
Surf Forecasts:
Indicators surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, NW swell with 560 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 14 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 13s 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 Tuesday (Jul 14) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m 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 2.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 12s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Tue 14th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicators over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for this spot.
First up, the water temp is sitting at 60°F, which is 4°F warmer than average for this time of year. That’s pretty notable – feels like a little bathtub compared to what you’d normally expect.
Honestly, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first few days are pretty grim. Monday the 13th kicks off with a weak 2ft swell from the SSW and a light cross-on wind that’s just making a mess of things. Not worth paddling out for.
Tuesday morning the 14th is flat and poor, but by Tuesday afternoon, the wind goes glassy – flat calm – and we get a tiny 4ft NW swell creeping in, but the period is only 8 seconds, so it’s weak and short. You could get a dribbler, but don’t expect much.
Wednesday and Thursday the 15th and 16th stay disappointing. Swell picks up to 5ft from the WNW, but the wind is cross-on or onshore, and the period stays short. The energy climbs a bit – moderate at 420 to 535 – but the quality just isn’t there. These beachy conditions would look better for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.
Now Friday the 17th morning shows some promise. We’ve got 6ft from the WNW, period still short at 8 seconds, but the wind is light and onshore. The energy is up at 841 – moderate. It’s still marginal, but there’s a chance if you pick your bank.
Saturday the 18th brings a serious shift. The swell drops to 2ft, but the period jumps to 17 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. Energy is strong at 646. The wind is light and onshore. This kind of long-period swell will be too straight for the beach, but if you’ve got a point or a reef around, it could be the standout. Keep an eye on Sunday the 19th too – similar 2ft to 3ft SSW groundswell, long period, and light offshore winds. That combo, for this break, is the best on offer.
After that, we drop into a long, quiet patch. From Monday the 20th right through to Thursday the 24th morning, it’s mostly small, weak, and messy. Swells under 3ft, mostly onshore winds, and energy levels dropping into the low hundreds. A few glassy moments on Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th morning, but the swell is tiny (2ft-3ft) and short period. Not enough to get excited about.
Then Friday the 24th afternoon throws a curveball – a tiny 1ft swell but with a 24-second period. The energy is moderate at 404, but that’s a crazy long period for such a small wave. Only for the most patient surfer on a point.
The end of the run, July 27th Monday morning and July 28th Tuesday morning, brings the biggest swell of the outlook: 7ft to 7ft from the NW, with periods around 9 seconds. Wave energy is very strong (1607 and 1581). But the wind is onshore or cross-on, and these are expert-only waves if they break like that. It’s a long-range call – promising but far out and uncertain.
For my money, the real standout is Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th: small but long-period SSW groundswell with clean offshore or light wind. That’s the one to watch.
Stay keen.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mon 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | SSW 13 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | SW 17 | SW 18 | W 16 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
184 | 127 | 102 | 136 | 242 | 142 | 271 | 560 | 260 | 202 | 359 | 330 | 267 | 255 | 309 | 323 | 177 | 295 | 386 | 268 | 251 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:52PM2.02m | 12:31PM1.37m | 10:45PM1.98m | 1:10PM1.40m | 11:37PM1.87m | 1:48PM1.42m | 00:29AM1.70m | 2:25PM1.45m | 1:22AM1.49m | 3:02PM1.49m | 2:20AM1.26m | 3:39PM1.52m | 3:30AM1.06m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:46PM0.93m | 5:03AM-0.54m | 4:42PM0.86m | 5:48AM-0.51m | 5:38PM0.79m | 6:32AM-0.41m | 6:37PM0.71m | 7:14AM-0.26m | 7:39PM0.64m | 7:55AM-0.06m | 8:46PM0.56m | 8:35AM0.17m | 9:59PM0.48m | 9:18AM0.41m | |||||||
— | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | |
8:28 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:24 | — | 8:23 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 18 | 22 | 25 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 18 |
Feels °C | 21 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 12 | WNW 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | WNW 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 17 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | W 16 | WNW 7 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
132 | 105 | 98 | 85 | 138 | 63 | 50 | 323 | 124 | 122 | 204 | 179 | 215 | 142 | 86 | 248 | 59 | 295 | 386 | 268 | 251 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 14 | SW 18 | SW 18 | W 13 | SW 16 | WNW 19 | WNW 19 | W 18 | W 17 | SW 14 | W 16 | SW 17 | SW 18 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 |
184 | 127 | 102 | 37 | 152 | 109 | 55 | 125 | 123 | 120 | 169 | 151 | 74 | 190 | 309 | 323 | 177 | 172 | 163 | 67 | 47 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 14 | SW 19 | W 14 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | W 13 | SW 17 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | WNW 12 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 15 | W 16 | SW 13 | SW 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 |
15 | 96 | 36 | 81 | 61 | 31 | 44 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 76 | 181 | 84 | 104 | 251 | 44 | 65 | 92 | 78 | 103 | 89 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NW 8 | NW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | — | WNW 7 | NW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | — | — |
— | — | — | 136 | 242 | 142 | 271 | 560 | 260 | 202 | 359 | 330 | 267 | 255 | — | 104 | 119 | 50 | 124 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 104 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Cruz | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











