Surf Forecasts:
Indicator surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s period, SW swell with 171 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Indicator this week:
The surf forecast for Indicator over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indicator in the next 16 days are 0.6m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 16s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicator over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you, this is a tough stretch. We’re looking at a real quiet spell, with hardly anything worth paddling out for.
Looking at the whole 16-day window, there’s a big gap of no real surf. For the first week, from Tuesday the 18th all the way through to Wednesday the 26th, it’s all "poor surf conditions". We’ve got tiny little weak swells, most of the time under 3 ft, and the wind is just messy. You’ll see some clean mornings here and there, but the swell’s just not got any push to it. The combined wave energy is low, mostly under 100, barely ticking over. We get a slight bump on the 25th with energy getting up to 255, but it’s a short period swell with onshore wind – not great.
Now, for this break, which is a reef and point setup, the best chance we see is on Thursday the 27th. That morning, there’s a hint of life. The morning will be clean with a light cross-offshore breeze from the SSE. Swell is tiny though, only 1 ft from the SW with a nice long period of 14 seconds, which gives it some shape. The combined energy is moderate at 132, but it’s the only session in the whole run that’s anything worth a mention. It’s a "fairly consistent" spot, but this is a very marginal day even for an intermediate. There’s potential for a clean little wave, but don't expect much.
The rest of that week and into the next is just more of the same – tiny, weak, and onshore. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, no real anomalies to report. We get a couple more clean mornings on the 30th and 31st with an offshore breeze, but again the swell is just too small and weak to get excited about. It's a long way out, but the first week of September is looking much the same.
So the standout, if you can call it that, is that Thursday morning, the 27th of August. It’s the only real window. It’s not going to be good, but it’s the best of a bad lot. For the rest, save your energy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Tue afternoon, min 20°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Fri afternoon, min 22°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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) | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | SW 19 | W 5 | W 12 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 42 | 50 | 64 | 48 | 36 | 16 | 21 | 56 | 14 | 11 | 50 | 49 | 47 | 50 | 50 | 58 | 127 | 111 | 112 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 1:49AM1.36m | 1:53PM1.88m | 3:42AM1.21m | 2:45PM1.83m | 3:57PM1.81m | 8:34AM1.36m | 5:14PM1.84m | 8:37AM1.43m | 6:15PM1.92m | 8:52AM1.49m | 7:02PM2.01m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:04PM0.79m | 6:57AM0.97m | 9:30PM0.80m | 7:13AM1.13m | 11:10PM0.74m | 00:27AM0.64m | 10:14AM1.35m | 1:18AM0.53m | 12:01PM1.32m | 1:56AM0.42m | 12:56PM1.25m | 2:27AM0.34m | |||||||
 |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | |
 | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 |
Feels °C | 19 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 16 | W 5 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 6 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | W 6 | SSW 13 | W 6 |
| kJ | 42 | 50 | 37 | 48 | 36 | 217 | 21 | 118 | 118 | 115 | 69 | 68 | 68 | 12 | 42 | 120 | 9 | 57 | 29 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | W 8 | SSW 15 | W 6 | W 5 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | W 6 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | S 14 |
| kJ | 180 | 146 | 70 | 142 | 209 | 5 | 125 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 42 | 29 | 17 | 58 | 111 | 103 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | SW 13 | SSW 17 | SW 19 | SW 20 | W 14 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 19 | W 12 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 19 | S 16 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 2 | 42 | 109 | 15 | 16 | 4 | 13 | 56 | 14 | 11 | 50 | 49 | 47 | 50 | 50 | 58 | 127 | 20 | 112 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 5 | — |
| kJ | — | — | 64 | — | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | 15 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 1 | 117 | 1 | 1 | 117 | 2 | 2 | 62 | 2 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 67 | 117 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Los Angeles County | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
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 Indicator 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 Indicator Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Indicator provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Indicator can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Indicator 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 (Indicator) 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 Indicator 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.
Indicator is 5 km (3 miles) from the city of Rancho Palos Verdes. If you plan a vacation in Los Angeles County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Rancho Palos Verdes. Rancho Palos Verdes has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
Nearest