
Surf Forecasts:
Indicators surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 9s period, NW swell with 973 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 27) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 1.0m 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 2.4m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) 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 1.1m 13s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 01) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Indicators over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, this is a tricky outlook. The forecast is full of marginal surf conditions and poor surf conditions, with hardly a standout session for the first week. The good news is that wave energy is present, but the wind and period are often working against us. The water is sitting at about 60°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a small comfort.
We’ve got a long period, groundswell from the SSW hanging around early on, but it’s mostly cross-onshore wind and choppy conditions. The first real flash of hope comes on Thursday afternoon, the 30th of July. The wind goes glassy, with a light W wind at 3 mph, and we see a 3ft SSW swell with a 15-second period. The combined energy is moderate (835). That’s the kind of window that could offer a few clean, lined-up waves, but it’s small. For a surfer who knows their craft, it’s a quiet, glassy session. The only break on the table is a point break called Indicators, which is fairly consistent and sheltered from the WNW. It’s an advanced spot, and it gets crowded often, so expect company. The SSW swell direction is a good match for the optimum swell direction of WNW, so it should wrap in nicely.
After that, things get messy again. The wind stays light onshore, but the swell direction swings to the WNW and the period drops hard to 8 seconds. That’s short-period windswell, and it’s not going to do much for this sheltered point. The energy dips too, with values around 340 to 323. Not worth paddling out for.
The best bet on offer is a bit of a longer-range promise. On Sunday, the 2nd of August, the morning session sees a 7ft NW swell with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is strong at 1257. That’s a solid push of water. The wind is light onshore from the WSW at 3 mph, so it’s not clean, but it’s not messy either. Still, 7ft is big for a point break, and only for experts. The swell is short period, so it’ll be a bit walled up and lumpy. It’s the most powerful swell in the whole window, but the quality is marginal. For a goofy-footer or a surfer who likes a bit of power, it could be worth a look if you’re keen. But honestly, it’s not the clean, classic point break session you’d hope for.
Beyond that, the second week is a long grind. The swell sticks around 3ft to 4ft from the WNW, but the wind is predominantly cross-onshore, and the energy slowly drops from 733 down to 167. The period stays around 8 to 9 seconds. It’s poor surf conditions or marginal at best. There’s a brief spike on the 7th of August with a 2ft, 19-second SSW swell, but that’s tiny and the energy is still low (439). For this spot, it’s a long stretch of not much.
So, in summary: grab that glassy Thursday afternoon (30th July) if you’re desperate for a clean, small wave. The real power comes on Sunday the 2nd of August, but it’s lumpy and for experts only. The rest of the run is a wait-and-see game. The area is fairly consistent, so it won’t stay poor forever, but this window is a slow one.
Stay patient, and keep an eye on the charts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Thu afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
566 | 491 | 785 | 876 | 580 | 751 | 877 | 619 | 612 | 604 | 553 | 534 | 408 | 243 | 284 | 202 | 179 | 390 | 287 | 459 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 8:44PM1.68m | 11:58AM1.27m | 9:25PM1.69m | 12:20PM1.26m | 10:03PM1.69m | 12:40PM1.26m | 10:40PM1.66m | 12:58PM1.27m | 11:17PM1.59m | 1:17PM1.30m | 11:56PM1.50m | 1:39PM1.36m | 00:38AM1.39m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:12PM1.03m | 4:14AM-0.11m | 3:50PM1.00m | 4:46AM-0.15m | 4:25PM0.95m | 5:15AM-0.17m | 4:57PM0.89m | 5:41AM-0.16m | 5:30PM0.83m | 6:07AM-0.12m | 6:06PM0.76m | 6:32AM-0.04m | 6:49PM0.67m | |||||||
— | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | |
8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 20 | 19 | 26 | 20 | 20 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 17 |
Feels °C | 23 | 19 | 18 | 23 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | WNW 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 16 | WNW 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | S 14 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | S 13 | WNW 9 |
566 | 491 | 785 | 876 | 169 | 751 | 877 | 197 | 232 | 604 | 347 | 534 | 408 | 243 | 212 | 394 | 179 | 207 | 345 | 459 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 17 | SW 12 | S 19 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSE 15 | SSW 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 15 | S 12 |
46 | 40 | 23 | 55 | 580 | 35 | 7 | 619 | 612 | 43 | 475 | 91 | 40 | 242 | 284 | 138 | 357 | 411 | 21 | 239 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | SSW 22 | NNW 11 | — | SW 12 | SSW 9 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSE 16 | S 18 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SW 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 16 | SW 14 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 14 |
2 | 91 | 11 | — | 36 | 8 | 31 | 19 | 25 | 155 | 41 | 75 | 76 | 138 | 126 | 174 | 52 | 21 | 15 | 53 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 5 | NW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | NW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | — | — | WNW 8 | — | NW 8 | WNW 8 | — |
61 | 103 | 82 | 120 | 277 | 169 | 180 | 338 | 381 | 343 | 553 | 355 | 351 | — | — | 202 | — | 390 | 287 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 345 | 0 | 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.










