
Surf Forecasts:
Indicator surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 17s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period, SW swell with 260 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period with SW 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indicator in the next 16 days are 1.1m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 13s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicator over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the charts for this spot.
Honestly, I’m looking at a pretty grim picture for the next couple of weeks. The first few days are a total write-off – we’re talking about flat, clean conditions but with zero swell energy. The water is sitting at a very unusual 73°F, which is about 7°F warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s not doing us any favours. There’s nothing to ride.
We’ve got a gap of about four days with absolutely nothing worth paddling out for. The real story starts to shift a little around Thursday the 10th of September. The morning shows a bit of life with a 3ft swell from the SW, pushing a moderate 145 units of energy, and the wind is clean offshore from the SE. That’s the best we’ll see for a while, but it’s still a marginal wave. The break is a reef and point setup, fairly consistent, and it likes a NW swell direction, so this SW groundswell at 10 seconds isn’t ideal. It’s the standout only because the rest of the fortnight is so poor.
The afternoon of the 11th sees a bigger pulse of energy, with a 2ft SW swell coming in at a very long 15 seconds, pushing 303 units of energy. That’s proper groundswell energy, but the wind is cross-onshore and the conditions are choppy. For a reef and point, that long period should wrap in nicely, but the wind is going to mess it up. It’s a tease.
The second week is a bit of a blur. From the 13th onward, we see a repeating pattern of waist-high, long-period SW swells with moderate energy (115 to 157 units), but the wind is almost always cross-onshore from the W or cross from the SW. The morning of the 13th has a light cross breeze and 1ft of swell, but it’s not enough to get excited about. The 15th sees a similar story, and the 16th has a 2ft swell with 234 units of energy, but again, the wind is a letdown. The long period (16-20 seconds) is a positive for the point, but the wind direction is working against us.
The best bet in the whole forecast is the morning of Thursday the 10th. It’s the only time the wind is fully offshore (SE at 12 mph) and the combined energy is moderate (145 units). The swell is 3ft from the SW, which is a bit small and off-direction for this spot, but it’s clean. Crowds are possible here, but with conditions this average, I doubt it’ll be packed.
The 19th of September morning shows a clean, light wind window with moderate energy (281 units) and a 2ft, 18-second SW groundswell, but it’s cross-on. It’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath.
Look, for a reef and point that prefers a NW swell, this SW run is a bit of a mismatch. Short of the Thursday morning window, there’s nothing here that’s going to get the heart racing. The swell is too small, the wind is rarely good, and the combined energy stays moderate at best. If you’re desperate, paddle out on the 10th morning, but otherwise, save your energy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 23°C on Sat afternoon, min 20°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed morning, min 22°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 16 | SW 11 | SSW 16 | SW 12 | WSW 11 | W 5 | SW 11 | WSW 10 | W 5 | W 3 | W 4 | SW 18 | SW 18 | W 4 | W 4 | SW 17 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SW 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
0 | 59 | 0 | 48 | 46 | 5 | 18 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 49 | 49 | 7 | 7 | 135 | 157 | 145 | 233 | 155 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | off | off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:21PM2.00m | 7:21AM1.38m | 4:52PM2.05m | 7:50AM1.50m | 6:07PM2.15m | 8:18AM1.63m | 7:07PM2.25m | 8:46AM1.75m | 7:58PM2.29m | 9:14AM1.86m | 8:45PM2.27m | 9:42AM1.96m | 9:29PM2.19m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:45PM0.44m | 10:06AM1.32m | 00:47AM0.29m | 11:54AM1.24m | 1:35AM0.17m | 1:01PM1.09m | 2:15AM0.11m | 1:54PM0.92m | 2:51AM0.11m | 2:41PM0.76m | 3:24AM0.17m | 3:26PM0.63m | 3:55AM0.29m | |||||||
— | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
7:15 | — | — | 7:14 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:10 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 |
Feels °C | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 26 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSE 14 | S 13 | SSW 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SW 9 |
310 | 322 | 425 | 250 | 225 | 322 | 501 | 537 | 314 | 655 | 507 | 379 | 156 | 296 | 226 | 111 | 157 | 145 | 233 | 155 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 13 | W 5 | WSW 10 | SSW 15 | SW 9 | W 10 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SSW 12 | SSW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
114 | 141 | 133 | 277 | 280 | 219 | 5 | 10 | 256 | 3 | 2 | 49 | 192 | 68 | 94 | 101 | 195 | 291 | 264 | 251 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 15 | SW 11 | SSE 15 | SW 12 | W 13 | W 5 | SW 11 | WSW 10 | SSW 19 | — | SW 10 | SW 21 | SW 18 | W 12 | SW 16 | SW 17 | W 3 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 |
43 | 59 | 44 | 48 | 3 | 5 | 18 | 10 | 36 | — | 4 | 18 | 49 | 3 | 65 | 135 | 1 | 13 | 27 | 22 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 4 | WSW 11 | — | — | W 4 | W 5 | W 3 | W 4 | W 4 | W 3 | W 4 | W 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 3 | 46 | — | — | 7 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 62 | 5 | 166 | 62 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 54 | 41 | 22 | 72 | 117 | 6 | 6 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Los Angeles County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










