Surf Forecasts:
Indicators surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 7s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s period, SSW swell with 312 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 12s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 4s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indicators in the next 16 days are 0.8m 15s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 11AM. 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicators over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you—this 16-day stretch for Indicators is a tough one. The surf is pretty much a write-off for the first week and a half, with only a few glimmers of hope way out near the end. For a point break that’s sheltered and takes an optimum WNW swell, we just aren’t seeing the right size or clean conditions for a long time. Patience is the name of the game here.
Straight up, there’s nothing worth paddling for until Thursday morning, the 27th of August. The swell bumps up a little to 3 ft, with a nice long period of 15 seconds from the SSW, giving the water a moderate hum of energy (722). It’s still marginal, but it’s the first sign of life. The wind is near-glass, coming light and offshore from the WSW at 3 mph, so it’ll be clean. It’s an advanced spot, so you’ll need your wits about you, and the place can get crowded, so expect company.
From there we get a few days of marginal wave action through Friday the 28th into Saturday the 29th. Swell holds around 3 ft to 3 ft, periods dropping to 13–18 seconds still from the SSW. Energy is moderate to strong (up to 927). Winds remain light and offshore, so the surface will be tidy. It’s nothing spectacular, just a few small, clean lines for the experienced crew.
Now, Sunday the 30th of August brings a bigger pulse. The morning shows 6 ft of NW swell with a short period of 9 seconds. Combined energy jumps to a strong 1203, so there’s plenty of water moving. The wind is light and offshore again, so it could be punchy. But the swell direction is NW, which isn’t the optimum WNW for this break, and the period is short and messy. Honestly, at this size and with that short period, it’s going to be a bit of a bumpy, heaving mess. Probably more fun for the kite crew than a proper paddle session.
The standout, the one to circle on your calendar, is Tuesday afternoon, the 1st of September. We finally get a decent combo: 5 ft of WNW groundswell, which is bang-on for the break’s optimum direction. Period is short at 8 seconds, but the wind goes glassy—dead calm, 3 mph from the WSW. That’s a massive positive. The energy reading is moderate at 497. It’s not huge, but for this spot, with clean, glassy conditions and the right angle, that’s the pick of the entire forecast. The water temp is sitting at 61°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so not a shock to the system.
A few more days of similar, small WNW swell roll through into the first week of September, but nothing that really jumps out. Winds stay light and offshore, so it’ll stay clean, but the size and quality remain marginal.
Overall, it’s a long wait. The first 6–7 days give you nothing. Then a small, clean window from the 27th of August through the 29th, then the best bet is that glassy Tuesday afternoon on the 1st of September. After that, it fades again. A dry spell for sure, but for a sheltered point like this, a couple of clean days are worth waiting for.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sat afternoon, min 14°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 17 | NW 7 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
173 | 236 | 183 | 105 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 111 | 158 | 144 | 86 | 157 | 155 | 147 | 193 | 184 | 130 | 124 | 169 | 124 | 202 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 8:24AM1.07m | 4:35PM1.53m | 9:22AM1.18m | 5:34PM1.53m | 9:57AM1.25m | 6:37PM1.55m | 10:24AM1.28m | 7:34PM1.58m | 10:46AM1.29m | 8:23PM1.62m | 11:04AM1.28m | 9:08PM1.62m | 11:20AM1.29m | 9:49PM1.61m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:39AM1.04m | 00:41AM0.26m | 12:15PM1.10m | 1:40AM0.19m | 1:24PM1.09m | 2:29AM0.11m | 2:15PM1.02m | 3:08AM0.03m | 2:56PM0.94m | 3:42AM-0.03m | 3:32PM0.85m | 4:12AM-0.07m | 4:05PM0.75m | 4:38AM-0.07m | |||||||
6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
— | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 22 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 24 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 17 |
Feels °C | 19 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | SSW 12 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | S 14 | WNW 8 | SSW 17 | S 13 | S 13 | S 15 | S 14 | WNW 8 |
173 | 236 | 183 | 91 | 65 | 99 | 99 | 65 | 105 | 110 | 51 | 108 | 105 | 150 | 55 | 184 | 87 | 125 | 210 | 334 | 202 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | S 14 | S 14 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | S 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | S 14 |
40 | 109 | 93 | 105 | 99 | 60 | 39 | 111 | 98 | 144 | 83 | 106 | 153 | 147 | 193 | 126 | 130 | 124 | 169 | 124 | 439 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 12 | SW 19 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | S 10 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 11 | S 13 | WNW 7 | WSW 16 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | W 13 | W 12 |
107 | 15 | 15 | 81 | 79 | 30 | 61 | 2 | 50 | 94 | 84 | 157 | 155 | 11 | 90 | 31 | 50 | 26 | 23 | 55 | 46 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | WNW 4 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | NW 4 | NW 4 | NW 5 | WNW 5 | NW 7 | — | WNW 7 | — | — | WNW 8 | — | — | WNW 7 | — | — | WNW 8 | — |
77 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 26 | 9 | 19 | 59 | 158 | — | 86 | — | — | 75 | — | — | 28 | — | — | 103 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 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.











