
Surf Forecasts:
Indicator surf forecast from 30 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 4 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 14s period, SW swell with 73 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 8AM (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 Tuesday (Aug 04) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m 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 0.4m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) 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 0.8m 13s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicator over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is gonna be a tough one to call. Indicator is a reef and point set-up that can handle a bit of direction, but the truth is, the next 16 days are looking flat. There’s really nothing on the cards that’s worth paddling out for. The whole run is a write-off for any decent surf.
We start off on Thursday, July 30th with tiny 1ft of weak, short-period wind swell. The water is a warm 72°, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s the only highlight. The wind is light and cross, but the waves are just too small and weak - the combined energy is a measly 10 (ten). That’s a no-go.
Friday the 31st is more of the same, with a 2ft swell in the morning, though the combined energy creeps up to 16 (sixteen). The afternoon brings a 1ft swell with a very long period of 15 seconds, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. Not worth a look.
The first weekend of August is a real bummer. Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd both have tiny 2ft swells. The mornings are clean with light cross-offshore winds, but there’s just no power behind it. The combined energy barely reaches 30 (thirty). You’d be floating around waiting for a ripple.
The pattern continues through the first week of August. The mornings are often clean, but the swell stays tiny and weak. From Monday the 3rd through to Sunday the 9th, the highest combined energy we see is 87 (eighty-seven) on Friday the 7th morning, with a 2ft swell. The swell direction is from the SW, which is not the optimum NW direction for this spot. It’s a frustrating stretch.
Then, in the second week, things get a bit weird. We get a pulse of energy on Tuesday the 11th afternoon, with a combined energy of 153 (one hundred and fifty-three) from a 1ft swell with a very long 18-second period. But the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, so it’ll be choppy. Wednesday the 12th morning has a 2ft swell and a combined energy of 193 (one hundred and ninety-three), again with a long period, but it’s cross-onshore. The biggest energy comes on Thursday the 13th, with a 2ft swell and a combined energy of 237 (two hundred and thirty-seven) in the afternoon. But again, the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, and the swell direction is SW, not the ideal NW. The period is 16 seconds, which is a long groundswell, but at a beach break or a point, that long period can make it break a bit straight, and with the onshore wind, it’s not going to be pretty.
The last day in the outlook, Friday the 14th of August, is a clean morning with a 2ft swell and a light offshore wind, but the combined energy is only 32 (thirty-two). It’s just too small.
Honestly, there’s no standout in this whole forecast. The only real energy we see arrives around the 11th to 13th of August, but the wind is wrong and the swell direction is off. For a reef and point that likes NW swell, this SW wind swell is a poor fit. With the onshore chop and the long period making the waves fat, this set-up looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The water is warm, but the waves are just not there. It’s a tough one, but forecasts can always change. Keep an eye on it.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Fri afternoon, min 19°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sun morning, min 20°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 6 | W 5 | W 5 | W 6 | SW 15 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 6 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
10 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 33 | 25 | 30 | 18 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 60 | 56 | 73 | 70 | 70 | 69 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 11:20AM1.62m | 10:17PM2.17m | 11:45AM1.67m | 10:51PM2.06m | 12:12PM1.72m | 11:27PM1.90m | 12:39PM1.78m | 00:09AM1.71m | 1:11PM1.84m | 1:01AM1.50m | 1:50PM1.90m | 2:20AM1.30m | 2:41PM1.96m | 4:37AM1.19m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:12PM1.01m | 5:19AM0.27m | 4:52PM0.99m | 5:43AM0.37m | 5:36PM0.97m | 6:07AM0.49m | 6:27PM0.94m | 6:31AM0.64m | 7:30PM0.91m | 6:57AM0.79m | 8:51PM0.85m | 7:27AM0.94m | 10:28PM0.73m | ||||||||
6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
— | 7:54 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:50 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
Feels °C | 21 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 13 | W 6 | W 6 | SSW 13 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 13 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
215 | 193 | 213 | 269 | 166 | 25 | 30 | 137 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 42 | 16 | 15 | 56 | 73 | 70 | 70 | 69 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | W 6 | SW 15 | S 11 | SSW 13 | W 6 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 12 | WSW 6 | W 6 | SSW 11 | W 4 |
138 | 128 | 72 | 16 | 33 | 57 | 139 | 18 | 35 | 16 | 45 | 44 | 43 | 41 | 38 | 60 | 38 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | — | W 5 | — | — | SW 14 | S 9 | W 10 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SSW 9 | SSW 12 | SW 16 | S 11 | SW 16 | SW 12 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SW 20 |
10 | — | 9 | — | — | 52 | 15 | 7 | 46 | 47 | 16 | 28 | 42 | 9 | 41 | 37 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 3 | 15 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 5 | — | — | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 6 | — |
— | 9 | — | — | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | — | — | 18 | — | — | 10 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 166 | 117 | 1 | 117 | 117 | 2 | 1 | 62 | 2 | 2 | 62 | 2 | 2 | 62 | 2 | 2 | 117 | 2 | 2 | 72 | 4 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Los Angeles County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











