 | SE 9 | — | E 9 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 5 | S 5 | E 15 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 8 |
30 | 14 | 39 | 19 | 10 | 13 | — | 1 | 55 | 24 | 15 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 54 | 39 | 18 | 11 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 9 | S 5 | — | — | ESE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | E 15 | E 15 | — | E 14 | SE 14 | SE 10 | ENE 6 |
13 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 2 | — | — | 9 | 24 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | — | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 11 | — | — | E 8 | S 4 | S 4 | S 5 | E 5 | — | — | E 15 | — | — | ESE 10 | E 13 | SE 13 |
2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | — | 4 | — | — | 9 | 4 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 4 | SSW 6 | W 2 | NE 2 | ENE 4 | E 4 | ESE 4 | SE 5 | — | SSW 4 | — | — | — | ENE 3 | E 5 | E 6 | E 6 | — | — | S 3 | S 4 |
5 | 52 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 26 | 53 | — | 3 | — | — | — | 2 | 46 | 77 | 76 | — | — | 5 | 6 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 9 | 3 | 132 | 293 | 304 | 1149 | 347 | 3 | 3 | 51 | 3 | 161 | 299 | 430 | 1063 | 2431 | 1256 | 23 | 2250 | 253 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Maryland | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the The Inlet and Pier Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Inlet and Pier provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Inlet and Pier can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Inlet and Pier 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 (The Inlet and Pier) 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 The Inlet and Pier 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.
The Inlet and Pier is 3 km (2 miles) from Ocean City. If you plan a vacation in Maryland, 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.










