
Surf Forecasts:
Rincon - Indicator surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 18s period, SSW swell with 390 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rincon - Indicator this week:
The surf forecast for Rincon - Indicator over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 1.3m and 5s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rincon - Indicator in the next 16 days are 0.8m 18s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 14s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rincon - Indicator over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks.
Alright, I'm gonna level with you straight up. This forecast is a tough one to write. We've got a long, dry spell ahead. The first surfable action doesn't even kick off until Sunday, July 26th, and even then... it’s a bit of a heartbreaking story. We're looking at a solid 16-day window, but almost every single day comes back with "poor surf conditions." It's not for lack of swell energy, though. The problem is the direction.
For the entire run, the swell is coming from the southwest (SW) and south-southwest (SSW), which is fine for Rincon - Indicator, but the wind is constantly blowing from the southwest and west-southwest too. That puts us in an onshore or cross-onshore wind pattern for nearly the whole period. Clean, groomed waves? Forget it. It's going to be choppy and messy.
Sunday, July 26th through to Tuesday, July 29th, there’s a moderate amount of swell energy in the water (around 319 to 480 on the energy scale), with a very long period between 16 and 19 seconds. That’s a beautiful groundswell, but it’s completely ruined by the 10 km/h onshore winds. It’s a tease. The water temp is sitting at about 70°, which is a whopping 7° warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s very unusual, almost like a bath for July.
From Thursday, July 30th through Saturday, August 2nd, the swell period drops significantly to 7-8 seconds. That’s short period, weak windswell. The energy drops to two-digit numbers (45-125). Combine that with persistent onshore or cross-onshore wind from the WSW and S, and you’ve got ankle-snappers if you're lucky. Not worth paddling out.
There’s a small window on Monday, August 5th and Wednesday, August 7th where the period climbs back up to 14-21 seconds (that’s a very long period on the 6th and 7th), and the energy picks up again (120-158), but the wind stays cross-onshore from the south. For a point break like Rincon, that south wind is just going to wash it out. The swell size is only about 1 ft to 1 ft anyway, which is tiny.
Honestly, there’s no standout day here. Not one. The best you could hope for is to catch a high tide on one of the glassier, lighter-wind morning windows when the wind is listed as just a light breeze, but even then, the wave comment is "poor surf conditions." If I had to pick the least terrible moment, it might be Sunday, August 3rd morning, or Sunday, August 9th morning, when the swell period is 15 seconds and the wind is light and onshore. Even then, the wave state is "unknown" which is never a good sign.
This is a rough patch for Rincon. If you absolutely need to get wet, you’ll be scratching for scraps. For the kitesurfers out there, with the consistent onshore winds and ankle-to-waist high swell, the setup looks more interesting for you than for us paddle surfers.
Hang in there, see you in the water when it gets better.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 23°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Sat morning, min 23°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) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | W 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 5 | W 8 | W 7 | SSW 11 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
330 | 319 | 327 | 364 | 298 | 390 | 373 | 390 | 223 | 284 | 288 | 259 | 52 | 94 | 64 | 45 | 34 | 41 | 39 | 167 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 8:21PM1.77m | 10:37AM1.12m | 8:56PM1.81m | 11:00AM1.15m | 9:30PM1.83m | 11:24AM1.18m | 10:02PM1.82m | 11:47AM1.22m | 10:34PM1.76m | 12:12PM1.26m | 11:09PM1.66m | 12:37PM1.33m | 11:46PM1.52m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:09PM0.85m | 3:51AM-0.18m | 2:45PM0.80m | 4:21AM-0.20m | 3:20PM0.76m | 4:48AM-0.21m | 3:54PM0.72m | 5:15AM-0.18m | 4:31PM0.68m | 5:40AM-0.13m | 5:11PM0.65m | 6:05AM-0.04m | 5:56PM0.62m | |||||||
— | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 24 | 28 | 29 | 25 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 30 | 28 |
Feels °C | 29 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 25 | 29 | 30 | 26 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 30 | 30 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 7 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 8 | SSW 17 | WNW 8 | SSE 14 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | WNW 6 |
81 | 89 | 83 | 72 | 89 | 90 | 373 | 118 | 277 | 305 | 371 | 322 | 291 | 581 | 595 | 311 | 495 | 389 | 314 | 56 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SSW 18 | W 8 | SSW 16 | W 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSE 13 | WNW 8 | W 8 | S 12 | W 5 | W 8 | W 7 | SSW 11 |
330 | 319 | 327 | 364 | 298 | 390 | 71 | 390 | 96 | 284 | 288 | 259 | 178 | 94 | 64 | 180 | 34 | 41 | 39 | 167 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSE 9 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SSE 15 | SSW 16 | W 8 | W 7 | WNW 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | — | W 8 | SSW 15 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 |
11 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 57 | 104 | 196 | 223 | 46 | 54 | 79 | 52 | 14 | — | 45 | 21 | 15 | 15 | 15 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | — | WNW 4 | WNW 6 | — | — | — | SE 9 | — | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 3 | — |
47 | 71 | — | 25 | 53 | — | — | — | 12 | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 87 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Ventura County | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Rincon - Indicator Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Rincon - Indicator provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Rincon - Indicator can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Rincon - Indicator 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 (Rincon - Indicator) 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 Rincon - Indicator 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.
Rincon - Indicator is 19 km (12 miles) from the city of Santa Ana. If you plan a vacation in Ventura County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Santa Ana. Santa Ana has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










