Indicators Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.95° N 122.03° W

Issued: 4 pm 04 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Indicators sea temperature is
15.7° C

2.4°C warmer than normal for this time of year

Indicators surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Indicators surf forecast from 5 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 7 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 20s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 9s period, NW swell with 910 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 4 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 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 Saturday (Jul 04) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m 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 2.4m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 20s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 08) at 2PM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Sat 4th Jul)2.5ft (0.7m) 14s
Best Surf 5AM (Tue 7th Jul)3ft (0.9m) 20s
Most Powerful11PM (Thu 9th Jul)8ft (2.4m) 9s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicators over the next 16 days.


Updates in  hr  min  s Forecast update imminent

G’day, Rusty here.

Look, we’ve got a tricky stretch ahead. The first few days are a write-off, with nothing worth paddling out for. The swell is weak and the wind is all wrong. The real action doesn’t start until Wednesday the 8th of July, and even then it’s a mixed bag. We’re looking at Indicators, a point break that’s for advanced surfers only – it’s fairly consistent but the optimum swell direction is WNW, and we’re getting a lot of SSW swell, which is a mismatch. The water temperature is sitting at 60°F, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, so that’s something to note.

The first hint of something rideable comes on Wednesday the 8th of July in the afternoon. The wind goes glassy, and we’ve got a 1.1m (4ft) SSW swell with a 16-second period. That’s a long-period groundswell, which means good shape and energy, but it’s breaking straight at a beach setup. The combined energy is 877 (moderate). It’s still marginal, but that glassy wind is a massive plus for clean waves.

Heading into Thursday the 9th of July, the swell jumps up to 2.1m (7ft) from the NW on the morning, with a short 9-second period. That combined energy is 1553 (strong). This is expert territory – over 2.5m (8ft) for the best of it, and that short period will make it punchy and dangerous. The wind is onshore, so it’s messy. The afternoon drops to 2.0m (7ft) WNW, still expert-only, with cross-on wind.

Friday the 10th of July sees a 1.9m (6ft) NW swell, still short period at 9 seconds, energy at 1326 (strong). Onshore wind again. This is not a fun paddle.

The standout in the whole window? It’s got to be Monday the 13th of July. We’ve got a 1.5m (5ft) WNW swell, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s a bit gutless. The combined energy is 434 (moderate). The big win is the glassy conditions in the afternoon. Clean, smooth water. It’s not a huge swell, but for a point break, that short period won’t hurt as much. Crowds are often, so you’ll have company.

The second week is a bit of a blur. Tuesday the 14th of July has a 1.6m (5ft) NW swell in the morning, but it’s onshore. The afternoon goes glassy with a 1.3m (4ft) WNW swell, energy at 390 (moderate). Surfable, but ordinary. After that, Wednesday and Thursday are poor, with small 1.1m (4ft) to 1.2m (4ft) WNW swell and cross-on wind. The 16th of July brings a 0.6m (2ft) W swell with a very long 19-second period, energy at 634 (moderate). That’s a groundswell, but tiny. The 17th has a similar story – 0.7m (2ft) W swell, 17-second period, good for a point break but too small. The rest of the week is the same: small, long-period W and SSW swell, weak energy, and onshore wind. Nothing to get excited about.

If you’re a kite surfer, the strong winds and short-period swell around the 9th to 11th of July might look interesting, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a tough run.

Best bet: Wednesday the 8th of July afternoon for the glassy conditions, or Monday the 13th of July afternoon for the cleanest waves. The 13th is the pick of the bunch.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Sat
4
Sunday
5
Monday
6
Tuesday
7
Wednesday
8
Thursday
9
Friday
10
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
2
1
0
2
2
2
2
2
1
3
2
1
2
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
SSW
14
0.6
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
18
0.7
SSW
18
0.5
SSW
18
0.9
SSW
16
0.7
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
20
0.7
SSW
19
0.9
SSW
18
1
SSW
18
1.1
SSW
17
1.1
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
2.1
NW
9
2
WNW
9
2.3
NW
9
1.9
NW
9
0.8
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
15
1.7
NW
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
218
140
273
273
174
407
226
544
332
454
596
681
597
499
673
591
808
572
290
255
400
Wind (km/h)
15
SW
0
W
10
SW
15
WSW
5
NW
10
WSW
15
W
5
NNW
10
W
10
WNW
5
NNW
10
W
5
WNW
0
N
10
W
5
W
0
NW
5
WSW
10
SW
5
SE
5
SW
Wind State
cross-on
glassy
on
on
glassy
on
on
cross
on
cross-on
glassy
on
glassy
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
on
on
glassy
cross-on
High Tide
3:07PM1.29m
1:32AM1.29m
3:35PM1.37m
2:29AM1.14m
4:07PM1.45m
3:43AM0.99m
4:43PM1.56m
5:25AM0.90m
5:25PM1.66m
7:37AM0.92m
6:13PM1.77m
9:19AM1.04m
7:05PM1.87m
10:22AM1.17m
Low Tide
8:07PM0.84m
8:10AM0.05m
9:15PM0.73m
8:44AM0.21m
10:29PM0.58m
9:23AM0.40m
11:39PM0.38m
10:11AM0.60m
00:42AM0.16m
11:15AM0.78m
1:40AM-0.05m
12:31PM0.91m
2:34AM-0.25m
1:43PM0.98m
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:54
5:54
5:54
5:54
5:56
5:56
5:56
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:30
8:30
8:30
8:30
8:30
8:30
8:29
8:29
 mm
Temp °C
18
15
17
19
16
17
20
16
18
23
18
19
22
18
20
22
18
19
21
16
18
Feels °C
17
14
16
17
15
16
18
15
17
22
17
17
20
18
19
20
18
18
20
16
17
Swell 1
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
WNW
8
0.8
WNW
8
0.8
WNW
8
0.8
WNW
8
0.8
WNW
8
0.9
SSW
16
0.7
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
20
0.8
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
18
1
SSW
18
1.1
SSW
17
1.1
SSW
16
1.6
WNW
9
1.6
WNW
9
0.9
SSW
16
1.7
WNW
9
1.6
WNW
9
0.8
SSW
15
1.3
WNW
8
1.3
WNW
8
Energy kJ
84
82
86
84
84
407
226
544
273
454
596
681
597
355
381
402
449
372
256
255
243
Swell 2
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
SSW
14
0.6
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
18
0.7
SSW
18
0.5
SSW
18
0.8
WNW
8
0.6
WNW
12
0.7
SSW
16
0.7
SSW
19
0.7
SSW
15
0.6
SSW
15
0.4
SSW
19
0.3
S
19
1
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
16
0.1
S
11
0.8
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
15
Energy kJ
218
140
273
273
174
75
96
226
332
191
142
123
66
499
499
387
382
2
242
242
Swell 3
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
SSW
19
0.4
SSW
19
0.4
SSW
13
0.5
SSW
13
0.5
SSW
13
0.5
SSW
21
0.4
SSW
21
0.3
SSW
12
0.2
S
8
0.1
S
8
0.4
WNW
10
0.4
SSW
19
0.3
SW
13
0.1
S
21
Energy kJ
148
124
69
99
101
260
178
28
5
1
42
123
27
9
Wind waves
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
WNW
8
1.1
WNW
12
1.1
WNW
11
1.4
WNW
5
1.2
NW
7
1.3
WNW
8
1.5
WNW
8
2.1
NW
9
2
WNW
9
2.3
NW
9
1.9
NW
9
1.4
WNW
8
1.7
NW
8
Energy kJ
100
330
286
98
160
232
280
673
591
808
572
290
400
Nearest Offshore or Glassy
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
3
1
1
2
1
2
2
2
2
1
2
2
3
2
3
3
3
2
3
Distance (km)
144
0
219
0
0
104
0
0
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
305
0
125
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Cruz
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
2
1
4
2
2
3
1
3
3
3
2
4
3
3
Best forecast wave conditions in United States
Rating
(10 max)
2
3
3
2
3
2
2
4
2
2
4
2
3
4
3
2
4
3
4
4
3
Header Global
Rating
(10 max)
5
9
7
5
6
8
7
5
5
9
8
9
9
5
5
5
5
8
7
6
8
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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