
Surf Forecasts:
Indicator surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s period, SW swell with 193 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 18s 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 Wednesday (Aug 12) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 18s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy 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 Thursday (Aug 13) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 17s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicator over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down this stretch. I gotta be honest – it’s a long, flat spell ahead. The first real surfable day on the calendar isn’t until Wednesday the 12th, and even then it’s nothin’ to write home about. We’re looking at nearly a week of tiny, weak waves and crummy conditions before we get a whiff of something with a bit of push.
The spot to keep an eye on is a reef and point setup, fairly exposed to the NW. It’s a fairly consistent break, but it’s gonna be a waiting game. Water temp is sitting at a balmy 72°, which is a massive 7° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s genuinely unusual, feels like a warm bath out there.
Let’s run through the days. Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th are a total write-off – tiny, messy cross-onshore junk. Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th are flat and forgettable. The energy is basically zero.
Now, Wednesday the 12th morning is where we finally get a pulse, but it’s a quiet one. The surf is rideable, but it’s ordinary. We’ve got a 2 ft swell from the SW with a 17-second period – that’s proper long-period groundswell, which is good for shape and paddle-outs, but the wave energy is weak at 172. The real saving grace is the wind: light and cross-offshore, making for clean conditions. It’s the only real offering in the whole window, but it’s not a standout.
Thursday the 13th morning is similar – 2 ft SW groundswell, 16-second period, clean cross-off wind. Energy drops a bit to 130. Again, surfable but nothing special.
The rest of the week into the next just fades out. Friday the 14th is onshore junk, Saturday the 15th is tiny and choppy. Sunday the 16th brings a bit more energy (177) but the winds are onshore and messy. Monday the 17th afternoon sees a bump to 4 ft, but it’s a short-period windswell (5 seconds) with a fresh 19 mph cross-onshore – that’s a lumpy, blown-out mess.
Tuesday the 18th morning is the last chance for a clean session with a 4 ft W swell, but it’s only 7 seconds and the energy is moderate at 131. The wind is light and cross-off, so it’ll be clean, but the waves won’t have much push.
After that, it’s a slow fade into the third week. The 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd are all tiny, with most days below 2 ft. The only glimmer is Sunday the 23rd morning – flat calm, glassy conditions, but the swell is a pathetic 2 ft. It’s pretty, but you’ll be bobbing around.
If you’re a beginner, this whole stretch is too small and weak to learn on. If you’re an expert, there’s nothing here to get excited about either. Honestly, for the size and the onshore wind, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on most afternoons.
The best bet is to pick one of those clean, cross-off mornings on the 12th, 13th, or 18th, grab a longboard, and make the most of the tiny, clean lines. It’s not gonna be epic, but it’s the only game in town.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sun afternoon, min 20°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 19°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 5 | W 3 | W 5 | SW 11 | W 4 | SW 11 | W 4 | W 5 | W 5 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | W 3 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
7 | 5 | 17 | 19 | 3 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 52 | 154 | 152 | 143 | 127 | 125 | 124 | 23 | 188 | 104 | 103 | 1 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 8:01AM1.37m | 6:08PM2.25m | 8:40AM1.49m | 7:09PM2.37m | 9:15AM1.59m | 8:03PM2.46m | 9:49AM1.69m | 8:52PM2.49m | 10:23AM1.78m | 9:39PM2.43m | 10:56AM1.85m | 10:24PM2.29m | 11:29AM1.91m | 11:09PM2.08m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:25AM1.23m | 1:53AM0.15m | 12:45PM1.17m | 2:38AM0.01m | 1:46PM1.06m | 3:19AM-0.06m | 2:40PM0.94m | 3:58AM-0.05m | 3:30PM0.84m | 4:34AM0.03m | 4:20PM0.77m | 5:07AM0.17m | 5:09PM0.73m | ||||||||
6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | |
— | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 |
Feels °C | 22 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SW 15 |
172 | 147 | 223 | 172 | 121 | 120 | 105 | 69 | 58 | 56 | 154 | 152 | 143 | 127 | 125 | 124 | 164 | 188 | 104 | 180 | 223 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | W 5 | W 5 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 20 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SSW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | SW 14 | SSW 18 |
36 | 36 | 17 | 7 | 12 | 30 | 38 | 97 | 96 | 33 | 54 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 21 | 21 | 12 | 75 | 139 | 103 | 180 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | W 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 21 | SSW 21 | W 4 | SSW 16 | W 5 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 |
7 | 3 | 37 | 19 | 45 | 44 | 1 | 25 | 2 | 52 | 29 | 28 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 6 | 23 | 8 | 20 | 18 | 15 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 3 | — | — | W 4 | — | — | W 5 | — | — | W 5 | W 3 | W 5 | W 2 | — | — | W 5 | — | — | W 6 | W 3 |
— | 5 | — | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 5 | — | — | 6 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 166 | 148 | 1 | 166 | 117 | 1 | 2 | 148 | 15 | 166 | 117 | 22 | 0 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 0 | 148 | 67 | 20 |
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.











