Surf Forecasts:
The Inlet and Pier surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 9s period, ESE swell with 99 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period with SE 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 0.8m and 5s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Inlet and Pier in the next 16 days are 0.8m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Inlet and Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s happening down at The Inlet and Pier.
To be straight with you, it’s a pretty quiet 16-day stretch ahead. No real juice to get excited about. The water’s sitting at 78°, which is about 4° warmer than it should be this time of year, so it feels like a warm bath out there.
Starting off Wednesday morning, August 26th, we’ve got a tiny 1ft wave from the ESE at 10 seconds. It’s glassy, but the energy is weak at just 19. It’s not looking good. Wednesday afternoon picks up a bit more wind but the surf stays at 1ft. The rest of the week is similar – Thursday and Friday with 2ft and 1ft, some cross-shore winds, but still poor quality overall.
Saturday, August 29th, the swell bumps up to 3ft but it’s from the ENE with a period of only 4 seconds – that’s pure windswell, and with a moderate cross-onshore breeze, it’s gonna be a choppy mess.
Through the end of August and into early September, it’s all small. September 1st has some clean offshore wind in the morning with 1ft, but it drops to 0.3ft in the afternoon. September 2nd shows a half-decent pulse with 2ft from the SE at 12 seconds and a bit more energy at 46, but it’s still just "surfable, nothing special." The cleanest winds hit from September 8th to 10th, with offshore breezes, but the swell maxes out at 4ft on the morning of the 8th with a short period of 5 seconds and energy at 114. It’ll be glassy, but small and weak.
From September 4th to 6th there’s a spike in energy, with cross-onshore winds blowing 15 to 22 mph and waves up to 3ft. The energy peaks at 183 on Sept 6th, but the wind is howling. That setup is way better for kite surfers than paddle surfers.
There’s no day in this whole window where the stars align. The combination of swell, wind, and quality just isn’t there. It’s a long, quiet run – the ocean’s taking a break. It won’t stay this way forever, so keep checking in, but for now, don’t plan your day around it.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 27°C on Thu night, min 22°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Mon afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Mon morning, min 23°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SSE 5 | ESE 9 | SE 6 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
18 | 25 | 31 | 40 | 46 | 56 | 54 | 39 | 26 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 21 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:19PM1.26m | 7:33AM1.06m | 7:58PM1.29m | 8:14AM1.13m | 8:38PM1.29m | 8:55AM1.19m | 9:17PM1.26m | 9:37AM1.24m | 9:56PM1.22m | 10:19AM1.28m | 10:37PM1.15m | 11:04AM1.30m | 11:21PM1.07m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:54PM0.10m | 1:39AM0.15m | 1:37PM0.06m | 2:14AM0.10m | 2:20PM0.04m | 2:50AM0.07m | 3:03PM0.03m | 3:26AM0.05m | 3:47PM0.04m | 4:04AM0.05m | 4:34PM0.07m | 4:46AM0.06m | 5:26PM0.12m | ||||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
— | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 3 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 34 | 32 |
Feels °C | 25 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 22 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 33 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | ESE 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | NE 4 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 4 | SE 7 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | SSW 3 |
18 | 25 | 31 | 40 | 46 | 56 | 29 | 39 | 21 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 2 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | E 14 | E 14 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | ESE 8 | SSE 6 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 4 | SE 7 | S 4 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 9 |
3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 54 | 18 | 26 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 21 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | — | — | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | — | E 9 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | — | E 9 | — | — | — | E 15 | SE 8 | ESE 12 |
1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 5 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 15 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 5 | S 4 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | S 5 | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | — | — | SSE 5 | S 3 | — | S 4 | SSW 4 | — | — | SSW 4 |
— | 6 | 10 | 29 | 27 | 34 | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | 9 | 9 | — | — | 7 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 355 | 1514 | 223 | 180 | 1143 | 0 | 2 | 43 | 104 | 281 | 299 | 230 | 430 | 870 | 666 | 293 | 1149 | 1149 | 2180 | 1149 | 3 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Maryland | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











