Indicator Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.78° N 118.43° W

Indicator Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 am 24 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Indicator sea temperature is
22.0°C
3.1° 

Indicator surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Indicator surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, W swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, W swell with 337 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 17s 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 17s period. 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 1.7m 8s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 18s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Mon 24th Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 17s
Best Surf 2AM (Sun 30th Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 8s
Most Powerful 2AM (Sun 30th Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 8s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicator over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

The outlook for this stretch is a bit of a flat spell, I'm not gonna lie. The first recommendations don't pop up until Wednesday the 26th of August, but even then, it’s pretty marginal. We’ve got a long gap of poor conditions before that, with Monday and Tuesday offering nothing but tiny, messy waves. The water is a big talking point, though. When we finally get a break worth mentioning, the water temp is sitting at a whopping 72°F, which is a massive 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s a seriously unusual anomaly, and it'll feel like a warm bath.

Let’s get into the details. The first real, albeit weak, beacon is Wednesday morning, 26 August. The wind swings offshore from the SE at 6 mph, making it clean. The swell is a tiny 2 ft from the SW, but with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, but it’s lacking size. The combined energy is a weak 148, so while the waves will be clean, the paddle out will be easy with long gaps between sets. It’s a reef and point set-up, so that long period won't be a problem. It’s a “surfable” session, but you’ll be working for it.

Things stay pretty flat and messy through the rest of the week. The wind mostly blows cross-on or cross-off, and the swell height sits around 1 ft to 2 ft. The combined energy drops into the double digits, which is very weak. There’s a brief moment on Sunday morning, 30 August, with a clean offshore wind from the SE at 9 mph, but the swell is only 3 ft from the west with a short period of 7 seconds. The energy is still low at 88, so it’s not really a standout.

The next window is a bit of a wait. Tuesday morning, 8 September, shows some promise. The wind is offshore from the SSE at 6 mph, making it clean again. The swell is 3 ft from the west, period down to 6 seconds, but the combined energy climbs to 128 – moderate energy. It’s still “very ordinary” but it’s the best we’ve seen in a while. Later that afternoon, the swell direction shifts to the SW with a much longer period of 19 seconds. The energy is a solid 217, but the wave height is only 2 ft. That long period will make for a very long wait between sets.

If you’re a beginner, the swell never gets above 5 ft, so it’s never too big, but it’s also never consistently good. For experts, there’s nothing to chew on. The conditions are mostly poor, so the break looks more interesting for a light wind kite session than a paddle, especially the beachy sections if the wind lifts.

This is a pretty normal blank run for this area, so don’t hold your breath. The forecasts can change, but for now, keep the board in the car.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 22°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Thu afternoon, min 21°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
SW
18
0.4
SW
17
0.6
SW
17
0.6
SW
16
0.5
SW
16
0.7
W
6
0.5
SW
16
0.5
SW
16
0.5
SW
15
0.4
SW
15
0.5
W
12
0.5
SW
14
0.4
W
8
0.5
W
10
0.7
W
7
0.7
W
7
0.7
W
7
1.7
W
8
1
W
7
1.2
W
8
1
W
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
111
100
173
169
127
33
124
119
104
75
73
91
20
49
46
44
44
337
88
163
91
Wind (km/h)
5
SW
20
W
5
SSE
5
SW
20
W
10
SE
10
SE
15
WSW
15
SE
15
S
15
WSW
10
SE
10
SW
15
W
5
SE
5
SSW
15
WSW
0
SW
15
SE
15
WSW
10
SSE
Wind State
cross
cross-on
off
cross
cross-on
off
off
cross-on
off
cross-off
cross-on
off
cross
cross-on
off
cross-off
cross-on
glassy
off
cross
cross-off
High Tide
9:08AM1.54m
7:41PM2.10m
9:26AM1.60m
8:17PM2.17m
9:45AM1.66m
8:52PM2.19m
10:05AM1.73m
9:26PM2.16m
10:26AM1.81m
10:01PM2.08m
10:49AM1.89m
10:39PM1.95m
11:14AM1.95m
11:20PM1.78m
Low Tide
1:37PM1.16m
2:55AM0.27m
2:12PM1.06m
3:21AM0.24m
2:47PM0.96m
3:45AM0.25m
3:23PM0.87m
4:09AM0.30m
4:00PM0.78m
4:33AM0.39m
4:40PM0.71m
4:56AM0.51m
5:23PM0.67m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:20
6:22
6:22
6:22
6:24
6:24
6:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:30
7:28
7:27
7:25
7:23
7:22
7:22
 mm
Temp °C
23
23
23
25
25
24
25
26
25
24
25
24
25
25
23
24
24
23
22
22
21
Feels °C
25
23
22
26
25
24
25
26
25
25
27
25
26
26
24
27
24
22
21
22
22
  • 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
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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.

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