Indicators Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.95° N 122.03° W

Indicators Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 pm 25 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Indicators sea temperature is
17.0°C
2.3° 

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


Indicators surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 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★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s 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 Wednesday (Aug 26) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s. 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 0.7m 13s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Wed 26th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 16s
Best Surf 5AM (Sat 29th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 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

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for our little patch. We’re looking at a 16-day window, and I gotta be straight with you: the first week is a bit of a slow burner. There’s a heap of long-period groundswell on the way, but the wind just doesn’t want to play nice for most of it. We’ve got some clean windows though, and the second week shows some real promise.

We’re starting off with a real flat spell. From Tuesday the 25th right through to Thursday morning the 27th, it’s pretty much a write-off. Small, weak swells with a persistent cross-onshore wind. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year at 62°. Not worth paddling out for.

Then Thursday afternoon the 27th, things get interesting. The wind goes glassy, and we get a pulse of swell coming in at 5ft from the NW, but the period is a short and weak 6 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 391. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The 28th and 29th see the swell shifting to a long-period SSW groundswell, with periods from 17 to 19 seconds. The energy builds nicely, hitting 1200 on Saturday morning the 29th, which is strong. But each time, the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, killing the quality. Saturday afternoon the 29th sees a gentle cross-onshore breeze making things choppy. The swell is around 3ft to 4ft, but it’s just not clean.

Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st are more of the same: onshore winds and marginal surf. The energy is still there, but it’s all blown out. We’ve got a long run of poor conditions from the 30th right through to the 6th of September. It’s mostly small, with periods dropping off, and the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore. A few glassy windows appear, but the swell is tiny.

Now, the standout action kicks off in the second week. On Tuesday the 8th of September, the morning looks like the best we’ve seen so far. The wind is glassy, and we’ve got a 4ft groundswell from the WNW with a 10-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 588, and the forecast says good surf conditions. This is the one to aim for – it’s small but clean, and that long period swell will be lining up nicely. The water will still be a touch warm.

Then, Wednesday the 9th of September morning is another gem. Another glassy morning, with a 3ft swell from the SSW, but with a very long period of 19 seconds. The energy is strong at 818. That’s some proper groundswell, but with that period it’s going to be better on a point or reef than a beach break. It’s a bit of a caveat, but with glassy conditions, it’s still a cracker.

So, the pick of the lot is the morning of Tuesday the 8th of September for the cleanest, most surfable conditions. The Wednesday the 9th of September morning is a close second for that beautiful, long-period, glassy session. The rest of the week is a gamble with the wind.

Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 18°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
0
2
0
0
1
2
1
2
2
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
SW
16
0.6
SSW
16
0.6
SSW
16
1.4
NW
7
0.5
SW
15
1.4
NW
6
1.6
NW
8
0.8
SSW
17
0.6
SSW
19
0.9
SSW
18
1.2
SSW
18
1
SSW
16
1.2
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
16
1
SSW
15
1
SSW
14
0.9
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
124
169
166
189
133
167
297
336
292
486
823
505
688
554
411
400
325
226
156
Wind (km/h)
5
NNE
10
W
10
WNW
5
N
10
W
15
NW
10
WNW
5
WNW
10
W
5
NNW
10
W
20
WNW
5
NW
10
WSW
15
WSW
5
WNW
10
SW
15
WSW
5
NNE
Wind State
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
glassy
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
glassy
on
on
cross-off
High Tide
9:08PM1.62m
11:20AM1.29m
9:49PM1.61m
11:36AM1.32m
10:29PM1.57m
11:54AM1.36m
11:10PM1.51m
12:15PM1.43m
11:54PM1.42m
12:38PM1.51m
00:42AM1.32m
1:06PM1.58m
1:38AM1.21m
Low Tide
4:12AM-0.07m
4:05PM0.75m
4:38AM-0.07m
4:37PM0.64m
5:03AM-0.03m
5:11PM0.53m
5:28AM0.06m
5:47PM0.43m
5:53AM0.19m
6:27PM0.33m
6:20AM0.35m
7:14PM0.25m
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:33
6:33
6:35
6:35
6:37
6:37
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:45
7:44
7:42
7:40
7:38
7:37
 mm
Temp °C
19
26
29
22
25
27
20
18
22
18
19
23
18
17
19
15
17
19
16
Feels °C
19
24
27
21
24
25
19
18
21
18
18
20
16
16
17
14
16
17
14
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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