The Inlet and Pier Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.33° N 75.08° W

The Inlet and Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 13 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Inlet and Pier sea temperature is
26.2° C
2.7° 

The Inlet and Pier surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


The Inlet and Pier surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, NE swell with 292 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 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 8s period and expected on Monday (Jul 20) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 8PM (Mon 20th Jul)6ft (1.8m) 7s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Inlet and Pier over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s talk about The Inlet and Pier. I’ve been staring at the numbers, and I’ll be honest – it’s a pretty grim outlook for the next couple of weeks. This is one of those stretches where the ocean is just taking a nap, and the paddle crew is going to be left high and dry.

Right from the start, on 13 July, it’s tiny. The swell is barely 3 ft, with a weak energy reading of 69, and it’s cross-on. The water is a balmy 79°, which is a massive 5° warmer than normal – that’s freakish for this time of year, feels like a hot bath. But the surf is so poor, you wouldn’t care. The first week is a total dud. From the 14th to the 19th, we’re talking about waves that are 1 ft or less, with energy readings dropping into the single digits. There’s a morning of glassy conditions on the 16th, but with only 0.7 ft of swell, it’s just a flat, shiny pond. Cross-shore and onshore winds are the main feature, and they’re not doing anyone any favors.

The 20th of July (Monday) is where things try to get interesting. The afternoon sees a pulse of 5 ft swell from the NE, but it’s straight onshore with a 20 km/h wind, and the period is a short, weak 6 seconds. The energy jumps to 191 (moderate), but the wind is making it a choppy, messy mess. For a surfer, that’s not a wave; that’s a kite-surfing chop-fest.

The 21st and 22nd of July are the next best, but they’re still not great. Tuesday the 21st has 5 ft from the ENE, with a period of 7 seconds and energy of 217 (moderate). The wind is cross-on or onshore, so it’s going to be lumpy and weak. Wednesday the 22nd is similar, with 4-5 ft from the E, but the cross-shore wind from the SSE at 20 km/h will chop it up. It’s rideable, but you’ll be fighting for a clean face.

The only true standout of the whole run is the afternoon of the 23rd of July (Thursday). The swell drops to 2 ft from the ENE, but the wind swings light offshore from the WNW at 10 km/h. The period is a short 6 seconds, and the energy is low at 34, but it’s clean. Offshore wind makes everything better, even if it’s small. That’s your window for a longboard or a small-wave board.

After that, the 24th to the 28th of July is a slow fade. There’s a bit of 3 ft swell on the 25th (Saturday), but it’s straight onshore, and the rest is below 2 ft with poor wind. The 26th and 27th have a bit of 3 ft from the SE, but it’s onshore and weak.

So, the bottom line: the first week is a dead loss. The second week has some moderate energy on the 20th-22nd, but the wind is a problem. The only clean, paddle-friendly window is the afternoon of the 23rd, and it’s small. For The Inlet and Pier, a dry spell like this is pretty normal for the season. It’s a tough call, but the forecasts can change. Stay tuned.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 34°C on Wed afternoon, min 22°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 63mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 34°C on Thu afternoon, min 22°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Mon
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
ESE
7
0.5
E
6
0.4
E
6
0.2
ESE
9
0.3
ESE
9
0.3
ESE
9
0.3
ESE
9
0.2
ESE
8
0.2
ESE
8
0.5
S
5
0.2
ESE
8
0.2
ESE
8
0.2
ESE
8
0.2
ESE
8
0.2
ESE
8
0.5
SSE
3
1.4
S
6
0.1
E
13
0.1
E
13
0.4
ESE
3
0.4
NE
2
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
60
19
10
8
16
16
15
7
6
11
7
7
7
7
7
5
130
3
3
4
1
Wind (km/h)
15
ESE
5
S
5
S
25
S
20
SW
20
WSW
20
SW
20
WSW
0
SSE
15
SW
15
N
20
N
10
NNE
10
SSW
15
S
20
SE
30
SW
20
WSW
15
WNW
20
N
20
ENE
Wind State
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
glassy
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
High Tide
7:30PM1.47m
7:49AM1.00m
8:25PM1.47m
8:44AM1.04m
9:17PM1.44m
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
Low Tide
2:05AM-0.07m
1:55PM-0.19m
2:56AM-0.10m
2:50PM-0.20m
3:45AM-0.11m
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
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
mod rain
rain showers
clear
rain showers
thunderstorm
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:47
5:48
5:48
5:50
5:50
5:50
5:52
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:23
8:23
8:22
8:22
8:22
8:21
8:21
8:20
 mm
1
10
52
1
6
Temp °C
24
23
24
26
25
30
34
31
30
34
32
27
29
28
26
26
24
28
31
26
23
Feels °C
23
23
24
23
22
29
33
30
34
34
32
24
26
28
26
28
24
29
31
29
24
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for The Inlet and Pier:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our The Inlet and Pier surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest