Indian Wells Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s on the cards for Indian Wells over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – this is a pretty bleak stretch for surf. We’re looking at a long, drawn-out period of small, weak, and mostly messy conditions. There are no real standout swells to get excited about, so if you’re desperate for a paddle, you’ll be scratching for the cleanest windows.

The swell energy for the entire run is weak to moderate, with the highest reading hitting 240 (moderate wave energy) but most days sitting under 200, and a lot of it tanking below 100 (weak energy). The water is running about a degree cooler than average for this time of year, coming in at 70°F, so it’s a bit nippier than you’d expect for July.

Let’s break it down. First up, Wednesday, July 29th, sees a small 4ft SSE swell, but that 7-second period is short and there’s a cross-shore wind with a risk of thunderstorms. The surf is poor, so don’t bother. Thursday, July 30th, we get a morning window with a clean look and a northwest wind blowing cross-offshore. The swell is still only 4ft with an 8-second period, and the energy bumps to 240. It’s marginal but probably the cleanest it’ll look if you’re jonesing. The afternoon gets sloppy with a stronger north wind.

Friday, August 1st, is a tease. Morning brings offshore NW winds and clean lines on a 3ft SSE swell (9-second period, 126 energy). It’s surfable but very ordinary. The afternoon turns to a cross-shore mess. The whole weekend is a write-off: Saturday and Sunday are all cross-onshore wind with choppy 3ft to 3ft S swells. Not worth the paddle.

We get another lull Monday, August 5th, with nothing doing. Then Tuesday, August 6th, shows a clean morning window with WNW offshore wind and a 4ft S swell (7-second, 138 energy). The comment says “surfable but ordinary,” which is about as good as it gets here. Thursday, August 8th, the morning shows a promising 4ft SSW swell with light W winds and clean conditions, but the energy is still weak.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting, but it’s a long way off. Saturday, August 10th, the morning has a clean look with light W winds and a 4ft SSW swell, with the energy jumping to 229 – the highest of the whole run. It’s the only day that gets an “expect good surf conditions” comment. But the period is a short 6 seconds, so while it’s clean, the waves will be a bit fat and lack push. This is the best bet in the whole 16-day window, but it’s over a week away, so don’t plan your life around it.

After that, it’s back to tiny, weak dribble until the end of the run. Monday, August 11th, has a tiny 3ft S swell with a nice offshore NNW breeze in the morning, but it’s barely a ripple. By Wednesday, August 13th, we’re down to 2ft waves with onshore wind and no energy.

Honestly, for this 16-day stretch, the surf is mostly flat and messy. With these short-period, weak swells and mainly cross or onshore winds, I’d say this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer during the windier afternoons. Keep an eye on that Saturday, August 10th, morning window. Otherwise, it’s a long wait.

Rusty.

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