Surf Forecasts:
Indicator surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SW swell with 334 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 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 Wednesday (Sep 09) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indicator in the next 16 days are 0.8m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 13s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
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, the next week and a half is looking pretty flat and frustrating. We’ve got a long dry spell ahead with barely a ripple to speak of. The water is a balmy 73°F which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, almost 7°F above average – that’s very unusual.
We don’t get a proper recommendation until the very end of the forecast. From Monday the 7th of September all the way through to Saturday the 19th of September, there’s pretty much nothing worth paddling out for. It’s a long stretch of weak, short-period slop and poor conditions.
The first real sign of life comes on Sunday the 20th of September. The morning looks promising at Indicator (reef and point). We’re looking at a clean 2 ft swell from the southwest (period 19 seconds, a very long period groundswell). The combined energy is strong at (436). The wind is light and cross-offshore, so the surface will be clean. This is a long period swell, so it’ll really wrap into the point and reel, but might get a bit straight at the beach. Still, this is the standout for the whole period. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.
Monday the 21st of September also has potential. Again in the morning, southwest swell at 3 ft, with a period of 18 seconds, and clean conditions with light cross-offshore winds. The combined energy is strong at (390). The waves will have a bit more push to them, but the same long period caveat applies – this one is best on the point.
The morning of Saturday the 19th of September is a bit of a teaser. Clear skies, glassy conditions, and a 2 ft, 18-second period southwest swell (262 combined energy). The score says surfable but ordinary, so it’s a maybe, but the glassy wind is a big positive. It’s the calm before the better stuff on Sunday.
So, the bottom line: you’ve got a long wait. The first week is a total write-off. The only real window is around the 20th and 21st of September, and that Sunday 20th morning looks like the best of the bunch. Get your gear ready for that one.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon morning. Warm (max 28°C on Tue morning, min 23°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu morning, min 20°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 4 | W 3 | W 4 | W 4 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | W 6 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 6 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 7 | SW 19 | W 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 4 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 50 | 94 | 91 | 133 | 232 | 21 | 306 | 295 | 26 | 176 | 171 | 103 | 102 | 97 | 46 | 58 | 126 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | off | cross | off | off | cross | off | off | cross-on | off | off | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 8:18AM1.63m | 7:07PM2.25m | 8:46AM1.75m | 7:58PM2.29m | 9:14AM1.86m | 8:45PM2.27m | 9:42AM1.96m | 9:29PM2.19m | 10:10AM2.04m | 10:13PM2.04m | 10:38AM2.08m | 10:56PM1.86m | 11:06AM2.08m | 11:41PM1.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:01PM1.09m | 2:15AM0.11m | 1:54PM0.92m | 2:51AM0.11m | 2:41PM0.76m | 3:24AM0.17m | 3:26PM0.63m | 3:55AM0.29m | 4:10PM0.54m | 4:24AM0.45m | 4:53PM0.50m | 4:50AM0.63m | 5:38PM0.51m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — |
 | — | 7:10 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:04 | — | — | 7:02 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
Feels °C | 25 | 25 | 22 | 27 | 23 | 23 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | W 6 | SW 16 | SW 15 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | SW 13 | W 7 |
| kJ | 305 | 405 | 224 | 119 | 75 | 77 | 46 | 133 | 232 | 288 | 306 | 51 | 245 | 176 | 64 | 33 | 26 | 76 | 46 | 45 | 126 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 19 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SSW 8 | W 5 | W 6 | W 5 | SW 16 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WNW 10 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 249 | 35 | 149 | 104 | 96 | 68 | 93 | 28 | 17 | 21 | 14 | 295 | 26 | 25 | 171 | 103 | 102 | 97 | 46 | 18 | 44 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | W 11 | SSW 18 | W 4 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SSW 12 | SW 7 | S 11 | WSW 13 | W 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | W 12 | SW 19 | SW 19 |
| kJ | 36 | 2 | 31 | 6 | 50 | 94 | 91 | 51 | 17 | 16 | 27 | 9 | 9 | 17 | 17 | 36 | 35 | 15 | 25 | 58 | 57 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | W 3 | W 4 | W 4 | W 4 | W 4 | W 4 | W 4 | — | — | — | — | SE 3 | — | — | ESE 2 | — | — | — | W 7 | — |
| kJ | 4 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 22 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 33 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 6 | 31 | 15 | 62 | 117 | 9 | 41 | 148 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 0 | 2 | 148 | 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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