
Surf Forecasts:
Indicators surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period, SSW swell with 453 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 14s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Indicators this week:
The surf forecast for Indicators over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 14s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indicators in the next 16 days are 0.9m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 13s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicators over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut to it—this stretch is going to test your patience. For the next couple of weeks, the surf is looking pretty average, with small, short-period swell and onshore winds messing things up. But there are a couple of windows where it all comes together, and you’ll want to be on it.
The first real chance, and honestly the best of the whole stretch, is Saturday the 19th, first thing in the morning. Glassy conditions with a light offshore breeze, and a 2ft swell from the SSW with an 18-second period. That’s a proper groundswell, and at the Indicators (Point), that long period is going to wrap in nicely. The energy is moderate, and with the glass, it’ll be clean. This is a point break that’s fairly consistent, and with that long-period swell, it’s the standout. It’s an advanced wave, so not for the beginners. If the crowds are out, you know why.
Before that, there’s a whole lot of nothing. From the 7th through the 18th, it’s mostly poor to marginal. Swell direction is all over the place, and the periods are either too short or the winds are junk. There’s a brief window on the morning of the 8th with glass, but it’s only 1ft and weak. Not worth the effort. The 13th morning has a bit more size at 4ft, but it’s a short-period WNW windswell, so it’ll be messy. You’ll be waiting.
The second good window, and it’s a promising one, is the morning of Monday the 21st. Again, glassy conditions with a light offshore breeze. The swell is a touch bigger at 3ft, from the SW with an 18-second period. The energy is building and this has the potential to be another clean session at the Indicators. Not quite as perfect as the 19th, but close.
The morning of the 22nd is worth a look too. Glassy again, with a 2ft SW swell at 16 seconds. Another chance for clean waves, though the period is a bit shorter, so the quality might be a notch down.
After that, the second week is a write-off—small, windy, and messy. Afternoons are all cross-on and choppy. Not worth it.
The water is sitting at 61°F, which is about normal for this time of year.
So, mark your calendar for the morning of the 19th and the morning of the 21st. Those are your best bets. It’s a waiting game, but the clean conditions with that long-period groundswell should make it worth it. Until then, it’s going to be a bit of a grind.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, fresh winds from the WNW by Sat afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NW 7 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
50 | 37 | 80 | 80 | 69 | 148 | 309 | 267 | 368 | 437 | 430 | 430 | 331 | 314 | 305 | 292 | 224 | 232 | 199 | 157 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 7:51PM1.77m | 10:09AM1.41m | 8:53PM1.76m | 10:40AM1.46m | 9:49PM1.71m | 11:09AM1.50m | 10:42PM1.62m | 11:37AM1.54m | 11:33PM1.51m | 12:04PM1.56m | 00:23AM1.38m | 12:30PM1.57m | 1:16AM1.26m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:02PM0.87m | 2:56AM-0.20m | 2:57PM0.69m | 3:39AM-0.20m | 3:46PM0.51m | 4:18AM-0.13m | 4:32PM0.36m | 4:54AM-0.02m | 5:17PM0.24m | 5:28AM0.15m | 6:01PM0.17m | 6:01AM0.34m | 6:44PM0.15m | |||||||
— | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
7:28 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:19 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 17 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 30 | 32 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 21 | 20 | 24 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 17 |
Feels °C | 21 | 18 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 28 | 30 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | WNW 9 | SW 15 | WNW 8 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | SSW 13 | SW 13 |
503 | 451 | 295 | 248 | 198 | 94 | 309 | 267 | 368 | 437 | 430 | 168 | 331 | 166 | 305 | 211 | 131 | 232 | 118 | 85 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | SSW 19 | S 9 | S 9 | WNW 12 | SSW 10 | WNW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 7 | SW 15 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SSW 13 | WSW 11 | SW 19 |
13 | 37 | 60 | 39 | 28 | 148 | 61 | 64 | 127 | 111 | 146 | 430 | 9 | 309 | 35 | 34 | 29 | 120 | 23 | 92 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | WNW 4 | S 9 | W 21 | SSW 8 | SSW 7 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 21 | WSW 11 | SSW 20 | WSW 10 |
37 | 34 | 80 | 80 | 69 | 103 | 64 | 8 | 60 | 9 | 39 | 18 | 50 | 72 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 37 | 10 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 10 | NW 7 | WNW 5 | WNW 12 | NW 8 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | WNW 7 | WNW 7 |
50 | — | — | — | — | — | 94 | 54 | 17 | 177 | 84 | 243 | 221 | 314 | 203 | 292 | 224 | — | 199 | 157 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 121 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Cruz | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Indicators Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Indicators provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Indicators can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Indicators 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 (Indicators) 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 Indicators 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.
Indicators is 3 km (2 miles) from Santa Cruz. If you plan a vacation in Santa Cruz, look for hotels and other accommodation in Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










