Surf Forecasts:
Indicator surf forecast from 29 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period, SW swell with 63 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Indicator this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Indicator in the next 16 days are 0.4m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 8AM. 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 16s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicator over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.
Well, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – we’ve got a long, flat spell to kick things off. From Tuesday July 28th right through to the end of the first week of August, it’s a real desert out there. There’s just nothing doing. The ocean’s practically asleep, with tiny, weak swell and poor conditions. You’ll be looking at nearly two weeks of nothing worth getting wet for. The only glimmer on the horizon comes right at the tail end of the forecast.
The first real hint of action doesn’t show up until Wednesday morning, August 12th. We see a bit of a pulse arrive, but the conditions are still messy. The Indicator (reef and point) might have a few rideable waves, but the wind is a problem. It’s a shame, because the water is a notable 73°F – that’s 8°F warmer than usual for this time of year, so it’s much warmer than normal. But the swell is just a weak 2 ft from the SW with a period of 17 seconds. That’s a long period groundswell, which means it’ll be better at this point and reef setup than a beach break, but the combined energy is only moderate (155). It’s surfable, but only just.
The best chance we get is on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 12th. The swell picks up a touch to 2 ft from the SW, still with a long 16-second period. The combined energy jumps to a moderate 251. The catch? The wind turns cross-onshore from the W at 15 km/h, which will chop it up. It’s not going to be pretty, but it’s the only window with any real push. For a seasoned surfer, there might be a few grunty waves to be had at the Indicator, but it’s not a beginner’s day. The water will still be warm, but the quality is lacking.
So, the honest truth: there’s no standout session here. The whole 16-day window is a write-off for any decent surfing. This is a normal blank run for this area, unfortunately. The forecasts can always change, but as it stands, it’s a long wait for very little reward.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Thu afternoon, min 20°C on Tue afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Fri afternoon, min 21°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | ||||||||||||||
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 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 6 | SW 15 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 19 | 30 | 28 | 21 | 12 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 34 | 35 | 39 | 18 | 26 | 30 | 27 | 43 | 42 | 41 | 41 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | off | off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 9:11PM2.25m | 10:54AM1.58m | 9:44PM2.23m | 11:20AM1.62m | 10:17PM2.17m | 11:45AM1.67m | 10:51PM2.06m | 12:12PM1.72m | 11:27PM1.90m | 12:39PM1.78m | 00:09AM1.71m | 1:11PM1.84m | 1:01AM1.50m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:59PM1.09m | 4:25AM0.19m | 3:35PM1.05m | 4:53AM0.21m | 4:12PM1.01m | 5:19AM0.27m | 4:52PM0.99m | 5:43AM0.37m | 5:36PM0.97m | 6:07AM0.49m | 6:27PM0.94m | 6:31AM0.64m | 7:30PM0.91m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — |
 | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
Feels °C | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 14 | S 14 | SSW 14 | S 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 |
| kJ | 510 | 417 | 318 | 397 | 284 | 215 | 187 | 324 | 336 | 222 | 229 | 222 | 192 | 26 | 30 | 27 | 43 | 31 | 27 | 16 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 6 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | S 13 | S 14 | SSW 15 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 15 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 10 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 19 | 30 | 172 | 165 | 90 | 138 | 142 | 11 | 18 | 34 | 35 | 39 | 18 | 59 | 46 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 24 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 16 | SSE 17 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | SSE 9 | — | W 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 51 | 162 | 28 | 21 | 12 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 8 | — | 9 | 15 | 15 | 45 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 42 | 41 | 41 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 62 | 1 | 1 | 62 | 1 | 2 | 62 | 2 | 2 | 117 | 1 | 2 | 117 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 67 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Los Angeles County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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