Surf Forecasts:
The Inlet and Pier surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period, NE swell with 111 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Inlet and Pier this week:
The most powerful waves expected at The Inlet and Pier in the next 16 days are 1.3m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Inlet and Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: this is a tough stretch for The Inlet and Pier. The next 16 days are looking pretty grim, with hardly anything worth paddling out for. This is one of those periods where you’re better off checking the forecast again later or doing a different hobby.
We kick off on Thursday, July 16th, with tiny 0.7ft surf from the ESE. It’s glassy in the morning, but there’s just no energy to work with – the combined energy is only 6 (weak). Water temp is sitting at a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, about 78°, but that’s the only silver lining. The whole first week is a washout. Friday and Saturday stay tiny with poor conditions, and by Saturday afternoon a 25 mph southerly kicks up a messy 4ft cross-shore slop. Sunday, July 19th, sees offshore winds but the swell drops to 0.3ft – you could stand on the sand and not get your feet wet.
The next several days are a blur of onshore winds, cross-chop, and tiny swell. Nothing worth a second look. We finally get a bit of a pulse around Saturday, July 25th. The morning shows 5ft from the ESE with glassy conditions and a combined energy of 117 (moderate). The score says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” so it’s not great, but it’s the best we’ve seen. The winds are light and variable, so it’ll be clean. That afternoon, however, the swell jumps to 6ft from the SE with a period of just 8 seconds and a moderate cross-shore breeze, making it a messy, lumpy mess. The energy jumps to 482 (strong) but the quality is poor – this is more of a power-wash than a surf session.
After that, it’s back to small, weak, and bumpy for the rest of the month. The last flicker of hope is on Friday, July 31st, with a morning of offshore winds and 2ft from the SE, but it’s tiny and inconsistent. The afternoon turns glassy again, but still only 2ft.
Honestly, none of this is a standout. The best on offer is the Saturday morning, July 25th, with 5ft waves and glassy conditions, but even that is just “ordinary.” For any experienced surfer, the 6ft on Saturday afternoon is too messy and short-period to enjoy. Beginners might find the 5ft a bit too much, so it’s a no-go for them too. The whole setup is a beach/jetty, so with the wind and chop, it’s looking more like a kite-surfing scenario than a paddle session.
The Inlet and Pier is very consistent, but when the swell is this poor for so long, it’s just a waiting game. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye out, but for now, I’d save your energy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 33°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, strong winds from the S by Sat afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Sun afternoon, min 23°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Sun night, strong winds from the SW by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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 | E 15 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 4 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | N 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | E 12 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | N 4 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 48 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 35 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:38AM1.07m | 10:07PM1.37m | 10:30AM1.09m | 10:55PM1.27m | 11:21AM1.09m | 11:42PM1.16m | 12:12PM1.08m | 00:30AM1.04m | 1:04PM1.06m | 1:19AM0.92m | 1:59PM1.05m | 2:12AM0.84m | 2:57PM1.05m | 3:08AM0.78m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:44PM-0.16m | 4:33AM-0.09m | 4:38PM-0.10m | 5:20AM-0.06m | 5:34PM-0.02m | 6:07AM-0.01m | 6:31PM0.07m | 6:54AM0.04m | 7:29PM0.14m | 7:40AM0.09m | 8:29PM0.21m | 8:27AM0.14m | 9:31PM0.25m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — |
 | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:19 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 8 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 9 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 33 | 31 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 19 | 23 | 23 |
Feels °C | 31 | 35 | 31 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 28 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 14 | 20 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 4 | ESE 8 | S 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | ENE 4 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 148 | 62 | 37 | 47 | 29 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 90 | 80 | 74 | 35 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | — | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | — | — | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | SE 12 | E 12 | NE 4 | E 12 | NE 4 | — | — | — | — | SSE 7 |
| kJ | 6 | — | 3 | 7 | 7 | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 16 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 15 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | E 14 | E 14 | — | — | — | E 13 | — | — | E 12 | SE 12 | E 12 | E 12 | — | — | — | NE 4 |
| kJ | — | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 4 | — | NE 3 | ENE 3 | SSE 5 | SSE 3 | S 4 | S 7 | WNW 2 | NNW 3 | N 4 | NE 4 | — | SSE 6 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | WSW 3 | N 4 | N 4 | N 3 |
| kJ | — | 3 | — | 3 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 48 | 302 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9 | — | 26 | 11 | 18 | 4 | 13 | 6 | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1448 | 1143 | 388 | 2431 | 1060 | 1348 | 1070 | 43 | 1052 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 297 | 438 | 438 | 877 | 1099 | 3 | 120 | 69 | 68 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Maryland | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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