
Surf Forecasts:
Indicators surf forecast from 6 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 6 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 20s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 9s period, NW swell with 931 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 6 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 18s 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 Monday (Jul 06) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 18s 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 2.4m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) 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 0.4m 20s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 08) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 6th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Mon 6th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 20s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (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
Hey, Rusty here. Let’s look at the Indicators stretch. It’s a bit of a mixed bag for the next two weeks, but there are a few diamonds in the rough if you know what you’re looking for.
Right off the bat, the early days are a tough watch. You’ve got small SSW groundswell rolling through, with wave heights around 2ft to 4ft. The period is long – 16 to 19 seconds – so that’s real groundswell, full of potential, but the wind is blowing onshore or cross-onshore consistently. That’s making everything bumpy and messy. The water is sitting at 61°, which is a huge 5° warmer than normal for July. That is a very unusual warm anomaly, you won’t need a full wetsuit. The combined swell energy is moderate to strong, reading 454 on Sunday afternoon and climbing to 742 by Monday morning.
Tuesday the 7th sees the swell hold around 2ft to 3ft, but the wind swings cross-onshore in the afternoon, with a combined energy reading of 1078 (strong). Still marginal, but you can see the pattern shifting. Wednesday the 8th is similar – 4ft waves, strong energy at 1160, but the wind is just light cross-onshore. It’s frustrating because the swell is there, the power is there, but the surface is holding it back.
Here’s where it gets a little wild. Thursday the 9th, a 8ft NW windswell hits in the morning, with a short period of 9 seconds. That’s a lot of water in a short time, very strong at 1892 on the energy scale. This is expert-only territory, and with the cross-onshore wind, it won’t be clean. Friday the 10th keeps the size up around 7ft from the NW in the morning, dropping through the afternoon.
The standout opportunity for the strong swimmers and experienced surfers lands on Thursday, July 16. The morning shows a 7ft NW swell with a combined energy of 1448, and the wind is finally light onshore, not cross-onshore. The period is short at 9 seconds, so it’s going to be a steep, powerful drop. This is the biggest and best combination of size and clean-ish conditions for the whole forecast.
After that peak, the second week mellow out. From Friday the 17th, a new, longer-period SW groundswell arrives (17 seconds). The waves drop to just 2ft, but that long period means they’ll be glassy and fun, especially on the sets. The wind is light or variable, so Sunday the 19th morning, with a 2ft swell and clean conditions, could actually be the most user-friendly day for a log or a mid-length. By Monday the 20th, the swell bumps back up to 4ft, but quality takes a hit.
So, for the regular surfer, target the clean, small days around the 17th to the 19th. For the experts, circle July 16. The gap from the 5th to the 9th is rough, but it won’t stay quiet forever.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sun 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | NW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
273 | 174 | 407 | 226 | 544 | 332 | 454 | 596 | 681 | 597 | 826 | 885 | 435 | 880 | 760 | 389 | 331 | 242 | 249 | 249 | 233 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on |
High Tide | 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 | 8:01PM1.95m | 11:09AM1.26m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:26AM-0.41m | ||||||||
— | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | |
8:30 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:29 | — | 8:28 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 18 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | NW 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | WNW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 16 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 15 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 |
82 | 67 | 407 | 226 | 285 | 273 | 454 | 596 | 681 | 597 | 459 | 508 | 402 | 531 | 435 | 256 | 331 | 192 | 161 | 120 | 126 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | WNW 8 | WNW 12 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 19 | S 19 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
273 | 174 | 75 | 82 | 544 | 332 | 191 | 142 | 124 | 66 | 499 | 499 | 402 | 387 | 348 | 2 | 242 | 242 | 249 | 249 | 233 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 21 | SSW 21 | SSW 16 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 19 | — | SW 13 | — | — | — | — | — | S 21 | W 18 | S 20 | W 16 | SSW 18 |
99 | 101 | 260 | 178 | 226 | 5 | 1 | 142 | 123 | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 61 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — | NW 8 |
— | — | — | 73 | 167 | 286 | 433 | 193 | 232 | 339 | 826 | 885 | 435 | 880 | 760 | 389 | — | — | — | — | 221 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 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.











