Indicators Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.95° N 122.03° W

Indicators Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 am 20 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Indicators sea temperature is
16.3° C
1.7° 

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


Indicators surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s period, SSW swell with 236 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 12s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 4s 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 0.8m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 13s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 11PM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Thu 20th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 14s
Best Surf 2AM (Thu 27th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 7s
Most Powerful 8PM (Thu 20th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty comin’ at ya. Let’s be real, folks – we’ve got a long stretch of quiet water ahead. It’s gonna be a serious patience game.

Looking at the whole 16-day picture, this is a pretty bleak run. We’ve got days on end of tiny, weak surf and poor conditions. The first real whisper of something worthwhile doesn’t even show up until Sunday the 23rd of August, and even that’s a marginal call. Mostly, we're looking at a lot of flat, clean but useless days. The only real blip of interest is right at the very end of the forecast.

Alright, let’s walk through it. The early part of the outlook, starting Thursday the 20th, is a total washout. Clean skies but the swell is tiny – 2 ft to 3 ft – and the wind is on it, making for poor surf. That’s going to be the story for a solid week, right up through most of the following Thursday. These are just empty, small days. Don't bother paddling out.

Now, Sunday the 23rd afternoon brings a bit of a pulse, but it’s not pretty. The swell bumps up to 4 ft, but it’s short-period, sloppy WNW groundswell. The combined wave energy is moderate at 451, but the wind's still on it. This is more of a “maybe if you’re desperate” scenario.

The real, and only, standout here is on Friday the 28th of August. There’s a jump in the morning. We get a 6 ft NW swell, and the energy rockets up to 1057 – that’s strong wave energy. This is the punch in the whole outlook. But, and it’s a big but, our only spot is Indicators. It's a point break, which is good for this kind of longer-period swell we'll see around that time. It's rated for advanced surfers because that 6 ft is getting big. If the wind stays light onshore as forecast, it won’t be perfect, but it’s the only game in town with any power. Crowds are likely here, especially on a Friday. The water temp is a touch warmer than normal at 61 °F, so you won't need the thickest wetsuit.

After that, we get a few more half-decent mornings around the 29th and 31st of August with some clean 3 ft to 7 ft waves, but the energy drops off and the wind gets messy. For the rest of the first week of September, we’re back to small, weak surf until the very last entry.

Finally, on Friday the 4th of September, we get a solid sign-off. The morning has a clean 3 ft SSW groundswell with a very long 18-second period. The combined energy is 590, which is a nice moderate push. And for the first time in ages, the wind goes glassy in the afternoon. That’s the kind of clean, long-period glass that makes a point break like Indicators shine. This is promising, but it's a long way off, so don't commit your soul to it just yet.

Bottom line: it’s a grind. Save your energy for the Friday the 28th of August blast, and maybe keep an eye on that glassy day on the 4th of September.

- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
2
Swell
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
0.8
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
14
0.4
SW
18
0.4
SW
18
0.5
SSW
13
0.5
SSW
13
0.4
SSW
17
1.2
NW
7
1
WNW
8
1.3
WNW
8
0.5
SW
18
0.5
SW
18
0.5
SW
17
0.6
SSW
17
0.6
SSW
16
0.5
SW
16
0.5
SW
16
0.6
SSW
16
0.5
SW
16
1.4
NW
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
173
236
183
105
99
99
99
111
135
144
198
157
155
147
190
181
129
124
169
124
206
Wind (km/h)
5
WSW
10
W
5
NW
10
W
10
W
5
NNW
5
W
10
WNW
0
NW
10
WSW
10
WSW
0
N
10
SW
10
WSW
5
NE
5
SW
10
WSW
0
E
10
WSW
10
W
0
NNW
Wind State
on
on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
on
on
glassy
on
on
glassy
on
on
glassy
on
on
glassy
High Tide
8:24AM1.07m
4:35PM1.53m
9:22AM1.18m
5:34PM1.53m
9:57AM1.25m
6:37PM1.55m
10:24AM1.28m
7:34PM1.58m
10:46AM1.29m
8:23PM1.62m
11:04AM1.28m
9:08PM1.62m
11:20AM1.29m
9:49PM1.61m
Low Tide
10:39AM1.04m
00:41AM0.26m
12:15PM1.10m
1:40AM0.19m
1:24PM1.09m
2:29AM0.11m
2:15PM1.02m
3:08AM0.03m
2:56PM0.94m
3:42AM-0.03m
3:32PM0.85m
4:12AM-0.07m
4:05PM0.75m
4:38AM-0.07m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:28
6:28
6:30
6:31
6:31
6:31
6:33
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:52
7:52
7:51
7:49
7:47
7:45
7:45
 mm
Temp °C
18
21
18
19
22
18
19
24
19
20
22
17
19
22
17
18
21
16
18
22
17
Feels °C
18
20
19
18
21
18
19
23
18
20
21
18
19
21
17
17
20
16
17
21
17
  • 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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