
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: Tuesday 15 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 9s period, NW swell with 749 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 19s 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 Wednesday (Sep 09) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 19s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indicators in the next 16 days are 2.2m 9s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 11s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 19s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicators over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, let’s get into it. It’s a slow grind to start, so don’t be rushing to the beach just yet. We’ve got a long window here, and the real treasure is buried at the end of it. Let’s take it day by day.
For the next few days, it’s flat and weak. The energy in the water is pretty pathetic, with readings in the 100 to 200 range (moderate wave energy at best). Tuesday and Wednesday mornings will have some clean, glassy conditions, but the swell is tiny – around 1ft – and the wind is light or calm. It’s rideable, but you’ll be scratching for anything. The water temp is 61°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, so that’s a small silver lining.
From Thursday through the following Monday, the swell picks up a little, but it gets messy. We’ve got some 3ft to 3ft waves coming from the SSW, but the wind will be on it or cross-onshore, making things lumpy and choppy. That Thursday morning session might be the pick of this bunch – light winds and a bit more push – but it’s still pretty ho-hum. The period is around 17 seconds, which is a long-period groundswell, but there’s not enough size to get excited about. This stretch tests your patience.
The weekend is a write-off for quality. Saturday afternoon gets hit with a fresh cross-onshore breeze at 19 mph, which will chop up the 5ft of swell. It’s all over the place. A good day for the kites, honestly. Sunday is similar – a bit of size, but the wind is still cross-onshore and the period has dropped to 6-8 seconds, which is just junky.
Then we hit a real dead zone. From the 15th to the 20th, it’s pretty bleak. Small waves, poor conditions, and almost no energy in the water. There might be a couple of glassy mornings, but the swell is just too small to matter. You’re looking at a solid week of not much.
Now, let’s talk about the light at the end of the tunnel. Circle Monday, the 21st on your calendar. That’s when things start to turn. We’ve got a clean 3ft southwest swell with glassy conditions in the morning. The energy is starting to build – we’re looking at 749 (moderate wave energy). That’s a decent little wave, and with the offshore wind, it’s going to be clean. This is the first day that’s really worth getting up for.
The best is saved for last. Wednesday the 23rd is the standout of the entire 16-day period. We’ve got a proper swell kicking in from the WNW, pushing 6ft in the morning and 6ft in the afternoon. The period is a solid 13 seconds, which means it’s got some serious punch behind it. The combined energy is massive – 1292 – which is strong, very strong wave energy. The wind is light and cross-onshore, which isn’t perfect, but it’s manageable.
This is the one to chase. But keep in mind, this spot, Indicators, is a point break that’s fairly consistent and works best on a WNW swell. It’s an advanced wave, and at 6ft, it’s pushing into expert territory. It’s a bit sheltered, so it might hold onto the swell better than some open beaches. The crowd factor is a concern – it’s often busy, so get there early. This is a long-range call, so there’s some uncertainty, but it’s looking like the best bet by a long shot.
So, to sum it up: don’t bother with the first week. It’s all about waiting for that pulse on the 23rd.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | 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 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | NW 6 | NW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | NW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
80 | 80 | 69 | 148 | 309 | 267 | 453 | 481 | 430 | 425 | 335 | 355 | 305 | 211 | 158 | 120 | 147 | 273 | 163 | 251 | 749 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 12:56PM1.57m | 2:16AM1.15m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 6:33AM0.55m | 7:29PM0.16m | ||||||||
6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
— | 7:25 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:19 | — | — | 7:16 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 25 | 23 | 30 | 33 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 19 | 19 | 23 | 16 | 17 | 22 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 16 |
Feels °C | 22 | 23 | 21 | 28 | 30 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | 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 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 |
295 | 248 | 198 | 98 | 309 | 267 | 453 | 481 | 430 | 161 | 335 | 202 | 305 | 211 | 158 | 120 | 118 | 160 | 163 | 251 | 486 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 7 | SSW 19 | S 9 | S 9 | WNW 12 | S 9 | WNW 11 | SSW 16 | NW 9 | SW 15 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | NW 10 | WSW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 17 | SW 17 |
60 | 39 | 27 | 148 | 61 | 43 | 129 | 39 | 149 | 425 | 43 | 309 | 35 | 34 | 29 | 16 | 23 | 85 | 43 | 107 | 107 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | WNW 5 | S 9 | SW 10 | SSW 8 | SSW 7 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | S 10 | S 10 | NW 11 | WSW 11 | SSW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
80 | 80 | 69 | 103 | 64 | 9 | 39 | 27 | 38 | 10 | 51 | 71 | 7 | 7 | 30 | 24 | 37 | 92 | 78 | 42 | 38 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | NW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 12 | NW 7 | — | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 7 | NW 6 | WNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 7 | — | — | NW 9 |
— | — | — | — | 15 | 18 | 18 | 177 | 84 | — | 166 | 355 | 154 | 193 | 91 | 85 | 147 | 273 | — | — | 749 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 86 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 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.










