Surf Forecasts:
Indicator surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 24s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 21s period, SW swell with 368 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indicator in the next 16 days are 0.6m 21s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore 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 21) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 24s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 21s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicator over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. The next two weeks are looking pretty grim for this spot. We’re talking about a reef and point set-up that likes a good NW swell, but we just aren’t seeing it. The water is running at 71°F which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, a real 6°F anomaly, so that’s pretty unusual.
We’ve got a long gap of nothing but poor surf conditions ahead. The first real chance to even paddle out with a smile is on Saturday morning, July 19th. Even then, it’s not a winner. The swell is a tiny 2ft from the SW with a very long period of 17 seconds. That’s a groundswell, but it’s weak, with a combined energy of only 244. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSE, so it’ll be clean, but the wave quality is just “ordinary” at best. For a reef and point, that long period and small size might just be a lines with no push.
The rest of July and into early August is a desert. The swell doesn’t pick up, the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore from the W or WSW, making things choppy. The combined energy is often pitiful, rarely even cracking three digits. There’s a small window on Tuesday morning, July 28th, where we see a 2ft SW swell with a 12-second period (111 energy), and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSE. It’s surfable but again, very ordinary. It’s the best of a bad bunch.
Frankly, if you’re desperate, that Tuesday the 28th morning is your best bet. The wind is light, the swell is just about there for a log or a longboard on a forgiving point, but don’t expect anything to get you fired up. For anything with actual punch, you’re looking at a blank run. This area just tends to have these flat spells, so it’s not a shock, but it hurts.
Stay patient, keep an eye out, but don’t get your hopes up for a while.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Mon afternoon, min 18°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu morning, min 21°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 18 | W 5 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | W 5 | SW 16 | SW 13 | W 5 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | W 7 | W 6 | SW 26 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | SW 21 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 201 | 12 | 235 | 235 | 211 | 7 | 201 | 87 | 7 | 21 | 112 | 33 | 28 | 107 | 33 | 105 | 74 | 31 | 14 | 368 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-on | cross-on | off | off | cross | off |
High Tide | 1:09AM1.73m | 2:26PM1.87m | 2:15AM1.47m | 3:13PM1.88m | 3:50AM1.29m | 4:03PM1.89m | 6:02AM1.24m | 4:56PM1.91m | 7:48AM1.30m | 5:49PM1.95m | 8:41AM1.38m | 6:37PM2.01m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:30PM0.96m | 7:38AM0.58m | 8:48PM0.94m | 8:14AM0.79m | 10:19PM0.87m | 8:52AM0.98m | 11:46PM0.76m | 9:41AM1.13m | 00:52AM0.62m | 10:52AM1.23m | 1:41AM0.50m | 12:05PM1.26m | 2:20AM0.39m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — |
 | 8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
Feels °C | 21 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | W 5 | SW 17 | SW 17 | S 12 | SSW 15 | SW 16 | W 5 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 14 | W 7 | W 6 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 6 | S 13 | S 13 |
| kJ | 201 | 12 | 235 | 235 | 98 | 196 | 201 | 26 | 397 | 201 | 75 | 33 | 183 | 107 | 33 | 118 | 74 | 31 | 222 | 206 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | S 13 | SW 16 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 16 | W 5 | SSW 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 13 | SSW 13 | S 13 | W 5 | SW 21 |
| kJ | 24 | 39 | 38 | 112 | 211 | 85 | 88 | 177 | 7 | 27 | 291 | 186 | 6 | 178 | 121 | 54 | 98 | 160 | 14 | 368 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 16 | W 5 | W 6 | W 5 | W 5 | SSW 20 | SW 13 | SSE 14 | SW 12 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | S 8 | SW 19 | SSE 13 | SW 26 | SSE 11 | SSW 24 | SSW 24 | W 6 |
| kJ | 27 | 66 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 37 | 87 | 20 | 36 | 14 | 13 | 4 | 58 | 57 | 105 | 23 | 368 | 217 | 22 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 3 | — | — | — | — | — | W 5 | — | — | W 5 | W 6 | — | W 5 | — | — | W 4 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 21 | 112 | — | 28 | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 117 | 2 | 0 | 117 | 0 | 2 | 72 | 0 | 1 | 67 | 0 | 2 | 67 | 0 | 117 | 72 | 1 | 2 | 54 | 0 |
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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