Indicator Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.78° N 118.43° W

Indicator Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 12 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Indicator sea temperature is
21.9° C
3.1° 

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


Indicator surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s period, SW swell with 193 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 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 Thursday (Aug 13) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Indicator in the next 16 days are 0.6m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 17s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Thu 13th Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 16s
Best Surf 2AM (Thu 13th Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 16s
Most Powerful 8PM (Thu 13th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for this stretch.

Right off the bat, I gotta tell ya, it's a tough outlook. We're looking at a long, frustrating gap with hardly anything worth paddling out for. The first real chance of a wave doesn't show up until late in the game. For the Indicator (reef and point) breaks, it's a waiting game. The water's already been *much* warmer than normal, with a reading of 71.4°F when we last had data, which is about 5.6°F above average for this time of year.

From the start of the period on August 12th, the swell is tiny and the wind is just junk. We get a few cleaner moments on the mornings of the 13th and 14th, with light cross-off winds and a small 1.6ft SW swell, but the energy is weak (130 and 104). It's surfable, but barely. You'd be fighting for scraps. Then from the 15th right through to the 26th, it's a wasteland. Day after day of poor surf conditions, messy winds, and flat to knee-high slop. There's a brief moment on the morning of the 19th with a clean offshore from the SSE, but it's on a pathetic 1.6ft swell. Not worth getting wet for.

The first time this forecast gets a little interesting is around August 23rd. On Sunday morning, we get clean conditions and a pulse of long-period SW groundswell (19 seconds) building the energy to 134, with 1.3ft waves. It's still tiny, but it's a start. The energy keeps building through the next few days. By the morning of August 27th, Thursday, things finally line up. We've got that ideal SW groundswell direction, a period of 14 seconds, and light offshore winds from the south at just 3 mph. The combined energy jumps to 320, a solid moderate reading. Swell height is a clean 2.0ft. This is the standout of the entire forecast. It'll be clean, glassy, and rideable. Given the long wait and a NW optimum direction, this sweet spot of swell and wind is a true bright light. Expect some crowds though, as it's a spot that can be popular.

The afternoon of the 27th sees the swell push up to 3.0ft with energy at 318, but the wind swings cross-shore and messes up the quality. The best chance for a proper session is definitely that Thursday morning. It's been a long drought, but that window looks worth setting the alarm for.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Wed afternoon, min 18°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Mon afternoon, min 20°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Wed
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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)
0.5
SW
16
0.5
SW
16
0.5
SW
16
0.3
SW
12
0.6
SW
15
0.5
SW
15
0.5
SW
14
0.5
W
5
0.5
W
5
0.5
W
5
1
W
6
0.8
W
6
0.8
W
5
1.1
W
6
0.8
W
6
0.8
W
6
1
W
7
0.7
W
6
0.6
W
8
0.5
W
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
127
125
124
24
188
104
103
10
12
11
64
41
35
91
50
53
91
39
50
18
Wind (km/h)
20
WSW
5
S
10
SSW
15
WSW
5
WSW
10
SW
20
W
5
WSW
10
WSW
20
W
5
SW
15
WSW
25
W
5
WSW
10
WSW
20
W
10
SSW
10
S
10
WSW
10
SE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
off
High Tide
9:39PM2.43m
10:56AM1.85m
10:24PM2.29m
11:29AM1.91m
11:09PM2.08m
12:03PM1.95m
11:55PM1.84m
12:36PM1.95m
00:45AM1.59m
1:12PM1.93m
1:49AM1.36m
1:53PM1.88m
3:42AM1.21m
Low Tide
3:30PM0.84m
4:34AM0.03m
4:20PM0.77m
5:07AM0.17m
5:09PM0.73m
5:39AM0.36m
6:01PM0.73m
6:08AM0.57m
6:58PM0.76m
6:35AM0.78m
8:04PM0.79m
6:57AM0.97m
9:30PM0.80m
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
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>
6:13
6:13
6:15
6:16
6:16
6:16
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:43
7:42
7:40
7:39
7:38
7:37
7:37
 mm
Temp °C
20
20
19
20
19
19
20
19
20
21
21
21
22
22
22
23
23
23
24
23
Feels °C
19
20
20
20
19
19
20
18
21
21
20
21
20
20
22
21
23
24
25
24
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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