Surf Forecasts:
Indicator surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 19 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 21 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period, SW swell with 290 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 7s period with W 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 (Sep 14) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 18s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indicator in the next 16 days are 0.7m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 21) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 17s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Mon 14th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 19th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 21st Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicator over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again, this time in feet and all that.
So, the whole 16-day setup is quiet, real quiet. There’s a big dry spell before anything worth mentioning pops up, so don’t hold your breath.
The one shot you’ve got is on Sunday, September 20th, in the morning. Winds are light and cross-offshore, glassy as a mirror. The swell is tiny, about 2 feet from the southwest, but it’s got a long period of 18 seconds – proper groundswell. The energy reading of 279 means there’s enough grunt to keep a longboard moving, but it’s not gonna get you stoked if you’re looking for barrels. That’s the one standout in this whole window.
This spot is a reef and point break, fairly consistent, and good for an intermediate surfer. The optimum swell direction would be from the northwest, so this southwest swell is a bit off the mark. The water temp is about normal for the time of year, so nothing weird there. Crowds can be a problem sometimes, but on a 2-foot morning, you’ll likely have it to yourself.
Monday the 21st sees a slightly bigger swell, around 3 to 3 feet, but the wind turns cross-shore in the morning and then cross-onshore later. The energy jumps to 361, but the quality is all over the place. Not a total write-off, but not a standout either.
Then it’s a rough stretch. From Tuesday the 22nd all the way to the end of the month, the wind is almost always cross-onshore or onshore, often blowing 15 to 25 mph. The swell stays small – 2 to 3 feet at best – and most days are written off as poor surf. Not worth paddling out unless you really need a float.
Bottom line: Sunday the 20th morning. That’s your day. Get it while it lasts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon morning, min 19°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 18°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | W 9 | SW 16 | WSW 6 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 21 | SW 21 | W 5 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 167 | 48 | 108 | 106 | 90 | 39 | 39 | 10 | 37 | 33 | 71 | 72 | 13 | 184 | 184 | 131 | 199 | 252 | 199 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:41PM1.67m | 11:34AM2.05m | 00:31AM1.48m | 12:04PM1.98m | 1:39AM1.31m | 12:38PM1.89m | 4:30AM1.23m | 1:26PM1.80m | 2:47PM1.73m | 8:19AM1.44m | 4:29PM1.73m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:14AM0.81m | 6:26PM0.56m | 5:34AM0.98m | 7:22PM0.64m | 5:47AM1.12m | 8:36PM0.71m | 10:17PM0.72m | 11:43PM0.65m | 10:16AM1.43m | 00:37AM0.56m | |||||||||
 |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — |
 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:54 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 21 |
Feels °C | 22 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 9 | W 6 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | W 6 | SW 19 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 18 | W 6 |
| kJ | 167 | 33 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 39 | 11 | 200 | 59 | 86 | 144 | 74 | 121 | 23 | 184 | 42 | 21 | 252 | 38 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | W 10 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 6 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 21 | SW 14 | W 5 | SW 19 | SSW 14 | S 13 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 44 | 31 | 108 | 106 | 90 | 64 | 39 | 10 | 37 | 33 | 71 | 32 | 13 | 184 | 61 | 90 | 199 | 56 | 199 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SW 18 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | S 9 | WSW 5 | W 5 | W 5 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SSW 14 | S 11 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SW 21 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 57 | 48 | 29 | 14 | 14 | 75 | 35 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 72 | 110 | 69 | 20 | 131 | 58 | 18 | 50 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 3 | — | — | W 5 | W 6 | — | W 5 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 21 | 69 | — | 21 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 148 | 9 | 166 | 62 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 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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