Surf Forecasts:
Indicators surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 18s period, SSW swell with 983 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 19s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indicators in the next 16 days are 1.3m 18s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 12s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 19s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicators over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the Indicators region over the next couple of weeks.
First off, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. The models are showing a lot of marginal conditions, and for the first several days, it's pretty grim. We're looking at a long gap of really poor to unsurfable conditions from now until around the end of August.
The first real glimmer of hope doesn't come until the morning of Wednesday, September 2nd. The swell is tiny, only about 2ft, but it's coming from the SW with a solid 17-second period. The real kicker here is the glassy wind. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year at 62°, so a spring suit will be fine. It's not going to be a big day, but if you're desperate for a glide, the glassy conditions will make it look a lot better than it is.
The real standout, the one to circle on the calendar, is the morning of Friday, September 11th. The forecast shows a small but clean 3ft SSW groundswell, with a 15-second period. But the wind is forecast to be glassy – absolute perfection. The combined energy is moderate at 456, but the conditions are what make it. This is the best on offer. It's a point break here at Indicators, so that long-period swell will wrap in nicely and offer some proper lines. The crowds are said to be "often" here, so be prepared to share the wave, but with conditions this good, it'll be worth it.
Other than that, there are a few mornings with a light offshore breeze, like Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th of September, with 3ft SW swell, but the energy is weak and the period is dropping. They're just okay, not standouts. The swell stays small all the way through, rarely pushing over 3ft. The second week is patchy and quiet, with nothing else really firing.
So, bottom line: if you can wait for that Friday the 11th, you'll be rewarded. The rest is a bit of a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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 17 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 336 | 387 | 486 | 823 | 505 | 688 | 554 | 411 | 400 | 325 | 226 | 154 | 154 | 116 | 96 | 137 | 103 | 204 | 322 | 402 | 486 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 11:54AM1.36m | 11:10PM1.51m | 12:15PM1.43m | 11:54PM1.42m | 12:38PM1.51m | 00:42AM1.32m | 1:06PM1.58m | 1:38AM1.21m | 1:39PM1.66m | 2:48AM1.11m | 2:19PM1.70m | 4:27AM1.04m | 3:09PM1.73m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:11PM0.53m | 5:28AM0.06m | 5:47PM0.43m | 5:53AM0.19m | 6:27PM0.33m | 6:20AM0.35m | 7:14PM0.25m | 6:48AM0.54m | 8:09PM0.20m | 7:19AM0.73m | 9:15PM0.16m | 7:56AM0.91m | 10:34PM0.12m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — |
 | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 26 | 21 | 19 | 24 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 24 | 18 |
Feels °C | 19 | 24 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | SSW 19 | WNW 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 17 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 18 |
| kJ | 108 | 387 | 96 | 823 | 505 | 165 | 170 | 128 | 138 | 153 | 89 | 44 | 154 | 116 | 96 | 137 | 119 | 163 | 251 | 239 | 486 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SW 14 | SSW 18 | WNW 8 | S 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | S 13 |
| kJ | 336 | 91 | 486 | 138 | 13 | 688 | 554 | 411 | 400 | 325 | 226 | 154 | 47 | 41 | 80 | 90 | 103 | 204 | 322 | 402 | 209 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | — | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 14 | S 13 | NW 8 | SW 18 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSW 20 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 11 | NW 11 |
| kJ | 58 | 31 | 27 | 15 | — | 6 | 6 | 2 | 18 | 17 | 69 | 86 | 20 | 50 | 40 | 34 | 39 | 54 | 30 | 56 | 117 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 | — | WNW 10 | NW 4 | — | — | WNW 3 | — |
| kJ | 178 | 127 | 144 | 193 | 169 | 276 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | — | 61 | 21 | — | — | 6 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 470 | 37 | 0 | 192 | 345 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 104 | 345 | 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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