Copacabana Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Copacabana over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, straight up, the beginning of the period is a bit of a nothing burger for surfing. From Wednesday the 2nd through to Friday the 4th, we’ve got tiny, short-period slop around 2-2 ft with mostly cross and onshore winds. The combined swell energy is low, sitting around 34-64 – that’s weak, and the conditions just aren't there. You’d be better off doing something else.

Now, we start to see a real pulse of energy arrive on Saturday the 5th of September. Saturday morning at Copacabana sees the swell jump to 4 ft from the NW with a 12-second period. The combined swell energy hits 472 (moderate) and with light cross-offshore winds from the ENE, it’s looking clean. That’s a definite window to get out there. The water temp is sitting at 71°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

But the real standout of this entire forecast is Sunday the 6th of September, early. Sunday morning brings a 5 ft swell from the NNW with a 12-second period and – get this – glassy conditions. The wind is a light 3 mph from the SSW, giving us a glassy, clean surface. The combined energy is a strong 630, so there’s some proper push behind it. That 5 ft is solid but still manageable for intermediates, and the clean conditions mean it’ll be worth the paddle. This is the best on offer, hands down. Just a heads up, the afternoon gets a little sloppy with cross-on wind, so get your session in early.

After that high, it drops off again. Monday the 7th through to Thursday the 10th is mostly small and blown out or weak, with winds mainly onshore or cross. There is a moment on Thursday the 10th morning where it’s glassy and 4 ft, but the period is only 9 seconds, so it’ll be a bit weaker (energy at 247). It’s a fair option but nothing compared to the Sunday.

We get another solid window on Monday the 14th of September. Monday morning pumps up to 4 ft from the NW with a 9-second period and cross-offshore winds from the E. The energy jumps to 528 (strong) and it’s clean. That’s your second standout – the biggest, most consistent looking pulse in the second week. The afternoon gets messy with cross-shore wind, so again, morning is the call.

The rest of the period from the 15th onward trails off into small, weak swell with poor winds. Nothing worth getting excited about.

So to sum it up: if you’ve got one day to paddle out, make it Sunday the 6th of September for the glassy, clean 5 ft NW groundswell. If you miss that, Monday the 14th of September morning is your next best bet with a solid 4 ft and good winds. Those two windows are the real highlights.

Rusty.

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