Surf Forecasts:
Indicators surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SSW swell with 877 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 1.3m and 7s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Indicators in the next 16 days are 1.2m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 13s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicators over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty bleak for decent waves around Indicators. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and mostly junky surf, with only a couple of brief windows that might get you interested.
The pattern for the next 16 days is dominated by a persistent, but weak, SSW swell. The problem is the wind – it’s mostly onshore or cross-onshore, which is messing up what little energy we have. The water temp is sitting at 62°F, which is about 3°F warmer than the usual for this time of year. That’s a touch warmer than normal, a nice little bonus if you’re in a wetsuit.
Starting this Friday afternoon, the 28th, it’s pretty ordinary. We’ve got 2ft of SSW swell with a long 19-second period, but the WNW wind is making it a cross-on mess. The combined energy is moderate at 587, but with those conditions, it’s not worth paddling out for much. The surf is poor.
Saturday the 29th starts off with a bit more size – 4ft at 18 seconds – and a clean offshore west wind. The energy bumps up to 968. This is about as good as it’s going to get for a while. It’s still only a marginal call, but the early morning glass could be a fun, if not great, session on the points. As the day goes on, the wind swings WNW and picks up to 12 mph, chopping it all up for the afternoon.
Sunday the 30th has a similar story. The morning has 4ft of SSW swell with a clean west wind, making it another marginal but possible window. But by the afternoon, it’s onshore and the energy drops. We then fall into a real slump.
From Monday the 31st all the way through to Wednesday the 9th of September, the swell just fades away. We’re looking at surf mostly under 3ft, weak energy readings often in the 200s and 300s, and wind that’s either light onshore or cross-onshore. This period is basically a write-off. There’s nothing rideable here that I’d get out of bed for.
A few more of these marginal calls pop up around the 4th and 5th of September, with the swell back up to 3ft, but the wind is still trending onshore. The energy picks up to 898 on Friday afternoon, but that’s with a 9 mph cross-onshore wind, which will keep things lumpy. The mornings on the 4th and 5th are the only real hopes in this whole stretch, with light offshore winds and 3ft of swell. It’s not exciting, but it’s the lesser of many evils.
After that, the second week, from the 8th onwards, is more of the same. Small, weak, and mostly onshore. The swells are shorter period, below 8 seconds at times, which is just weak and crumbly. The energy readings stay low, mostly in the 200s and 300s, showing there’s just nothing moving out there.
If I had to pick one standout in all of this, and I’m stretching here, it would be the early mornings of Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th. They’ll have the most size and a clean offshore breeze. But even those are only marginal. For everything else, you’re better off doing something else. This setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than for a paddler. It’s a tough stretch, but with this spot being fairly consistent, it won’t stay poor for long. Forecasts change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | ||||||||||||||
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 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 | SSW 17 | SSW 13 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
387 | 486 | 823 | 505 | 688 | 554 | 411 | 400 | 325 | 226 | 156 | 154 | 154 | 96 | 184 | 141 | 204 | 319 | 305 | 486 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-off | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 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 | 25 | 20 | 19 | 24 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 23 | 18 |
Feels °C | 24 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | WNW 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | S 13 | S 13 | WNW 11 |
387 | 102 | 823 | 505 | 209 | 170 | 131 | 135 | 149 | 89 | 156 | 154 | 154 | 96 | 100 | 141 | 201 | 423 | 434 | 247 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SSW 18 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | SSE 11 | S 12 | SSW 17 | S 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | S 13 |
91 | 486 | 15 | 6 | 688 | 554 | 411 | 400 | 325 | 226 | 44 | 31 | 23 | 77 | 184 | 69 | 204 | 319 | 305 | 324 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | — | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 13 | S 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SW 18 | SW 18 | NW 10 | SSW 16 | S 12 | WNW 9 | NW 13 | SSW 18 |
31 | 27 | 15 | — | 6 | 6 | 2 | 17 | 15 | 35 | 55 | 47 | 50 | 80 | 46 | 103 | 97 | 58 | 46 | 486 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | NW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 7 | — | — | WNW 9 | NW 4 | — | WNW 9 | NW 6 |
109 | 178 | 145 | 207 | 297 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 29 | — | — | 113 | 4 | — | 176 | 44 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 125 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 121 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Cruz | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











