
Surf Forecasts:
The Inlet and Pier surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 5s period, S swell with 63 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 1.2m 5s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Inlet and Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey folks, Rusty here. Alright, I've had a good look at the charts for the next couple of weeks, and I gotta be straight with you – it's a pretty bleak stretch for The Inlet and Pier. We're looking at a long, long dry spell, so don't go getting your hopes up too early.
The water's sitting at 78°F which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that's about the only thing going for us.
The forecast starts off about as flat as it gets. Sunday morning, August 9th, we've got a tiny 0.7ft ESE windswell with a short 8-second period, and the combined energy is a measly 8. That's a total dud. Sunday afternoon is a little better with a glassy 2ft S swell, but a 5-second period means it's just bumpy closeouts. Monday the 10th through to the 19th of August is just a brutal run of nothing. We're talking waves that barely reach 3ft, short periods, and a whole lot of "poor surf conditions" in the data. The combined energy rarely breaks 30, and most days it's sitting in the single digits. It's a full on surf drought for over a week and a half.
Now, there is a little flicker of hope, but it's a long way off. On Thursday, August 20th, the morning shows a bit of life. We've got a 4ft SE swell, with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy finally jumps up to 332, which is a moderate energy, and the wind is light offshore from the W. That's a clean offshore flow, which is exactly what we want for this exposed beach/jetty setup. The swell direction from the SE is also a good match for the optimum NE direction mentioned in the guidance, so it's not a total washout. It's the best we're going to see in this whole forecast window, but it's still a long way out and the wave comment is only "expect good surf conditions" with a low score. Don't cancel your plans for it, but it's something to keep an eye on.
After that brief pulse, it's right back to the small stuff and poor conditions again through the end of the month. Honestly, this is a tough one to call. The Inlet and Pier is a very consistent spot, so a blank run like this is unusual, but it's what the data is showing. Keep your board waxed, forecasts can change, but for now, it's a waiting game.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Sun afternoon, min 24°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 20°C on Fri afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 5 | ESE 7 | E 10 | S 6 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | S 6 | E 11 | E 11 | S 5 | SE 10 | E 13 | NE 4 | ENE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | NE 5 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
19 | 4 | 2 | 35 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 10 | 6 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 5:25PM1.35m | 5:41AM0.94m | 6:23PM1.40m | 6:39AM1.00m | 7:17PM1.42m | 7:34AM1.07m | 8:08PM1.41m | 8:26AM1.13m | 8:56PM1.37m | 9:16AM1.17m | 9:42PM1.30m | 10:04AM1.19m | 10:26PM1.21m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:00AM0.09m | 11:49AM-0.06m | 00:57AM0.03m | 12:49PM-0.12m | 1:47AM-0.03m | 1:44PM-0.15m | 2:33AM-0.07m | 2:36PM-0.16m | 3:17AM-0.08m | 3:27PM-0.12m | 4:00AM-0.07m | 4:17PM-0.06m | 4:42AM-0.03m | |||||||
— | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | |
8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:53 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 31 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 29 | 27 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 |
Feels °C | 34 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | S 4 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | S 5 | S 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SE 8 | S 5 | SE 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | NE 4 | NE 5 |
8 | 9 | 18 | 19 | 25 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 14 | 10 | 6 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | ESE 7 | E 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 6 | SE 8 | E 10 | SE 10 | E 10 | NE 4 | ENE 4 | — | SSE 7 | SSE 6 |
8 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | — | 9 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | — | E 11 | E 11 | E 8 | SE 8 | E 13 | E 10 | — | — | SE 9 | SE 9 |
2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 5 | S 4 | — | S 6 | S 5 | NW 3 | — | — | — | S 6 | S 3 | — | S 5 | — | NE 3 | — | N 3 | NE 4 | — | SSE 3 |
19 | 12 | — | 35 | 59 | 2 | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | 8 | — | 3 | — | 1 | 20 | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 190 | 168 | 487 | 1203 | 2 | 304 | 217 | 621 | 1196 | 1066 | 355 | 430 | 1196 | 350 | 304 | 3080 | 172 | 168 | 457 | 621 |
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.











