Surf Forecasts:
Indicators surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period, SSW swell with 612 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s 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 Saturday (Aug 08) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indicators in the next 16 days are 1.1m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 13s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicators over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this stretch isn’t going to be a classic. We’ve got a long, quiet run ahead for Indicators, a sheltered point break that needs a very specific WNW swell to light up, and that’s just not coming through in any meaningful way. The whole sixteen-day window is a bit of a write-off, to be honest. There’s a gap of nearly two weeks with no proper surf to recommend, just one morning that’s worth a mention.
The first surf we can even talk about isn’t until Tuesday morning, August 18th. That’s over a week away. The morning brings a change: glassy conditions with a light W breeze at 3 mph, and the water is a touch warmer than normal, sitting around 61°F (about 3°F above average for this time of year). You’ll find a small 3 ft swell from the SSW with a solid period of 15 seconds—that’s a proper groundswell, but the energy is moderate (446). The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions,” which is the only bright spot in the whole outlook. But it’s small, it’s a point break, and the swell direction is SSW, not the optimum WNW that Indicators really needs. So it’s a session for the longboard and a patient attitude, but it’s the cleanest wave you’ll see in this forecast.
The rest of the time? It’s poor. The first few days (August 8th through 11th) toss up tiny 2 ft to 4 ft swell with marginal or poor ratings, light cross-onshore winds, and a lot of “poor surf conditions” comments. That’s a kite-surfing setup more than a paddling one. Then from August 12th right through to August 23rd, it’s the same story: small, mixed-up swell, persistent cross-onshore winds, and energy levels that fluctuate between weak and moderate (the highest is 662 on the 15th, but that morning is still marginal). The only day that breaks the pattern is that Tuesday morning, August 18th. After that, it’s back to marginal and poor conditions for the rest of the window.
So, make the most of that one glassy Tuesday morning if you’re local and keen. Otherwise, this place is known for having these blank runs, and forecasts can change. But right now, there’s not much to shout about.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun morning, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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 17 | SSW 16 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 18 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 19 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 168 | 291 | 272 | 284 | 292 | 299 | 199 | 141 | 199 | 161 | 273 | 190 | 181 | 226 | 164 | 212 | 209 | 214 | 184 | 268 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 6:48PM1.87m | 10:10AM1.27m | 7:53PM1.92m | 10:46AM1.34m | 8:53PM1.95m | 11:21AM1.38m | 9:49PM1.93m | 11:54AM1.42m | 10:41PM1.85m | 12:27PM1.46m | 11:32PM1.72m | 12:58PM1.49m | 00:22AM1.55m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:23AM-0.21m | 1:50PM1.01m | 3:15AM-0.32m | 2:52PM0.91m | 4:02AM-0.38m | 3:47PM0.78m | 4:45AM-0.38m | 4:38PM0.65m | 5:25AM-0.30m | 5:30PM0.54m | 6:03AM-0.17m | 6:21PM0.45m | ||||||||
 |  | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — |
 | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 16 |
Feels °C | 19 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 168 | 291 | 272 | 284 | 292 | 299 | 199 | 141 | 199 | 161 | 151 | 190 | 181 | 144 | 151 | 121 | 96 | 52 | 183 | 268 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | WNW 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | SSW 18 |
| kJ | 56 | 50 | 259 | 169 | 167 | 160 | 143 | 101 | 56 | 116 | 273 | 119 | 175 | 226 | 164 | 212 | 209 | 138 | 51 | 249 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 18 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | WNW 8 |
| kJ | 14 | 82 | 36 | 13 | 24 | 24 | 98 | 96 | 93 | 124 | 25 | 28 | 98 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 36 | 214 | 184 | 47 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 2 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 |
| kJ | 88 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 10 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 104 | 313 | 0 | 125 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 144 | 0 | 79 | 37 | 37 | 41 | 166 | 14 | 26 | 79 | 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.
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