Indicator Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.78° N 118.43° W

Indicator Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 am 19 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Indicator sea temperature is
20.8° C
2.0° 

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


Indicator surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 17s period, SW swell with 173 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 19s 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 (Aug 23) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 19s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Indicator in the next 16 days are 0.6m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) 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 0.7m 16s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Sun 23rd Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 19s
Best Surf 5AM (Tue 25th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 16s
Most Powerful 2AM (Tue 25th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming our way.

Honestly, I've got to be straight with you – the entire 16-day window is a flat, frustrating run of poor surf. There's not a single decent option on the table. It's a long stretch of nothing, and it starts right now and goes all the way through to the end of the forecast. We're talking about a gap with no real surf for the entire period.

The only spot we have any info on is a reef and point break that's fairly consistent for an intermediate like yourself, and it needs a swell from the NW to really get going. The water is sitting at 69°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that's about the only thing that's slightly out of the ordinary.

The problem is simple: no swell. For the first week, from Wednesday morning the 19th of August right through the weekend, we're looking at tiny, weak waves. The combined energy is pathetic, sometimes barely registering in the double digits – like 49 or 28 (combined energy of all swells directed here). The swell direction is mostly from the wrong way, and the period is all over the place, from a weak 6 seconds up to a long 19 seconds, but with no height, the period is irrelevant. It's just not happening.

The second week is a carbon copy. The energy stays low, with the combined energy values only occasionally creeping into the low triple digits, like 149 on the 23rd of August, but the quality is still described as poor. The wind is often cross-on or cross-shore, which doesn't help. By the end of the month, we see a few glassy mornings on the 30th of August and the 1st of September, but the swell is still tiny, around 2 ft to 3 ft from the west with a short 6-second period. It's clean, but there's just nothing to ride.

The only faint glimmer is on the very last day, the 3rd of September, where we get a 2 ft swell from the SW with a 15-second period and a combined energy of 136. That's a long-period groundswell, but again, it's tiny and the wind is cross-on. It's a long way off and nothing to get excited about.

Look, a few of these breaks are fairly consistent, so it's a bit of a shock to see such a blank run. But it happens. We just have to wait for the next storm track to set us up. This one's a washout.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Fri morning, min 19°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sun afternoon, min 21°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
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
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
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)
0.7
W
6
0.6
W
6
0.7
W
6
0.3
SW
19
0.4
W
5
0.4
W
5
0.3
SW
18
0.3
SW
18
0.3
SW
17
0.3
SW
18
0.3
SW
18
0.3
SW
19
0.4
SW
19
0.4
SW
18
0.4
SW
18
0.4
SW
18
0.4
SW
17
0.6
SW
17
0.5
SW
16
0.4
SW
16
0.5
SW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
33
24
32
56
14
9
50
49
47
50
50
58
127
111
112
111
100
173
132
91
124
Wind (km/h)
5
SSW
20
W
5
S
10
SSE
10
WSW
5
SE
10
S
15
W
5
S
5
SW
20
W
5
S
5
SW
20
W
5
SW
10
WSW
25
W
5
SSW
5
SW
25
W
5
W
Wind State
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
off
cross-off
cross-on
glassy
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
2:45PM1.83m
3:57PM1.81m
8:34AM1.36m
5:14PM1.84m
8:37AM1.43m
6:15PM1.92m
8:52AM1.49m
7:02PM2.01m
9:08AM1.54m
7:41PM2.10m
9:26AM1.60m
8:17PM2.17m
Low Tide
11:10PM0.74m
00:27AM0.64m
10:14AM1.35m
1:18AM0.53m
12:01PM1.32m
1:56AM0.42m
12:56PM1.25m
2:27AM0.34m
1:37PM1.16m
2:55AM0.27m
2:12PM1.06m
3:21AM0.24m
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:18
6:18
6:18
6:20
6:20
6:20
6:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:36
7:34
7:32
7:31
7:30
7:30
7:28
 mm
Temp °C
21
22
21
22
22
21
23
23
22
23
23
23
23
24
22
23
23
23
23
23
22
Feels °C
23
22
20
23
22
23
24
24
22
24
23
23
24
24
21
23
21
22
24
22
21
  • 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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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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